The preselection entry lists for the 2019 NCAA Men’s Swimming & Diving Championships have been posted. While not an official list of who’s been invited to the meet, the lists do give us insights into who will be swimming which events among top swimmers.
The official invitation lists will be posted on Wednesday, but Andrew Mering is currently running the math to allow us to project whose in and whose out, barring any changes from these preliminary lists to tomorrow’s lists. Throughout today, we’ll also be writing up interesting event selections, as well as scoring out the psych sheets.
How is this whittled down to just invitees?
The invite system is a bit complicated, but, essentially, achieving an ‘A’ (automatic) qualifying time gets you in. After that, the next-fastest swimmers in each event get added until the total participant number (270 for men, 322 for women) is met. You can read a full breakdown of how that works here, including how ties are broken.
The cut line to get invited to NCAAs usually fall roughly around the same time each year, normally getting slightly faster each season. The invite times for the 2018 meet were almost faster across the board compared to 2017, with only the men’s 200 free and 100 breast and the women’s 50 free and 100 back getting slower. From 2016 to 2017, all events got faster.
Last season, everybody ranked 28th-or-better in at least one event earned an invite, as did the 3 swimmers from the 29-line whose times, by percentage, are closest to the NCAA Championship Record.
The 2019 NCAA Division I Men’s Swimming & Diving Championship Meet will run from March 27th-30th in Austin, Texas. The Texas Longhorns are the four-time defending champions, winning by a mere 11.5 points last year, their narrowest margin of victory during this current run.
Can someone clarify for me for sure whether the “next line in” athletes are chosen based on overall NCAA record or championship meet NCAA record?
Shout out to all the boys at ECU who made the preselection sheet.
I notice Dean Farris of Harvard has a top time but is not on the list. He is credited with a 1:30.83, at the Ivy League Championships, the top college time this year in the 200 free. Do you have any idea what is the explanation?
Frank – Dean is swimming the 100 back instead.
From what I can tell Texas will bring 16 swimmers and 3 divers (4 if Merritt can qualify on 3M or 10M) and will be leaving 3 or 4 swimmers who would otherwise qualify. Cal will bring 14 swimmers and 1 diver. Indiana will bring only 9 swimmers and 2 divers. Indiana had 5 guys with a best event ranked 30th to 40th, so while their top 3 are total studs, they just don’t have the swims. Looks to me like 1. Texas, 2. Cal, 3. Indiana.
9? Finnerty, Lanza, Fantoni, Blaskovic, Samy, Apple, Backes, Brinegar, Calvilo can all score, and Mathias with some drop can get a B final on 100 fly.. so why drop? And they need people for the 200/400 free relay
No Dean Farris on 200 free?
He’s entered in the 100 back that day, seeded third. That choice was sort of toss up. His 44.6 entry time is from the Harvard-Yale-Princeton meet, so it’s likely an untapered, unshaved time.
I mean 100 back against Coleman Stewart or 200 free against Seli and Haas? Also to note last year his speed was way up at NCAA’s but his endurance was a little off. he was 48 LC free and 54 low LC back over the summer and he’s probably a better yards swimmer at this point so I’m here for it. Get it Dean-o
PS — It is a little disappointing we won’t get to see him race Seliskar and Haas in the 200, but we will probably get to see him lead off Harvard’s 800 free relay, so he will get his shot at the record. This is an interesting choice: limiting his individual events to the 50 and the two 100’s means he’ll be better rested throughout the meet, and won’t be quite as affected by the accumulated lactic acid which usually takes its toll by the third and fourth days of the meet. And given that his best event last summer was his 100 free, which means that’s probably his best shot to make the Olympic team, they’re working on sharpening… Read more »
I count 19 University of Texas swimmers with times at line 27 or better. With likely scoring divers, Eddie’s going to have to tell a couple swimmers they are staying home even with invite qualifying times. Yikes. Can you imagine being one of those guys?
That is not unusual for Texas and Cal. It sucks not making a conference squad but not making a NCAA team really sucks!
I think it is unusual for any team, including Cal & Texas, to leave home swimmers from NCAAs. I think there has only been one time in the last 20 years that a team had to leave home swimmers and I don’t think anyone has ever left home 4 qualifiers. What years do you think Cal & Texas left home qualifiers?
I heard this situation is a first in history.
Pretty sure both Ganiel in 2015 and Dunne in 2016 got left off Texas’s roster despite qualifying.
https://swimswam.com/texas-scratches-ganiel-to-make-room-for-third-diver-stanfords-ryan-arata-pulled-into-the-meet/ and https://swimswam.com/texass-dunne-tennessees-pinion-scratch-mens-ncaa-meet/
And yet people are saying Texas DIVING and swimming. haha.
Texas will qualify 22 to 24 athletes! Amazing on just 9.9 scholarships!?
They’re presently at 23, waiting to see on Reed Merritt at Zones. Platform all that remains.
Aren’t they all staying home though since they’re hosting?