College Swimming Preview: Dressel’s Senior Campaign to Lead #3 Florida

We’ll be previewing the top 12 men’s and women’s programs from the 2017 NCAA Championships – stay tuned to our College Swimming Previews channel to catch all 24. Can’t get enough college swimming news? Check out the College Preview issue of SwimSwam Magazine for some inside looks at the life of a college swimmer as told by college swimmers themselves, plus full-length profiles of a few of college swimming’s biggest names, including our cover athlete, Simone Manuel.

#3 FLORIDA GATORS

Key Losses: Mitch D’Arrigo (12 NCAA points, 1 NCAA relay), Jack Blyzinskyj (3 NCAA relays)

Key Additions: Michael Taylor (GA – back), Clark Beach (VA – back), Ethan Beach (VA – back), Gerry Quinn (Ireland – sprint free), Grant Sanders (Arizona transfer – IM), Santi Corredor (FL – sprint free)

GRADING CRITERIA

We’ve tightened up our criteria from last year, where our first stab at a letter grading system got hit by a little bit of classic grade inflation. Again, bear in mind that all of these grades are projections more than 6 months out – and as none of us has a working crystal ball, these projections are very subjective and very likely to change over the course of the season. Disagreeing with specific grades is completely acceptable; furiously lashing out at a writer, commenter or specific athlete is not.

  • A = projected to score significant (10+) NCAA points per event
  • B = projected to score some (3-10) NCAA points per event
  • C = projected on the bubble to score likely only a few (1-2) or no NCAA points per event
  • D = projected to score no NCAA points

2016-2017 LOOKBACK

Caeleb Dressel is the hottest name in the NCAA (and perhaps the entire aquatic world) right now, and that was evidenced after he continued to throw down dominating performances at the 2017 NCAA Championships. While his sprint free was, as expected, insane (18.38 in the 50, probably his least impressive showing, and then 40.00 in the 100), his 100 fly really turned heads. Defeating reigning Olympic champion Joseph Schooling with an otherworldly 43.58, he set every record in the book, and set up what would be a mind-boggling performance in the 100m fly at World Championships.

Dressel was in command of a very competitive Florida squad that sailed to third at NCAAs, lofted by Dressel’s unparalleled 60 individual points (Will Licon had three wins, but his 200 IM victory was actually a tie, docking him back 1.5 points). Mark Szaranek tied with Licon for that 200 IM crown, and he also put up a third place effort in the 400 IM, while Jan Switkowski swam in three individual B finals.

Maxime Rooney made an A final appearance as a freshman in the 200 free, while Mitch D’Arrigo ventured into the 500 free B final and added a 9th place finish in the 1650. Florida’s relays were great with Dressel on all but the 800 free relay, and that relay ended up doing just fine without the sprint king, finishing 3rd.

SPRINT FREE: A+

Dressel will, without much doubt, account for 40 more points on his own in the 50 and 100 free combined. If we could give more +s, or more As, or a gold star, we would do that here.

Further, Rooney is fast enough in the 100 free (42.45 from SECs) to B final in the 100 free, while the Gators are stacked in the 200 free. Rooney and Switkowski are candidates to make the 200 free A final, while Khader Baqlah brings in a 1:33.6 and Arizona transfer Grant Sanders has been 1:35.0.

There’s yet more sprint power coming in with the new class. Backstrokers Clark Beach (45.3/1:37.0) and Michael Taylor (20.6/44.8/1:35.1) can definitely develop into relay pieces, especially Taylor in the 800. Irish pickup Gerry Quinn could be big, too, with LCM bests of 23.5/50.0/1:50.8, while Turkish import Erge Gezmis has been 51.4/1:51 in long course. Tate Callahan (20.7/45.3/1:38), Ethan Beach (1:38), Marty Stange (20.5), and Santi Corredor (1:37.7) are just more names in the barrel.

DISTANCE FREE: C

Ben Lawless was painstakingly close to scoring in both the 500 free and the mile at NCAAs last year, hitting the wall in 17th for both races. He’ll have a great shot at going top 16 in both next year, but it’s no sure bet.

