NCAA Top Times Update After First Wave of Mid-Season Invitationals

Over the past weekend, the first wave of mid-season invitationals has been swum, shaking up the top times in the NCAA.

Invitationals From This Past Weekend (11/21-11/24)

  • Tennesse Invitational
  • Art Adamson Invitational
  • Wolfpack Invitational
  • Mizzou Invitational
  • Ohio State Invitational
  • Purdue Invitational
  • Georgia Tech Invitational
  • TYR Northwestern Invitational
  • West Virginia Invitational

Across all events from both genders, all but one top time has been taken over after this past weekend. The outlier is the women’s 1000 free, which is held by Alabama’s Kensey McMahon at 9:42.96. Out of the Ohio State Invite, OSU’s Molly Kowal is McMahon’s closest pursuer with her mid-season time of 9:43.38. The 1000 free isn’t usually race as a standalone event at Division I mid-season invites, so that swim’s survival isn’t a huge surprise.

There’s a bit of a wrinkle in the #1s via the women’s 100 fly, where Maggie MacNeil put up the 4th-fastest performance in history at the Michigan Intrasquad meet on October 18th. By NCAA rules, because there were no other teams present at that meet, it doesn’t count as an official NCAA time, but it is an official time in USA Swimming’s eyes.

  • Click here to view the top five times in the NCAA (as of 11/27)

Top Women’s NCAA Times (as of 11/27)

Event Time Swimmer Team Date
50 FR 21.19 Erika Brown Tennessee 11/21
Anna Hopkin Arkansas 11/20
100 FR 46.15 Erika Brown Tennessee 11/23
200 FR 1:41.66 Erika Brown Tennessee 11/22
500 FR 4:34.64 Paige Madden Virginia 11/21
1000 FR 9:42.96 Kensey McMahon Alabama 10/4
1650 FR 15:47.85 Leah Braswell Florida 11/24
100 BK 50.05 Beata Nelson Wisconsin 11/22
200 BK 1:49.51 Beata Nelson Wisconsin 11/23
100 BR 58.27 Zoie Hartman Georgia 11/22
200 BR 2:06.19 Kate Douglass Virginia 11/23
100 FL 49.79 Erika Brown Tennessee 1122
200 FL 1:53.14 Katie Drabot Stanford 11/22
200 IM 1:52.27 Beata Nelson Wisconsin 11/21
400 IM 4:03.06 Tess Cieplucha Tennessee 11/22

Headlining the women’s side, by no surprise, is Tennessee senior Erika Brown. At her home invitational meet, Brown threw down a near LTB in the 50 free (21.19), a monster LTB in the 200 free (1:41.66), and became the 4th-fastest performer in the 100 fly (49.79) and 2nd-fastest performer in the 100 free (46.15).

While Brown’s sprint freestyle is in a league of her own, there could be a battle brewing at the upcoming NCAAs with Arkansas’ Anna Hopkin. Hopkin tied Brown for the 50 free top spot at 21.19, as well as sits second in the nation in the 100 free at 46.56.

Toppling both backstrokes and the 200 IM is Wisconsin senior Beata Nelson, holding the same number of top times as Brown. Around this time last year, the 3-time NCAA champion was at 49.67/1:49.10 in the backstroke was well as 1:53.08 in the IM. So far, Nelson is ahead of her times in the 200 IM (1:52.27) and just off pace in the backstrokes (50.05/1:49.51).

The women’s 100 fly looks to be one of the most competitive events of the season. First we have MacNeil’s 49.57, and Michigan has still yet to compete at the Minnesota Invitational (Dec. 4-7). The only other swimmer to break 50 seconds so far in the season is Tennessee’s Brown, who came the 4th-fastest performer behind MacNeil with a 49.79. Also in the top five times this season are USC’s Louise Hansson (50.05), Virginia’s Kate Douglass (50.30), and Wisconsin’s Nelson (50.65).

