NC State Takes Down American Record in the 200 Free Relay

2018 MEN’S NCAA SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, March 21 – Saturday, March 24
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The NC State Wolfpack took down the oldest men’s short course yards American Record on the books tonight, registering a 1:14.50 as they took 2nd place in tonight’s A-final at the 2018 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships.  That eclipses the previous mark of 1:15.26 which the Stanford men set way back in 2011.  Ryan Held led off in a 18.56 for the Wolfpack, putting them 2nd to Caeleb Dressel.  Justin Ress, Jacob Molacek, and Coleman Stewart all split under 19 to bring it home for the Wolfpack.

NC State, 2018
Held – 18.56
Ress – 18.31
Molacek – 18.67
Stewart – 18.96
Total – 1:14.50

Stanford, 2011
Colville – 19.17
Staab – 18.55
Allen – 18.78
Wayne – 18.76
Total – 1:15.26

Tonight’s time by NC State was almost a whole second faster than the same four swimmers went at ACCs last month, when they swam a 1:15.43 to rattle the American Record.

While they didn’t win tonight, losing to Florida and Caeleb Dressel’s 17.81 leadoff by just over a tenth of a second, that’s still an incredibly fast time for NC State, and makes you wonder what they’ll be able to do in the 400 free relay on Saturday.  They broke the American Record in that event at ACCs with the 2nd-fastest time ever.  If their one second improvement in this event leads to the equivalent two second improvement in the 400 free relay, they would bust right past the 2:44 to mark to a 2:43-low.