American record-holder Dean Farris will return to the Harvard roster for the 2020-2021 NCAA season after an Olympic gap year. So will NCAA qualifier Raphael Marcoux.
The school confirmed both swimmers will rejoin the program this coming season. Farris (USA) and Marcoux (Canada) are both Olympic hopefuls for their respective nations, and sat out last college season to prepare for Olympic Trials meets in long course meters.
Farris is a huge returner for the Crimson. As a junior in 2019, he was one of the top few candidates for Swimmer of the Year after winning two events (100 back in 43.66; 100 free in 40.80) and setting new American and NCAA records with a 1:29.15 leadoff of the 800 free relay.
Farris’s Top Times
- 200y free: 1:29.15
- 100y free: 40.80
- 50y free: 18.92
- 100y back: 43.66
- 200y back: 1:38.99
Last summer, Farris also went 48.07 in the long course 100 free and 1:46.45 in the long course 200 free, putting himself in the thick of crowded fields pushing for Olympic relay spots in both events.
He should be a senior for Harvard this coming season after sitting out last year and training out of the University of Texas.
Marcoux is a strong sprint fly/free type who should also be a senior this year. He was an NCAA qualifier in the 50 free as a junior, and swam key legs on a number of scoring relays for Harvard.
Marcoux’s Top Times
- 50y free: 19.22
- 100y free: 42.95
- 100y fly: 46.44
The Tokyo Olympics were postponed to 2021, causing some speculation as to whether the long list of Olympic gap years and redshirts across the country would take a second consecutive season off. But we’ve confirmed quite a few of the top names to be returning as of this week, with Farris the biggest among them.
Farris and Marcoux had an extra layer of complication – the Ivy League as a rule doesn’t allow graduate students to compete in intercollegiate athletics, even if they have years of eligibility remaining. So delaying their final year of college swimming would also have to delay their final year of college courses, and push back their graduation.
Farris and Marcoux rejoin a Harvard program that brought in one of our top 25 or so recruiting classes nationwide this offseason.
Wicked Smaht!
Remember that every swimmer has had major training changes over the past 2+ months. I wonder how many swimmers will actually be faster next year at NCAAs and at Trials. Common sense will tell your that we’re probably going to see a lot less best times than we normally would in a Trials year.
Uhhh I believe it is Harvard returning to Dean
Marcoux is pretty quick huh
Balance is restored to the universe!
Farris also split 47.00 on the Us 400 free relay who went to WUG
Could be break dressels 100 free record???
No way.
Definitely a weaker record than the 50 or 100 fly. The front end speed just isn’t there for Dean.
UGA gets redshirts back from 3 swimmers, and Javier Acevedo and Eva Merrel
You may have more information than us, but when we checked with Georgia yesterday, they weren’t sure if Acevedo was coming back.
And Eva coming back is never a sure bet!