Chris Swanson of Penn: I think people like the underdog (Video)

^{Produced by Coleman Hodges.}

^{Reported by Jared Anderson.} 

1650 FREE – FINALS

• NCAA Record: 14:24.08, Martin Grodzki, 2012
• American Record: 14:23.52, Connor Jaeger, 2014
• U.S. Open Record: 14:23.52, Connor Jaeger, 2014
• Pool Record: 14:29.43, Sebastien Rouault, 2012
• 2015 Champion: 14:32.38, Matias Koski, Georgia

Top 3:

1. Chris Swanson, Penn – 14:31.54
2. Akaram Mahmoud, South Carolina – 14:31.66
3. Matthew Hutchins, Wisconsin – 14:33.09

The night kicked off with one of the wildest miles you’ll ever see. Texas’s Clark Smith, who blasted the nation’s fastest time mid-season, was out in a flash, leading the way at he 500 in 4:20.23. But Michigan’s PJ Ransford started to push Smith through the next 500, and just like in prelims of the individual 500, Smith started to falter in a big way.

Ransford started feeling the momentum, officially taking over at the 700 and surging ahead through the 1100. But then he, too, started to fatigue in a hurry, as South Carolina’s Akaram Mahmoud started chewing up the gap behind the leader.

Mahmoud took over at the 1200 and held a pretty respectable lead right down to the final 50, when Penn’s Chris Swanson came out of nowhere to blast a 24.3 split and take the touchout win by just a tenth.

Swanson’s 24.3 made up almost three seconds on Mahmoud, and he won the race in 14:31.54 to Mahmoud’s 14:33.09.

Wisconsin’s Matt Hutchins rolled in at 14:33.09, also closing the gap hard on Mahmoud over the final 50 but just running out of pool. 500 free champ Townley Haas of Texas was fourth in 14:34.36 and NC State’s Anton Ipsen fifth in 14:35.35.

When the results of the afternoon heats factored in, Smith faded all the way to 12th in 14:50.00 and Ransford to 13th in 14:51.51. Top afternoon swimmer Tom Peribonio gave South Carolina a second swimmer on the podium, with his 14:44.57 holding up for 6th.