Matt Fallon Opens 2022-2023 Season with Blistering 200 Breast at Intrasquad Meet

Penn Red vs. Blue (Intrasquad)

  • September 30, 2022
  • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • 25 yards, intrasquad
  • No full results available

NCAA title contender Matthew Fallon opened up his 2022-2023 campaign for the University of Pennsylvania with a lightning-fast swim in the 200 yard breaststroke.

The 19-year old sophomore swam for the “red” team in Penn’s annual intrasquad blue vs. red meet last weekend, marking a 1:52.33 in his specialty event.

Fallon swam sparingly in the fall semester last season, and Penn didn’t publicize a 2021 intrasquad, so it’s hard to fully contextualize this swim, but there are a few perspectives worth examining.

One is that his best non-taper time in the 200 breaststroke last season was 1:55.53 at the team’s season-opening dual meet against Brown on November 13. Three weeks later, he swam 1:49.71 at the Zippy Invite, and he peaked at NCAAs in prelims with a 1:49.03. He added a bit to finish 3rd at NCAAs in 1:49.16.

The other perspective is that the fastest official time in the 200 yard breaststroke last season through the end of November, which includes some but not all mid-season invites, was 1:52.44.

Over the summer, Fallon won the US National Championship in the 200 meter breaststroke in 2:07.91. That meet is not to be confused with the US International Team Trials in May, which Fallon did not compete in because of conflicts with his academic schedule at Penn. His 2:07.91, though, would have won the 200 breast by almost a second at that meet.

The Penn men are coming off a third-place finish at last year’s Ivy League Championships, which was a huge leap from their 7th-place finish at the last championship in 2020.

Other notable results include a 4:47.77 in the 500 free from Anna Kalandadze. That’s almost as fast as the 4:46.98 that she swam to place 49th at last year’s NCAA Championship meet (about three seconds off her season best). Penn sophomore Vanessa Chong also swam 54.26 in the 100 yard fly, which is within a second of her lifetime best done in her senior season of high school.

 

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Austinpoolboy
2 years ago

So he should go about 1:46 with a taper. Lol

PFA
2 years ago

Not that it really matters but the fastest time before Fallon was a 1:59.

Jay Ryan
Reply to  PFA
2 years ago

I wonder what you mean here. Mark Andrew was 1:54.38 and Boris Yang 1:56.3 in 2019. Collin McHugh, Wes Thomas, and Cole Hurwitz all went 1:56 in 2017. There are many other Quakers that have been faster than 1:59 over the years.

Yaboi
Reply to  Jay Ryan
2 years ago

I think they’re saying fastest at this intrasquad meet

Jay Ryan
Reply to  Yaboi
2 years ago

They keep intrasquad meet records?

swammer
Reply to  Jay Ryan
2 years ago

dont forget about penn legend brendan “birdpoop” mchugh

Gator chomp
Reply to  PFA
2 years ago

This also doesn’t really matter but Marchand was 1:57.6 against uga and mizzou

Ghost
Reply to  Gator chomp
2 years ago

UGA have NO breastrokers yet and Leon still had to win IM and last relay with not much rest so he probably didn’t give it his all.

JP input is too short
2 years ago

I reserve judgement on intrasquad meet results until after dual meets start.

Fatt Mallon
2 years ago

Light work

daeleb cressel
Reply to  Fatt Mallon
2 years ago

Ong

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