Olympic Trials 3rd-Place Finisher Shaine Casas Swims 51.22 100 Fly 1 Week Later

2021 Texas Senior Circuit Long Course Meet #2

Shaine Casas is back in the competition pool one week after having competed at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Wave II Meet in Omaha. The Texas Senior Circuit Long Course Meet took place in College Station, TX, in Casas’ collegiate home pool at Texas A&M.

At this weekend’s meet, he swam the 100 free and 100 fly, securing a win and a personal best times in each race.  Casas’ most impressive swim of the weekend was in the finals of the 100 fly. He dominated the race, dropping 0.51 seconds from his previous best time to go a time of 51.22. That swim makes him the 9th-best American performer in the history of the event.

Casas also swam a new best time of 48.91 in the 100 free.

A time of 51.22 in the 100 fly would have finished third at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Wave II meet, though he didn’t swim the event last week in Omaha. American record-holder Caeleb Dressel touched first in 49.87 while 2016 Olympian Tom Shields got his hands on the wall second in a time of 51.19. Casas would have been 0.03 seconds behind Shields with him time from this weekend. His swim was the 4th fastest American time this year behind Dressel, Michael Andrew, and Shields.

Casas opted out of the 100 fly at Trials, focusing instead on the backstroke events. He was among the favorites to earn a spot on the team in both the 100 and 200 backstrokes, having won them at the 2021 NCAA DI Championships.

At Trials, though, he ultimately finished 6th in the 200 back (1:57.64) and 3rd in the 100 back. His 100 time of 52.76 placed him 0.28 seconds behind silver medalist Hunter Armstrong and 0.43 seconds behind American record-holder Ryan Murphy.

Additionally, he was entered in the 200 IM and the 100 and 200 freestyles at Trials, though he wound up swimming none of those events.

Casas has a history of going back-and-forth between his free and fly events. In 2017, he competed at the Summer Junior Nationals, where he won the 100 fly. He was runner-up in the 100 back and finished in the top 8 in the 200 IM, 50, 100, and 200 free, and the 200 back. At the collegiate level, he has switched up his NCAA lineup a few times. As a freshman at Texas A&M, Casas swam the 200 IM and the 100 and 200 back at the SEC championships, only to swim the IM and 100 and 200 fly at NCAAs.

The following year, he had a successful season, breaking school records in the 100 back and fly and moving up to #7 all-time in the 200 back. He opted into the 200 IM and the two backstroke events at the 2020 SEC champs, where he moved to #5 all-time in the 200 back and broke Ryan Lochte‘s meet record from 2005. The NCAA champs were cancelled that year due to the pandemic.

During the 2020-2021, Casas mixed up his event lineup. He opted into the 200 IM, 200 back, and 100 fly at SECs and then focused on the 200 IM and both backstroke events at NCAAs. He set a pool record in the 200 back (1:35.75) and posted the second-fastest swim of all time in the event.

He finished the 2021 NCAA Championships with three titles and was named the CSCAA Swimmer of the Year. The Texas A&M competitor will begin his senior year in the fall of 2021.

Other Noteworthy Results:

  • Sydney Smith won the women’s 100 free in a best time of 56.54. That shaved .09 seconds off her previous best time and leaves her just outside of the all-time top 100 (56.42) in US 15-16 age group history. Later in the meet, she picked up a win in the 200 IM as well, dropping almost 5 seconds off her previous personal best.
  • 14-year old Zoe Nordmann, the latest in the Nordmann family dynasty, won the women’s 400 free in 4:27.10 – about half-a-second short of her lifetime best.
  • Rising Texas A&M sophomore Charlotte Longbottom won the women’s 100 breaststroke in 1:11.38. That’s a nine-tenths of a second improvement over her previous best time in the event. That follows a more-than-one-second drop in the yards version of the race during her freshman season.
  • After swimming at the Olympic Trials last week, rising A&M sophomore Chloe Stepanek was back in the pool this weekend at home. She swam 2:01.42 in the 200 free, which was almost a second slower than she swam at Trials, but she posted a huge best time in the 200 back of 2:14.12. That’s a 6.29 second improvement on her previous best time.

