2020 JANIS HAPE DOWD INVITATIONAL
- Thursday, December 3-Saturday, December 5
- Teams: University of North Carolina, NC State, Virginia Tech, Duke, Wolfpack Elite
- Koury Natatorium, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Format: Short Course Yards (SCY)
- Prelims/Finals
- Prelims @9AM Central, Finals @5PM Central
- 2021 NCAA Qualifying Times
- Results on Meet Mobile: “UNC ‘Janis Hape Dowd’ Invitational”
Coleman Stewart made one more run at the American Record in the 100 yard backstroke Saturday at the 2020 Janis Hape Dowd Invitational hosted by the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Though he did not break the record that was set in 2016 by Cal’s Ryan Murphy, this is Stewart’s second sub-44 100 yard backstroke in as many days and the third of his career.
On Friday, Stewart posted a 43.62 making him the 2nd-fastest performer all-time and giving him ownership of the 3rd-fastest performance all-time. Stewart’s time tonight does not change his position on the all-time performers list though it does make him and Murphy the only two swimmers to have ever broken 44 multiple times, each of them having done it three times.
Compared to the short list of other men that have been sub-44 in the 100 backstroke, Stewart has stood out as having the slowest opening 50 but near-record pace closing 50s. Saturday, however, Stewart took it out fast–faster than Murphy when he set the American Record in 2016 and faster than Dean Farris when he won the NCAA title in 2019.
Saturday, as the lone swimmer in his time trial, Stewart exploded a 20.77 to his feet on the opening 50. For comparison, Murphy was 20.96 when he set the American Record at 43.49, whereas Farris was 20.85 when he won NCAAs in 43.66 in 2019, just ahead of Stewart who placed 2nd in 43.98 that year.
Murphy’s 43.49 was his second time breaking the American Record in the 100 backstroke though, and his opening 50 the first time he did it was a 20.90 en route to a 43.51.
Stewart’s Splits Each Time He’s Been 43
| STEWART 12/04/2020 | STEWART 12/05/2020 | STEWART NCAAs 2019 | |
| 1st 50 | 21.10 | 20.77 | 21.38 |
| 2nd 50 | 22.52 | 23.05 | 22.6 |
| Total Time | 43.62 | 43.82 | 43.98 |
Stewart was obviously much faster out of the gate on 12/05/2020, though he faded much more than we’ve seen him do in the past on the second 50. Even so, the effort resulted in Stewart’s second-fastest performance ever and the 5th-fastest 100 yard backstroke in history.
Sub-21 Opening 50 Split Comparison
| MURPHY 2016 – INDIVIDUAL | MURPHY 2016 – RELAY | FARRIS 2019 | STEWART 12/05/2020 | |
| 1st 50 | 20.96 | 20.90 | 20.85 | 20.77 |
| 2nd 50 | 22.53 | 22.61 | 22.81 | 23.05 |
| Total Time | 43.49 | 43.51 | 43.66 | 43.82 |
Stewart now owns 5 of the top-10 fastest performances in history in the 100 yard backstroke, two of which were done in the past two days.
TOP-10 PERFORMANCES: MEN’S 100 YARD BACKSTROKE
- Ryan Murphy – 43.49
- Ryan Murphy – 43.51
- Coleman Stewart – 43.62
- Dean Farris – 43.66
- Coleman Stewart – 43.82
- Shaine Casas – 43.87
- Coleman Stewart – 43.98
- Ryan Murphy – 43.99
- Coleman Stewart – 44.04
- Coleman Stewart – 44.06
Murphy, Stewart, and Farris have all been on this list for at least one year each; Shaine Casas, on the other hand, joined just weeks ago when he cranked out a 43.87 in the 100 yard backstroke in November.
TOP-10 PERFORMERS: MEN’S 100 YARD BACKSTROKE
- Ryan Murphy, 43.49
- Coleman Stewart, 43.62
- Dean Farris, 43.66
- Shaine Casas, 43.87
- Nick Thoman, 44.07
- Zane Waddell, 44.10
- Zachary Poti, 44.14
- Mark Nikolaev, 44.33
- John Shebat, 44.35
- Matt Grevers, 44.49
wpDiscuz
A little too fast out maybe 🤔
Major piano!
I’d take that piano any day.
You got that, no question! It is undoubtedly a great swim, he was smokin’. But because a piano is still a piano, he is also undoubtedly literally “testing the waters” as to the best race strategy to wrest that record from Murphy. In this case, he just went out a bit too fast. He will adapt.
Man Coleman really wanted to break that record that he sacrificed that backend speed to try and get it.
Murphy’s hearing about all these attempts and laughing his ass off.
He hasn’t done a best time in a 100 SCY or LCM back in 4 years, so I doubt he’s really laughing, and he got his ass kicked in the 100 SCM back in the ISL final. Pretty sure he’s wondering when he’s going to do a best time again, because he’s going to need it to medal at Tokyo.
You’re acting like he didn’t go 51.9 in 2018.
Wasn’t a best time.
Idk if getting 2nd to the new world record holder qualifies as “getting his ass kicked” more than anyone else in that 100 back final
Kliment went by him on the last 25 like he was standing still. Just putting the Murphy fanboy hero worship in perspective.
Ol’ Longhorn coming after Murphy is actually a good sign for his future. When Ol’ Longhorn goes after people, they tend to do well coming out the other side.
See:
-Caeleb Dressel
-William & Mary swimming
A very nervous laugh