Shaine Casas Is Officially Headed to Austin to Join Longhorn Post-Grad Group

Braden Keith
by Braden Keith 18

January 05th, 2022 News

World Champion swimmer Shaine Casas is Austin-bound once again. Two weeks after winning 6 medals at the World Short Course Swimming Championships, his biggest international success so far, Casas is heading west on Texas State Highway 21 toward the University of Texas, where he plans to make his new training ground.

After previous attempts were derailed by problems with housing and meeting the requirements of Texas’ pro group, Casas says that signing with an agent has alleviated those issues.

It has been a long-awaited new chapter for the 22-year old. He spent his first 3 seasons of collegiate eligibility at Texas A&M University, where he finished his collegiate career with the maximum three titles in March at the 2021 NCAA Championships: winning the 200 IM, 100 back, and 200 backstroke.

Under the weight of big expectations, Casas wound up missing the 2021 U.S. Olympic Team. His best finish was 3rd place in the 100 back in 52.76, which left him .28 seconds behind runner-up Hunter Armstrong for a spot on the roster.

Then, shortly before the collegiate season began, Casas decided to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal with plans to transfer to Texas A&M’s long-time rival school the University of Texas. Not long after, though, Casas announced that he would instead go pro, still with his eyes on training under Eddie Reese at Texas.

In October, he told SwimSwam that his plan had hit some hiccups, and that while he was still working his way toward Austin, he would remain in College Station and train under Jason Calanog and the Aggie pro group for the time being.

That led to a redemption of sorts for the south Texas native. As a member of Team USA at the World Short Course Championships in Abu Dhabi in March, he won 6 medals. That included gold medals in the 100 backstroke individually and as the leadoff leg of the American men’s 200 medley relay.

In that 100 backstroke, he beat out the Tokyo Olympic silver medalist in the event Kliment Kolesnikov of Russia.

He also picked up silvers in the 200 mixed medley relay, men’s 200 back, and men’s 400 medley relay, and a bronze in the men’s 400 free relay.

But Casas said even that success didn’t change his vision.

“Of course I thought about it, but the decision was firm,” Casas told SwimSwam. “I have enjoyed my time at A&M and would do it all over again if I had a chance, but it is time for me to grow and learn with these new experiences I will have training with Eddie and his program.

“Nothing is certain or guaranteed in this sport so I am willing to take any risk to be the best version of myself.”

The next target for Casas will be April’s World Championship Trials – leaving him a tight window to adapt to his new training.

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Here Comes Lezak
2 years ago

Congrats Shane! Can’t wait for the 75 with fins video

Hank
2 years ago

Is Casas a superior short course swimmer vs. long course swimmer? 3rd at trials is a great result but a long way from an international long course gold medal. Do you see potential for him to dominate long course?

top 5000 high school recruit
Reply to  Hank
2 years ago

I am sure with enough LCM training under Eddie, and with the potential he has already, he will be able to put down some respectable results in long course meets. 3rd at trials is nothing to scoff at, especially USA’s trials.

belle
Reply to  top 5000 high school recruit
2 years ago

Texas hasn’t had a long course World or Olympic individual medalist since 4 years ago, when Haas and Schooling won silver and bronze in Budapest respectively.

Stewart 100 back gold in Fukuoka
Reply to  Hank
2 years ago

He was the third fastest US swimmer in short course 100 back last year too, behind Stewart and Murphy who both didn’t go to short course Worlds.

Canadian Swammer
Reply to  Hank
2 years ago

52.7 is disgustingly fast to be fair

belle
Reply to  Canadian Swammer
2 years ago

It’s fast but the post is talking about an international gold medal. 52.7 is clearly not enough for a gold, not even for a minor medal.

Taa
Reply to  Hank
2 years ago

His path to a medal may just be as easy as focusing 100% on 1 event. Like what Schooling did. Plummer did it also.

Swammom
2 years ago

Congratulations, Shaine! Excited to see what’s next for you, but it’s sure to be amazing.

Coach Macgyver
2 years ago

Welcome to the Longhorn-post grad swim team. Home of the 2021 World Champion and three time NCAA champion Shaine Casas.

Ferb
Reply to  Coach Macgyver
2 years ago

Not DUI. “Public intoxication.” He was drunk in public.

backstroker
Reply to  Coach Macgyver
2 years ago

He didn’t get a DUI

Togger
2 years ago

Intrigued to know how he didn’t meet the requirements for the pro group, surely that’s just “be super fast, be in Austin, pay your subs”?

bobthebuilderrocks
Reply to  Togger
2 years ago

I think it was finding a place to live.

bobthebuilderrocks
Reply to  bobthebuilderrocks
2 years ago

Oh my bad, I just reread the article.

bobthebuilderrocks
Reply to  bobthebuilderrocks
2 years ago

I’m wondering who is in the Texas Pro Group at this point, I feel like a fair number of them have retired.

PhillyMark
Reply to  Togger
2 years ago

The buy-in is a gold medal….he’s good to go now

Taa
2 years ago

1st set is a 75 with fins

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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