Shaine Casas on NCAA Pressure: “I was not gonna come to this meet”

2021 NCAA MEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

  • When: Wednesday, March 24 – Saturday, March 27, 2021
  • Where: Greensboro Aquatic Center / Greensboro, NC (Eastern Time Zone)
  • Prelims 10 AM/ Finals 6 PM (Local Time)
  • Short course yards (SCY) format
  • Defending champion: Cal (1x) – 2019 results
  • Streaming:
  • Championship Central
  • Psych Sheets
  • Live Results

Reported by Nick Pecoraro.

200 BACK – FINALS

  • NCAA Record: 1:35.73, Ryan Murphy (Cal) – 2016
  • American Record: 1:35.73, Ryan Murphy (Cal) – 2016
  • U.S. Open Record: 1:35.73, Ryan Murphy (Cal) – 2016
  • Meet Record: 1:35.73, Ryan Murphy (Cal) – 2016
  • Pool Record: 1:37.19, Destin Lasco (Cal) – 2021
  • 2019 Champion: John Shebat (Texas), 1:36.42
  • 2020 Top Performer: Shaine Casas (Texas A&M), 1:37.20

Top 3:

  1. Shaine Casas (Texas A&M)- 1:35.75 *Pool Record
  2. Destin Lasco (Cal)- 1:35.99
  3. Bryce Mefford (Cal)- 1:38.31

It was an insane race for the 2021 title in the 200-yard back, with Cal freshman Destin Lasco challenging two-time winner this weekend Shaine Casas of Texas A&M. The pair were neck-and-neck for the last 75 yards. However, it was Casas who took the title at 1:35.75 over Lasco’s 1:35.99, both swimmers’ first swims under 1:36.

Casas’ swim was just two one-hundredths off Ryan Murphy‘s 2016 American record of 1:35.73, making Casas the second-fastest performer ever. Lasco’s finishing time of 1:35.99 breaks his own NCAA freshman record (1:37.19) from this morning and makes him the third swimmer ever to break the 1:36-barrier. Only Casas and Murphy have broken the barrier along with Lasco.

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Steve maxim
3 years ago

200 breast A finalist swimmer is flutter kicking!

Tomek
3 years ago

Congratulations Shane on the great meet and wishing that all your dreams come true. You came a long way from your early days with MSC. Your perservance, dedication, and hard work can be admired.

Ol' Longhorn
3 years ago

Not just a rumor anymore, indeed. What an athlete.

Monday Morning Grind
3 years ago

His 200 back of this meet is far and away the greatest race of his career. It’s one thing to swim fast and break a record when you’re on point. Fighting back for a win and a great time when you’re at the end of of a long weekend and have been off your best is a whole different ball game.

Taa
Reply to  Monday Morning Grind
3 years ago

It can take some time to get some perspective on it but I think it will end being the defining race of his NCAA career….I don’t think it can get much better

SculptedSpartan
3 years ago

Sometimes we have to remember to be grateful we can compete, amongst all the weight of things in life outside of swimming. That’s the best thing about the sport, it’s an escape from reality, you can really do anything you set your mind to. When you see a swimmer like Shaine you can’t take any swim he puts down for granted, he puts his heart into it every time and you can’t help but root for him. He definitely makes the sport better with how he carries himself too, he’s got that competitive attitude and really embraces that. With that being said this meet was so impressive, and just because there were no records broken doesn’t mean that the times… Read more »

cbswims
3 years ago

Great interview Shaine. Keep taking care of yourself.

PFA
3 years ago

The best thing Shaine did was not crack under the pressure and a few did. While the meet didn’t entirely go his way but he still got the job done and had support with him the entire time. Congrats Shaine you deserve all you have earned these past several days of racing.

Jabroni Pepperoni
Reply to  PFA
3 years ago

We have to acknowledge how crazy it is to think that 3 titles is still “not going his way”

Dudes definitely an international threat in years to come (but no pressure! Lol)

Swimmyfan
3 years ago

Awful teammate. This is a joke

Look at this guy
Reply to  Swimmyfan
3 years ago

😂😂🤡🤡🤡

name
Reply to  Swimmyfan
3 years ago

If Shaine’s an “awful” teammate I would love to see what this comedian is like.

Swimmyfan
Reply to  name
3 years ago

Join the a&m swim team and you’ll find out

Bruhhh
Reply to  Swimmyfan
3 years ago

I see why u say that. We are all human we all make mistakes. Ego is a real thing. But Shane sharing this puts him in a position to build himself and his team up. Probably hasn’t been as good at checking his ego as he could be (his own record times all over his wall cmon…)

But u can see him growing in front of your eyes and he is learning lessons through his “disappointment”. Someone as talented as him learning through this has to have a big effect on those around him. Great things to come with the right intentions.

oldandretired
Reply to  Swimmyfan
3 years ago

Lol – yeah, I am bearish on him at trials if that was a true statement.

About Coleman Hodges

Coleman Hodges

Coleman started his journey in the water at age 1, and although he actually has no memory of that, something must have stuck. A Missouri native, he joined the Columbia Swim Club at age 9, where he is still remembered for his stylish dragon swim trunks. After giving up on …

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