Tennessee Sophomore Jordan Crooks Swims 18.27 in 50 Free, Ties as #2 in History

Braden Keith
by Braden Keith 18

November 17th, 2022 College, News, SEC

2022 TENNESSEE INVITATIONAL

Tennessee sophomore Jordan Crooks swam an 18.27 to lead off Tennessee’s 200 free relay on Thursday, breaking the pool and school records. The swim ties him for the second-fastest 50 yard freestyle on a flat-start in history, sitting behind only former Florida Gator Caeleb Dressel.

Dressel has the seven best performances in history, but Crooks now is tied with Cal junior Bjorn Seeliger as the next-best swimmer ever in the event. Seeliger split 18.27 on the leadoff leg of the Cal 200 free relay at last season’s NCAA Championship meet when he was a sophomore, though he was only 18.59 for 3rd place in the individual event.

Top Performances All-Time, Men’s 50 SCY Freestyle:

  1. Caeleb Dressel, Florida, 2018 NCAA Championships – 17.63
  2. Caeleb Dressel, Florida, 2018 NCAA Championships – 17.81
  3. Caeleb Dressel, Florida, 2018 NCAA Championships – 18.11
  4. Caeleb Dressel, Florida, 2016 NCAA Championships – 18.20
  5. (TIE) Caeleb Dressel, Florida, 2017 NCAA Championships/Caeleb Dressel, Florida, 2016 SEC Championships – 18.23
  6. Caeleb Dressel, Florida, 2016 NCAA Championships – 18.24
  7. (TIE) Bjorn Seeliger, Cal, 2022 NCAA Championships/Jordan Crooks, Tennessee, 2022 Tennessee Invite – 18.27
  8. Caeleb Dressel, Florida, 2016 NCAA Championships – 18.29

Crooks’ time is the fastest time ever outside of a conference or NCAA Championship meet by a wide margin. The next-best time on that list is an 18.66 by Caeleb Dressel from the 2017 Purdue Invite, and behind that, Crooks’ 18.68 swim in prelims.

He still has the individual event to swim later in the session.

Last year, as a freshman, Crooks became the fastest NCAA freshman in history when he swam 18.53 at the SEC Championships. Crooks, who is 20-years old, is a native of the Cayman Islands.

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MrClean
1 year ago

Goin Chef on that thang like Boyardee 👨‍🍳😘🤌✨🥣🥵 Mr Jordan Crooks god DAMN

Hank
1 year ago

This dude is super explosive with amazing underwaters. He is built for short course yards swimming. Expect him to be sub-18 soon. Do you think he can make the transition to the big pool? He was 22.2 in Budapest.

Emmett
Reply to  Hank
1 year ago

everyone said the same about Seeliger last year and he didn’t break 18 so idk

Mean Dean
1 year ago

y’all remember when we said 17.63 would stand for decades?

i was right
Reply to  Mean Dean
1 year ago

i got clowned for saying it would be gone in 5 years lol

Alaverga
Reply to  Mean Dean
1 year ago

I don’t think anyone said that. Mainly because records of this caliber never last for decades. Maybe one decade but not multiple

samuli
Reply to  Mean Dean
1 year ago

you understand how much time is between 18,27 and 17,63…….. it is not commentariat pipe dream simple thing to just drop that….

Andrew
Reply to  Mean Dean
1 year ago

and it still will. 18.2 is a LONG way from 17.6. Also, if there’s one thing we learned, tennesse seems to peak early in the season and regress from seed times at NCs (I think there is even a study to confirm this).

jim
Reply to  Mean Dean
1 year ago

I never thought decades, but certainly a period of time until an athlete with the leaping ability/leg strenth of Dressel came along. Being a fan of the sport, watching Caeleb swim, I don’t think he’s necessarily much faster than other in ‘just swimming’ (let me clarify, he’s at the top of the world in his swimming speed…i’m saying others are about where he is in just the swimming portion, but not his start and turns, which is where, specially in short course, is how a 17 or 39 can be possible)….it’s the start and his underwaters that separate him, exponentially in short course, from everyone else. Until a swimmer who had the right body size, right strength and leaping ability,… Read more »

Last edited 1 year ago by jim
texas
1 year ago

he’s mid

Mike
1 year ago

Man’s been on fire this season. Wish him all the best

PancakeLover
1 year ago

Bruh

Some Guy
1 year ago

Jordan Crooks stock 📈📈📈

LV Dad
1 year ago

9.44 coming home…unreal! Such a beast. GBO

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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