Blake Manganiello and Andrew Brady swam in both distance races last year but didn’t score, though Manganiello’s 14:46 PR would’ve been top 16 had he done at the big meet. There isn’t a lot of incoming distance free speed, but Corredor has been 4:22 in the 500 and could develop there.

IM: A+

Switkowski and Szaranek combine for one of the best IM duos in the nation, with Szaranek himself is a candidate to win both IM titles. Switkowski is a fantastic 200 IMer, who won the B final last year but was fast enough to beat out Chase Kalisz in the A final.

Alex Lebed and Brennan Balogh each posted a 3:45 last season, while it took a 3:44 to B final last year, and Lebed was 1:44 in the 200 IM.

Corredor could be an IM prospect, with bests of 1:47.6 and 3:50 in the 200 and 400. ‘Zona transfer Sanders has been 1:45 and 3:44, and his 400 IM is his sweet spot.

BUTTERFLY: A+

Dressel is the man to beat in the 100 fly, while Switkowski will be looking for an A final appearance in the 200 fly. The Pole hasn’t been slow by any means in the 100, having gone 45.5 last season.

Szaranek didn’t score in the 200 fly last year, but his 1:42.34 from SECs is .24 off of what scored at NCAAs. There isn’t much incoming fly speed, but there isn’t a need (yet) for that on the roster.

BACKSTROKE: B-

Blyzinskyj held things down on relays last year in back, but he was unable to score individually. Clark Beach and Michael Taylor, however, will give Florida’s backstroke group a shot in the arm.

Taylor has bests of 45.53 and 1:41.05, with his 100 time being B final worthy already. Beach has been 47.4/1:41.3, with a more obvious projection to the 200 over the 100, while his twin Ethan (also better in the 200) brings in a best of 1:44.3.

Meanwhile, Balogh put up a 46.8/1:40.7 at a last chance meet in 2017, adding more depth in.

BREASTSTROKE: D+

Chandler Bray led the Gators last season, though he didn’t have a big improvement in his first year under coach Gregg Troy. He’s going to have to get to a 52 low/mid to score, and he was only 52.61 last season (only marginally better than he was in high school). Dressel is a great sprint breaststroker, but Bray is good enough to be on that leg of the medleys and Dressel doing breaststroke individually would be a pretty big surprise.

Bray and Ross Palazzo were both 1:55 lows in the 200 breast at NCAAs, but it’ll probably take a 1:53 high/1:54 low again to make it back for finals this season.

2017-2018 OUTLOOK:

Florida’s really good at what, well, they’re really good at. Their sprint free, fly, and IM groups are incredibly stacked, and Dressel obviously will be the swimmer to watch this year in his senior campaign. A large freshman class will be adjusting to new high-yardage training with Troy, and an extra eye should be kept on potentially high-impact additions Taylor, C. Beach, Sanders and Quinn throughout the season.

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tea rex
6 years ago

Enzo Scaerpe?

Aquajosh
6 years ago

Bray made the National Junior Team this summer in the 200 Breast and went 1:01.5 in the 100. Andrew Brady won High Point at the US Open. Grant Sanders had a very good Nationals, making the WUGs team, and Rooney went 52.2 in the 100 fly, giving him another 3rd event possibility. If these improvements carry over to short course and Michael Taylor comes around, it’s going to be a very good year for the Gators. Szaranek, Dressel, Switkowski can swim anything, and are probably the best trifecta in the NCAA right now.

Swimmer1
Reply to  Aquajosh
6 years ago

Bray on national junior team this summer? Um no.

Distance Swimmer
6 years ago

Predictions for the Gators in 2017-18
1. Dressel goes 18.15/43.48/39.98 in 50/100fly/100free
2. Switkowski makes 3 A-Finals in 200IM/Fr/Fly and goes 1:41.7/1:31.7/1:39.5
3. Rooney breaks through in 100/200 Free with 1:31 and 41-high, struggles to find 3rd event
4. The 200 MR wins NCAAs with Taylor/Bray/Szaranek/Dressel
Splits: 21.0/23.5/19.9/17.5 = 1:21.9
5. Gets 2nd at NCAAs…..thoughts?

