2017 SEC SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Tuesday, February 14 – Saturday, February 18
- Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center, Knoxville, TN (Eastern Time Zone)
- Prelims 10AM / Finals 6PM
- Defending Champion: Florida men (4x), Texas A&M women (results)
- Championship Central
- Psych Sheet
- Day 2 Prelims Heat Sheet
- Live results
- Live Video
Caeleb Dressel is the fastest short course sprinter in the history of swimming. And yet, there’s a lingering inclination that he could be more than that, driven by a combination of his coach Gregg Troy and a few flashes of brilliance like swimming breaststroke on Florida’s medley relays, and once setting the national high school record in the 100 fly.
So whenever psych sheets come out for college championship meets, with their 3 individual event cap, one of the peaks of interest is seeing what event Dressel will add to his lineup alongside the 50 and the 100 free.
Last year at NCAAs, it was the 100 fly, in which he finished 2nd in 44.40. At SECs it was the same race, with a 44.80 title the result.
When this year’s psych sheets came out, Dressel was entered in 6 events, leaving lots of questions about which ones he might. After the reveal of the psych sheets for Wednesday’s preliminary session, we now know that the tantalizing 200 IM won’t be one of them. That event comes immediately before the 50 free, his best event, in the meet schedule, and he’s chosen to focus on the latter.
Here’s Dressel’s possible individual schedule pushing forward:
Wednesday:
200 IM- 50 free
Thursday:
- 100 fly
- 200 free
Friday:
- 100 breast
Saturday:
- 100 free
The 100 fly and 100 free are the obvious choices with an eye on NCAAs. While Dressel wouldn’t be the favorite in either the 100 breaststroke or 100 fly, if he has a good meet, he’s a good bet for top 3 in the 100 fly, where even on a good swim, he could slip to 5th in the 100 breaststroke as a much lesser-known quantity.
2 corrections.
“Swim fans have been dreaming of a Caeleb Dressel 200 IM at a championship meet….”
Not me. Freestyle is well enough for him.
You should rather say “some swim fans”.
“Caeleb Dressel is the fastest short course sprinter in the history of swimming.”
You should rather say “fastest short course yards sprinter”.
Florent Manaudou holds the 50 free WR in SCM in 20.26.
Who is the fastest in the same pool? No idea. With both guys at their top it would be incredibly close.
1. The writer didn’t say “all swim fans”.
2. I think everyone reading this article understands that the writer is referring to yards, as this is an article on an NCAA conference championship meet.
Wrong. I would bet on Dressel winning the 100 Breast over the 100 Fly
I’m glad he considers it. To me it shows he’s working on it. And one of these days he’ll unleash it on us.
I’m a little behind on ncaa news, but isn’t the 100 IM supposed to be added to the event line-up?
If so, I would love to see what kind of damage Dressel could do there. .. more so than the 200 IM
It’s only an optional even for dual meets at this point. But you’re right, Dressel would crush it.
No doubt he could break the 100 IM world record one day at a world cup or at SCM world championships. But honestly I don’t see the interest. Except money. Who really cares about the 100 IM?
Winning individual gold medals on sprint in long course is much more important.
As a race (aka, without consideration to whether it’s an Olympic event, NCAA event, etc.), the 100 IM is my favorite race – as a coach, swimmer, and fan.
BKP – the 100 IM was approved for NCAA competition in late 2015, meaning conferences could add the event to their meets if they choose to. So far, though, no major conferences have chosen to add the event.