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Chaptownrelays
2 years ago

The Texas Senior Circuit Long Course Meet #2 was clearly Casas’ taper meet

Rafael
Reply to  Chaptownrelays
2 years ago

So he was saving and that is why he did not went all out on Trials right?

pete kennedy
2 years ago

Congratulations are definitely in order – But winning the NCAA (short course yards – he had great power off the walls) and experience swimming long course meters is a completely different “fish.”

Laneline
Reply to  pete kennedy
2 years ago

Exactly. And also the reason why way less foreigners picking this route as means spending over 1/2 the season racing scy vs lcm which are completely different fish for most. NCAA needs to think outside the box and incorporate LCM racing vs just doing the same old thing.

Caleb
Reply to  Laneline
2 years ago

#1, Casas is a good LC swimmer as well. He certainly beat all the other college swimmers even at OTs when he didn’t have a great meet. #2, where in the world do they swim LC most of the year? They’re just swimming SCM so it’s not that different.

Dude
Reply to  Caleb
2 years ago

He is a great LC swimmer but he didn’t beat Katz, Mefford, Carr, or Lasco in the 200. And he didn’t beat the magic man in the 100. So no, he didn’t beat all the other college swimmers. (Unless you’re counting the fact that Mefford, Carr and Katz completed their eligibility)

Caleb
Reply to  Dude
2 years ago

well that’s true

Admin
Reply to  pete kennedy
2 years ago

Sure, but also 2 years ago in the last full long course season in 2018-2019, he was the second-fastest American in the 100 meter back, at only 19 years old. His 52.72 at that meet made him the youngest-ever American to go under 53 seconds.

So it’s not like he’s in a category with swimmers like Ryan Hoffer who have been dramatically higher ranked in short course than long course.

T S
2 years ago

Joseph Schooling got mad and went 48 from a push in the warm afterwards

HJones
Reply to  T S
2 years ago

When Schooling missing the semifinals at the Olympics, can we put this meme to rest?

Eric the Eel > Michael Phelps
Reply to  HJones
2 years ago

I don’t even think that schooling will get under fina A cut..

Casas 100 back gold in Fukuoka
Reply to  T S
2 years ago

Schooling has regressed so much that this joke is not interesting any more.

Eric the Eel > Michael Phelps
2 years ago

Overrated

Cap central
Reply to  Eric the Eel > Michael Phelps
2 years ago

NCAA/National champ

HJones
Reply to  Eric the Eel > Michael Phelps
2 years ago

I think “underwhelming” is a better term.

MickeyMouse
Reply to  Eric the Eel > Michael Phelps
2 years ago

you’ve got an underrated username

Jordanwins2golds
2 years ago

wave II … Indianapolis? wishful thinking, hopefully in 2024.

Mom
2 years ago

It’s odd that he didn’t swim the event at Trials and rare to see someone rebound so quickly after all the trouble weeks ago. Hope he gets his head on straight and can keep swimming.

Facts
2 years ago

Hunter Armstrong from the top rope ☠️

OLYSwimFreak
2 years ago

I absolutely love this guy. Instead of being down on himself for missing the team he gets right back to competition and rips a couple of PBs. Tells you something about him! Congrats Shaine.

chauvanistkingsonly
Reply to  OLYSwimFreak
2 years ago

Being arrested in May for getting blackout drunk in public a few weeks before the Olympic Trials also says something about him and how seriously he took his chance at making the team.

If you don’t believe me, check Brazos Valley court records.

Swimlikefishdrinklikefish
Reply to  chauvanistkingsonly
2 years ago

Link!

Alex Dragovich
Reply to  chauvanistkingsonly
2 years ago

Wow. Judge much?

Former Big10
Reply to  chauvanistkingsonly
2 years ago

I tried checking, but pulled up nothing with a name search…Big claim

chauvanistkingsonly
Reply to  Former Big10
2 years ago

It’s definitely there. I can’t help that you don’t know how to use the internet. That doesn’t mean it’s not there.

https://justiceweb.brazoscountytx.gov/BrazosPortal/

Case Number 3021-01412N

File Date 05/03/2021

Doesn’t give me a link direct to the case, but I’ve given you everything you need to find it – if you still can’t, that’s on you

J H
Reply to  chauvanistkingsonly
2 years ago

There is no way you stumbled upon this information unless you’re a local attorney. You must be an insider/ team mate of Shaine’s. Not excusing Shaine’s behavior but it’s embarrassing that you feel the need to publicly announce this

chauvanistkingsonly
Reply to  J H
2 years ago

That’s a great point. I guess you should ask ‘how poorly could Shaine possibly treat his teammates to make them spread this story’?

