Duke versus NC State – Friday Exhibition
- Friday, January 17th
- SCY
- Results (pdf)
We reported how Duke and NC State took to the pool on Friday, January 17th in a suited exhibition competition prior to their official NCAA Division I dual on Saturday, January 18th.
One of the key swims which flew under the radar a bit during that suited yards battle was thrown down by Wolfpack member Nyls Korstanje.
Junior Korstanje took on the fly leg of the men’s 200y medley relay, crushing a relay split of 19.56. The next fastest swimmer of the 3-team field on fly was Duke’s Charlie Gingrich who logged a leg of 20.85.
Korstanje’s teammates of John Healy (back, 22.28), Rafal Kusto (breast, 23.57) and Noah Henderson (free, 19.19) combined to put up a collective effort of 1:24.60 to take the exhibition race.
Although unofficial, that time would rank as the 15th fastest in the nation this NCAA Division I season. However, NC State already ranks #3 in the nation with their 1:23.40 from November.
For Korstanje specifically, his 19.56 ranks as the 4th fastest 50y fly relay split in history, according to the USA Swimming database. Only Joseph Schooling, then of Texas, ranks higher with bests of 19.36 and 19.45 from 2016 and 2017, respectively. Additionally, Pitt’s Blaise Vera scored a split of 19.52 at the 2021 NCAA Division 1 Men’s Championships. As such, Korstanje is now the #3 performer all-time in terms of 50y fly relay splits.
22-year-old Korstanje has proven his mettle across both yards and meters, owning the Dutch national records in the long course meters 50 and 100 butterfly. In addition to relays, Korstanje raced the men’s 100 fly individual event in Tokyo this summer, ultimately placing 12th overall.
That’s fast and all, but what was his 75 with fins time?
tangential to this but how fast do yall think dressel would have been 2018 in a relay split? I’m thinking a 18.9 at least
He actually doesn’t drop as much time relatively with a relay split compared with others. My guess is 19.1/19.2 because Schooling was more explosive in the first 50 of his 100 flys – I doubt Dressel was that much faster in the 50.
Dressel did not gain as much from a rolling start as most swimmers (my theory is that his flat start is just so good – that it make his rolling starts seem more ordinary). I believe his best freestyle relay split ever was ~17.3 — only 0.3 faster than his flat start. He took his record 100 fly out in 19.99. If I had to guess, I’d probably say he would have gone 19-low in a 50 fly split.
Yeah but, he took his 100 free out in an 18.96 (yes, to the feet)… best 50 vs best first 50 of a 100 is not a good comparison. I say he cracks 19 “easily”
also he’s got a good amount on Schooling in the 100 fly, so he should easily be better than 19.3
To the feet is always going to be slower than a hand touch, so it’s not an exact comparison. 18.9 us probably 18.5 to the hand. I’d put at a 19.0-.2 for a fly split.
He would have been well under 19. Think of it like this, dressel was better than schooling by a significant margin by that point, and schooling had split 19.3, so yeah, he would have no problem splitting 18.9 or better on the fly
Oh those pre-Covid days!
It’s official. The meet had a full complement of USA/NCAA officials.
Blazing fast
Blaise Vera was 19.52 last year at ncaas I believe
19.50 actually! https://swimswam.com/pitts-blaise-vera-cranks-3rd-fastest-50-fly-relay-split-ever-with-19-50/
Thanks! I’ve since included; not sure why that wasn’t in the USA Database.
Hail to Pitt!
Is it just me (and it likely is)…but does anyone else read about Blaise Vera and immediately conjure Lasse Viren (Finnish runner with a phonetically similar name, at least in terms of articulation)…and then have to reset their mind to remember that it’s not the 70’s, we’re not talking about running, and NOTHING here has to do with Prefontaine?
It’s 100% just you.