The Texas Longhorn men published their 2021-2022 roster yesterday, and there was at least one fairly big surprise: former University of Denver standout Cameron Auchinachie now appears on the defending champs’ roster as a grad student.
Auchinachie is a relatively rare example of a mid-major transfer who could still make an immediate impact at a powerhouse like Texas. He’s a sprint freestyler, and as a sophomore at the 2019 NCAA Championships, Auchinachie finished 16th in the 50 free (with a 19.37 after going 19.13 in prelims) and 11th in the 100 free (with a 42.13 after going 41.81 in prelims).
Lifetime Bests (SCY):
- 50 free – 19.13
- 100 free – 41.81
- 200 free – 1:34.24
- 100 back – 46.23
Those prelims times from 2019 remain his lifetime bests, but he matched his 19.13 in the fall of 2019 at the Big Al Invite. He didn’t swim any short course during the 2020-2021 season, ultimately dropping off the team roster after a huge percentage of the team was suspended for violating the school’s COVID-19 regulations. Last year was Auchinachie’s traditional senior year, but because he didn’t compete, this should be his final season of eligibility (athletes who didn’t compete last season don’t get the ‘extra’ year of eligibility afforded by the NCAA because of COVID).
Auchinachie’s 19.13 lifetime best would’ve ranked him 2nd on the Longhorns roster last year, behind Daniel Krueger’s 19.04, and his 41.81 would’ve ranked him 3rd, behind Krueger (41.33) and Drew Kibler (41.45). On most teams, a 1:34.24 in the 200 free would put you into consideration for the 800 free relay, but Texas has at least a quartet of men who’ve been 1:32 or better. However, his lifetime best of 46.23 in the 100 back would’ve ranked him 4th last year, with two of the men ahead him, Chris Staka and Austin Katz, having now graduated.
In October 2020, the NCAA granted all winter sport athletes the option to use an extra year of eligibility following complications from the COVID-19 pandemic. Under normal circumstances, Division I student-athletes have a 5-year window during which they can use up their four seasons of eligibility. However, given the current situation with COVID-19, student-athletes of all class years have been offered an additional season of eligibility, regardless of where they are in their 5-year window. For a detailed breakdown on what the stakes are surrounding a 5th-year decision in 2021, click here.
Barring any additions to the Texas roster, Auchinachie and Alvin Jiang appear to be the only 5th years competing for the Longhorns this upcoming season. If Auchinachie can match his best times, he should help Texas out on the sprint free relays, where they’ll need to replace two legs on each relay.
While we reported yesterday that Texas A&M star Shaine Casas plans to transfer, possibly to Texas, he doesn’t appear on the Longhorns’ roster at this time.
Other Texas roster notes:
- Freshman diver Manuel Borowski is joining the Longhorns. He finished 7th in the 3m event at the 2018 Junior World Championships.
- Brian Jiang, Alvin’s brother, has transferred from Michigan State after the school announce they’d be cutting the swimming and diving program. He’s primarily a sprint freestyler, with lifetime bests of 21.19/46.60.
- Senior Matthew Willenbring remains on the team roster after not competing at all last season.
- Former Longhorn sprint star Brett Ringgold will be a volunteer assistant coach for the upcoming season.
- Laurent Gosselin-Paradis, a World University Games medal-winning diver from Canada, will again not join the team for the 2021-2022 season.
Why does Casas not have to sit out a year?
On 9.9 scholarships. I just don’t get it.
This 👆🏼👆🏼👆🏼Is the million dollar question!
With the new NIL rules, it would be extremely easy for wealthy alumni to “sponsor” swimmers if they attended their alma mater. I wonder if any alumni would do that for a swim team, but maybe if they swam and are passionate, who knows…
That’s not what’s going on with Texas (I think people are just willing to spend the $ to be there, and swimming is a sport with a lot of rich families)
Creative use of donors dollars as scholarships. Full ride available without using the athletic scholarships.
This is absolutely untrue.
i went into this on the Casas post but here’s where that puts Texas:
200 free Casas 19.0, Krueger 19.0 Auchinachie, Kibler 18.5 flying, Jiang 18.7 flying plus Grimm was 19.2 flying in high school
400 free: Auchinachie 41.8 flat, Casas 41.6 flat, Kibler 41.6 Krueger 40.8
missed Jiang 41.9 flying. so many options!!
If Casas joins Texas, he won’t be on all 5 relays. He’s probably be off one of the 200/400 FRRs.
The rich get richer
Imagine being a 19.1 41.8 sprinter and potentially being the second most valuable transfer a team gets that year.
Wow. So, at 19.13 and 41.81, that puts him… <checks notes>
4th on the free relays.
Texas’ best team? I’m trying to figure out how it compares to the 2019-2020 that never got to see an NCAA meet.
That’s an interesting question!
I think, with Casas, it’s a better team than that team for sure. Best ever? The 2015 team with peak Schooling, Will Licon, Jack Conger, Clark Smith was a pretty dang good team. The early 2000s teams were really good too.
Forgot about the early 2000’s teams, hard to beat a team that has Crocker/Hansen/Peirsol as the main trio. The 2015 team was really insane too, I’m thinking Casas/Jiang/Kibler/Foster^2 can match or surpass the point total set in 2015 by those guys. I just see more stars on this year’s team, but obviously we’ll have to wait and see how it’ll play out. Obviously depends on Casas and if he actually joins, since I don’t think it’s a sure thing yet, unless I’ve misunderstood something.
Conger, Haas, Licon, Schooling, Smith. If you can call him that, Licon was the sleeper, one of only a handful of people ever to have won 4 different events at NC’s
The 2015 team “only” had 5 individual wins. The 2004 team (they swam LCM at NCAAs that year) had 6 individual wins (Crocker 2, Hansen 2, Peirsol 1, and Rainer Kendrick won the 200 fly), same as the 2016 team. The 2017 NCAAs, they had 7 individual wins, their most ever.
That 2015 team is the same team that put 6 guys in the A final of the 100 fly right? That’s still one of the most insane accomplishments any NCAA team has ever done – imagine being the 6th fastest flyer on your team but still making an NCAA A final. At any other school you’d be the star and likely be the flyer on every relay, but instead you’re the sixth fastest guy
Yep that’s right. Same team.
I think because that team wasn’t loaded with Olympic medalists like the early 2000s team was, and because Schooling was such a long course flash-in-the-pan, it gets underrated, but evaluated purely as a college team, they were absolutely nasty.