Speaking of Douglass, the freshman star holds the top spot in the 200 breast with a 2:06.19, the 4th-fastest time in 17-18 age group history. Douglass is also ranked second in the 200 IM with her ACC record time of 1:52.84, right behind Nelson.

Sitting in second behind Douglass in the 200 breast is fellow newcomer Zoie Hartman of Georgia (2:07.43). Hartman is also having a stellar debut season as she holds the top 100 breast time (58.27) and the 3rd-fastest 200 IM (1:53.69) behind Douglass and Nelson.

Top Men’s NCAA Times (as of 11/27)

Event Time Swimmer Team Date
50 FR 19.10 Blaise Vera Pittsburgh 11/21
100 FR 42.26 Adam Koster Texas A&M 11/23
200 FR 1:32.95 Alexei Sancov USC 11/22
500 FR 4:12.19 Mark Theall Texas A&M 11/21
1000 FR 8:47.33 Zach Yeadon Notre Dame 11/23
1650 FR 14:32.48 Zach Yeadon Notre Dame 11/23
100 BK 44.48 Shaine Casas Texas A&M 11/22
200 BK 1:38.21 Shaine Casas Texas A&M 11/23
100 BR 51.81 Trent Pellini Purdue 11/22
200 BR 1:52.48 Andres Puente Texas A&M 11/23
100 FL 45.26 Shaine Casas Texas A&M 11/22
200 FL 1:41.45 Brendan Burns Indiana 11/23
200 IM 1:40.16 Shaine Casas Texas A&M 11/21
400 IM 3:42.14 Clayton Forde Georgia 11/22

One big swim that has slid under the radar is the 1:41.59 in the 200 fly by West Virginia junior David Dixon at the West Virginia Invite. That ranks him 2nd nationally this season, just .14 seconds behind Indiana freshman Brendan Burns.

Another big swim that we should acknowledge is Iowa Central Community College’s Billy Cruz, who frightened the NCJAA 50 free record with a 19.10. If Cruz were to go to a D1 school, he would tie Pittsburgh’s Blaise Vera, who also went 19.10.

On the men’s side, breakout swimmer Shaine Casas is on a roll for the Texas A&M Aggies, leading four individual events in the nation (100/200 BK, 100 FL, 20o IM). Casas and the rest of the Aggies now hold 7 top times in the NCAA with the help of Adam Koster (100 FR), Mark Theall (500 FR), and Andres Puente (200 BR).

Although not an official NCAA event, the top 3 times in the men’s 50 back (lead-off for 200 medley relay), are strikingly fast. World champion Zane Waddell of Alabama leads the way with a 20.91, followed by Casas’ lone #2 backstroke time (21.07), and NC State’s Coleman Stewart.

Going ‘back’ to Casas, he leads both backstrokes as the 7th-fastest performer all-time in both the 100 back (44.48) and 200 back (1:38.21). Sitting behind Casas in both events is NC State’s Stewart (44.82/1:39.98), who won the 100 back NCAA title in 2018.

Casas also surprised the nation’s best 100 flyers and 200 IMers as he put up a Texas A&M school record and nation-leading time in the 100 fly at 45.26 and became the fastest teenager (as he is still 19) in the 200-yard IM (1:40.18).

Sitting behind Casas in the fly is Georgia junior Camden Murphy at 45.36, just a tenth off Casas. In the 200 IM, Casas sits ahead of Mizzou teammates Danny Kovac (1:42.60) and Nick Alexander (1:43.47).

Also a frequent featured face in the men’s top times is Notre Dame’s Zach Yeadon, who is first in both the 1000 free (8:47.33) and 1650 free (14:32.48), and IU freshman Brendan Burns, whose 1:41.45 is top of the 200 fly.

Most Top Times – By Individual

Swimmer Number
Shaine Casas (Texas A&M) 4
Erika Brown (Tennessee) 4
Beata Nelson (Wisconsin) 3
Zach Yeadon (Notre Dame) 2

Most Top Times – By Program

Team Number
Texas A&M 7
Tennessee 5
Wisconsin 3
Georgia 2
Notre Dame 2
Virginia 2

Below are the top five NCAA teams, determined by scoring out with a championships meet format courtesy of the Finis Swimulator.