I’ll give you a hint – my username is something Shaine has labeled himself on Snapchat.

BTW – I’m not a teammate of Shaine’s. This arrest is pretty common knowledge on college teams around the country by now. Surprised nobody has reported on it. I don’t really care that he got drunk in public. I just think it shows that he was either not taking Trials seriously, or had such confidence in himself that he thought getting blasted 6 weeks out of Trials wouldn’t hurt his chances of making the team.

Still probably a relevant data point… Read more »

Wtf
Reply to  chauvanistkingsonly
2 years ago

Put your real name out there bro if you’re gonna slander him like that.

HJones
Reply to  Wtf
2 years ago

I don’t think you understand what “slander” is…

wtf
Reply to  HJones
2 years ago

definitely do

MarkB
Reply to  wtf
2 years ago

Definitely don’t. Libel is what you mean. Slander is spoken.

Virtus
Reply to  HJones
2 years ago

Slander is when something isn’t true 💀 the court case says otherwise

wtf
Reply to  Virtus
2 years ago

was referring to the bad teammate part. He is not. Been his friend for years.

Last edited 2 years ago by wtf
Cate
Reply to  chauvanistkingsonly
2 years ago

Then I guess I would ask why his teammates are meangirls. Pretty petty IMHO.

Coach
Reply to  J H
2 years ago

I agree. He has a history of caving under pressure and was honest in that he almost didn’t go to NCAAs this year. I don’t agree with drinking to escape problems, but I also choose to cheer for another human to overcome personal demons rather than choosing to find joy in another person’s downfall.

That guy
Reply to  Coach
2 years ago

Agreed. Honestly, I hope this and failing to make the Olympic Team serves as a good wake up call for him. Like someone else said, I can attest that this incident has been common knowledge on D1 programs across the country for quite some time now, so I don’t see the issue in bringing it up, especially since it’s all publicly available stuff. As the star of A&M, I’m sure he’s been afforded more leeway than others would get, and it’s probably for the better that this comes out sooner rather than later. Shaine truly is one of the most talented young(ish) swimmers in the U.S., and it would be a shame to see him throw that away because he’s… Read more »

guy
Reply to  J H
2 years ago

Sussyswimnews reported it first

KimJongSpoon
Reply to  guy
2 years ago

yup lmao it was their first post

Cate
Reply to  chauvanistkingsonly
2 years ago

This isn’t something that you stumbled on as it needs a password to access it. So give us all a break. It’s obvious that you have some personal issues with this guy.

HJones
Reply to  Cate
2 years ago

You don’t need a password to access it. After I heard about this, I searched the PUBLIC court records using his name to see if it was true, and after a minute or so I found Shaine’s case for public intoxication. In America, this isn’t private information, and is at easily the fingertips of anyone that knows how to use a computer.

If Casas wanted to have privacy and not have this online, then guess what, he shouldn’t have gotten blackout drunk in public.

No Time
Reply to  Cate
2 years ago

Actually was stumbled upon for most because it’s been shared endlessly on Snapchat. if you’re a college swimmer, you’ve seen the mugshot and arrest details.

Cate
Reply to  chauvanistkingsonly
2 years ago

Interesting that you are alluding to a source that actually needs a password to access this information. Somebody has an ulterior motive meethinks.

Caleb
Reply to  Cate
2 years ago

you don’t need a password or a code, you just need to plug his name into the public site. Not that we need to beat him up over and over.

Wow
Reply to  chauvanistkingsonly
2 years ago

Agreed. People acting like a college kid getting blacked out is akin to committing murder. Not sure why everyone is so eager to witch-hunt a 21 year old for doing 21 year old things, but it says more about them than anything else. Pathetic

Same Same
Reply to  Wow
2 years ago

It just shows his mindset to be doing that a month before Trials. I bet Armstrong wasn’t getting drunk and fighting his teammates……