NCAA Champ Freshman Austin Katz Explains What Sets Texas Apart (Video)

^{Reported by Jared Anderson.}

200 BACKSTROKE – FINALS

• NCAA record: Ryan Murphy (Cal), 2016, 1:35.73
• American record: Ryan Murphy (Cal), 2016, 1:35.73
• U.S. Open record: Ryan Murphy (Cal), 2016, 1:35.73
• 2017 NCAA Champion: Ryan Murphy (Cal), 1:36.75

Top 8 finishers:

1. Austin Katz, Texas – 1:37.53
2. John Shebat, Texas – 1:37.94
3. Patrick Mulcare, USC – 1:38.43
4. Bryce Mefford, Cal – 1:38.48
5. Jonathan Roberts, Texas – 1:38.64
6. Anton Loncar, Denver – 1:39.15
7. Dean Farris, Harvard – 1:40.37
8. Abrahm Devine, Stanford – 1:41.99

Texas teammates went 1-2 in the 200 back, with freshman Austin Katz closing hard to finish in 1:37.53. John Shebat was out fast but had to settle for 2nd place for the fourth-consecutive backstroke race after two runner-up finishes last year and a second place last night. Shebat was 1:37.94.

USC’s Patrick Mulcare jumped up to third in 1:38.43, and Cal’s Bryce Mefford jumped up two spots in 1:38.48. That means Cal added four points from seeds in this event after jumping up two from seeds in the mile.

Texas’s Jonathan Roberts fell to fifth, but Texas still hit their exact seeded points. In the B final, Ryan Harty held his spot as well.

Denver’s Anton Loncar was the last guy under 1:40 in the A final.

The B final went to Georgia’s Javier Acevedo, who was 1:39.06. Cal’s Daniel Carr moved up again, going 1:39.29 for 10th overall.

The 3-man final brought Texas up to first place at 360 points, but they’ll struggle more in the last two races. Cal is second in 335.5, with Indiana sitting at 327. IU’s Mohamed Samy fell to 15th in the B heat, losing two points from seed.