JP input is too short
Reply to  Distance Swimmer
6 years ago

I’m with you on all of them but (4). I could see it happening but I’m just having a hard time getting past how good NC St should be at that event with something like Ress/Molacek/Held/Izzo. Or Ress/Molacek/Izzo/Held. Or Stewart/Molacek/Ress/Held. Or… it goes on and on.

SwimGeek
6 years ago

Doubt it will happen, but I’d love to see Dressel do a fully rested 200y Free. The way he brings home his 100 and the endurance base that he has — combine that with this otherworldly speed, and I think he’d have a great shot at 1:29

JP input is too short
Reply to  SwimGeek
6 years ago

I don’t think 1:29, but I do think a Dressel/Haas 200 free race would be awesome to see. If Haas drops some time to break the 500 free record, you could make an argument that that would be the best two freestylers in college swimming history matching up.

marklewis
6 years ago

Florida isn’t the most well-rounded team, but they can pile up the points in their strength events like the freestyle and the freestyle relays.

They were top 3 in all three of the free relays. They got 100 points (out of their total of 294) in the free relays events.

Swim
6 years ago

Texas wins it all and I am going to throw this out there…Gators will battle for second.

Murica
Reply to  Swim
6 years ago

Yo those CAL frosh are lookin gooood just wait

Swim
Reply to  Murica
6 years ago

New environment can be a struggle for some but Cal does have a solid group of freshmen.

Swimmer
Reply to  Swim
6 years ago

I see Cal Texas and NC State in a close battle for 1-2-3 Definitely much tighter competition this year and much more fun to watch when every swim matters.

Swim
Reply to  Swimmer
6 years ago

It’s going to be fast this year!

AvidSwimFan
Reply to  Swimmer
6 years ago

I just don’t see NC state getting to 3rd place. I think they are likely to settle for 4th.

Abnen
Reply to  Swim
6 years ago

Texas is the favourite but anything could happen. So if they want to win, they have to work real hard & Schooling can’t afford to have a sloppy swim.

j pine
Reply to  Abnen
6 years ago

I think he’ll be back and hungry to claim his throne again this year, but it remains to be seen if he can perform

Abnen
6 years ago

Dressel will taste defeat this year.

Abnen
Reply to  Abnen
6 years ago

I mean in NCAA 2018.

marklewis
Reply to  Abnen
6 years ago

The 100 butterfly rematch with Schooling will be the Race to Watch.

Schoolling had a short stroke to finish, while Dressel hit the touch perfectly. It was so close.

If they swim right next to each other, the tension will be ratched up even higher. They did not swim in adjacent lanes at the NCAAs or the WCs.

E Gamble
Reply to  Abnen
6 years ago

You must be talking about an XBox game not swimming. ??

Swimmer
6 years ago

Across the board looking at all the previous reviews it looks like breaststrokers are in short supply this year.

Reply to  Swimmer
6 years ago

That’s very much the case. Not a single program so far has received better than a B+ in breaststroke on the men’s side. And the top 5 programs in general are very weak there. But next year’s freshman class is one of the best breaststroke classes we’ve ever seen, so things should change in a hurry for the teams that recruit well.

CraigH
Reply to  Swimmer
6 years ago

It does seem like Breastrokers are the most likely to pop off big swims at Mid-Major schools, rather than the powerhouses.

Murica
Reply to  CraigH
6 years ago

Breaststrokers are fragile. They need special care. Often get lumped into distance sets if they have a good 2br and 4 IM which sucks

Or in sprint group which is better but they definitely need a specific program and attention more than just sprint workouts. They should be kicking alot, but also doing lots of power stuff and pace work. Not 8, 6, 4, 2 pull and then 8 150s br the next day…. still having nightmares over here

About Karl Ortegon

Karl Ortegon

Karl Ortegon studied sociology at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, graduating in May of 2018. He began swimming on a club team in first grade and swam four years for Wesleyan.

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