Top Five Women’s NCAA Teams

Team Points
Tennessee 320.5
Virginia 295.5
NC State 293
Georgia 257
Stanford 246

Top Five Men’s NCAA Teams

Team Points
Texas A&M 373
Indiana 329
Missouri 306
NC State 287
Arizona St 237

After just the first weekend of midseason invites, the Tennessee women and Texas A&M men look to lead the NCAA in a championship meet format (subject to change).

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Santa
4 years ago

You forgot the SMU invitational

PACK ATTACK
4 years ago

PACK unrested, unshaved DOMINATING other RESTED teams. Going to SUPRISE come March. JUST WAIT AND SEE!!!

Homie
Reply to  PACK ATTACK
4 years ago

Didn’t surprise last March, won’t surprise this March

Samuel Huntington
Reply to  PACK ATTACK
4 years ago

Once again, do you expect anyone to believe that NC State was unrested and unshaved? They got faster at their invite magically?

ACC fan
Reply to  Samuel Huntington
4 years ago

They were suited and rested but not shaved

PACK ATTACK
Reply to  Samuel Huntington
4 years ago

Just wait and see BUDDY. Holloway is on a MISSION this year and NO ONE is going to stop him! Don’t mess with a HUNGRY PACK!!!

Tim
4 years ago

I only see one team listed in both top 5’s 😉

PACK ATTACK
Reply to  Tim
4 years ago

THE PACK!!! Haters GALORE on this website, must all be UNCrap or UVA fans. LOL

Swimming in the 919
Reply to  PACK ATTACK
4 years ago

@packattack, try to not turn Swim Swam into just another woe-is-NCState site. The Pack are an NCAA power in swimming and will be for the foreseeable future. Own it and enjoy it and show the rest of Pack nation what it means to be a champion instead of a mediocre whiner.

Daniel Jablonski
4 years ago

Where’s Cal??? Neither men or women have got anything to show?

Wanna Sprite?
Reply to  Daniel Jablonski
4 years ago

They havent swam an invite meet yet

612
4 years ago

What about the Iowa Central Sprinter who lead off in a 19.10? Or is that not able to be listed bc it’s NJCAA?

Admin
Reply to  612
4 years ago

That’s correct. This list is only for NCAA Division I swimmers. NJCAA is a whole different organization.

Pvdh
4 years ago

Casas is big time

Heehaw
4 years ago

Doesn’t TENNESSEE have more top individual times than the 4 listed above? Five are at minimum listed there. How many relays too?

Buddy
Reply to  Heehaw
4 years ago

Enough with all the Tennessee hype comments. It’s annoying. Idk what’s worse, the Tennessee comments or the UVA ones

Rocket
Reply to  Buddy
4 years ago

Can we get an a3 poll for that?

John
Reply to  Buddy
4 years ago

Literally nothing is worse than DeSorbo Effect coming in and telling us how good Virginia is.

Jimbo
Reply to  John
4 years ago

I mean it was this way with Stanford last year. Who was it that kept commenting on them?

DravenOP
Reply to  Jimbo
4 years ago

“Coach” came in hyping up Stanford every single post.

Bambi
Reply to  Buddy
4 years ago

Tennessee hype is not annoying to me cause I knows the boy VOLS and girl VOLS are awesome. Expecially that the girl VOLS will win SECs this year for the first time in entire history. Now I thinkin the girls VOLS can win NCAAs too!
The real VOLS also can finish in the top 15. GO VOLS!!!!!

About Nick Pecoraro

Nick Pecoraro

Nick has had the passion for swimming since his first dive in the water in middle school, immediately falling for breaststroke. Nick had expanded to IM events in his late teens, helping foster a short, but memorable NCAA Div III swim experience at Calvin University. While working on his B.A. …

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