Texas A&M Junior Shaine Casas Swims 1:39 in 200 Fly in TCU Dual Meet

Texas A&M junior Shaine Casas swam a 1:39.23 in the 200 yard fly on Friday evening as part of a dual meet against TCU in College Station, Texas. That is the 11th-fastest performance in the history of the event and makes him the 7th-fastest performer in the history of the event.

In context of college, this also makes Casas the fastest swimmer ever turned out by an SEC school, surpassing former Florida Gator Jan Switkowski, who swam 1:39.55 at the 2018 NCAA Championships.

Casas’ previous best time in the event was a 1:40.33 done at the 2020 American Short Course Championships, which is an annual short course meet hosted at the University of Texas but which is not a sanctioned national championship event and does not usually have a field that would warrant national championship consideration. That was his last meet before coronavirus quarantines set in, and one where he swam ‘off’ events in preparation for the NCAA Championships, where he was entered in the 200 back, 200 IM, and 400 IM.

That 1:40.33 is also the old school record at Texas A&M.

As a freshman at the 2019 NCAA Championships, Casas shifted to swim the 200 fly after swimming the 200 back instead at the preceding SEC Championships.

All-Time Performers, Men’s 200 Yard Fly

1. Jack Conger, 2017 – 1:37.35
2. Joseph Schooling, 2016 – 1:37.97
3. Andreas Vazaios, 2019 – 1:38.57
4. Nicolas Albiero, 2020 – 1:38.65
5. Tom Shields, 2020 – 1:38.80
6. Zheng Quah, 2017 – 1:38.83
7. Shaine Casas, 2020 – 1:39.23
8. Dylan Bosch, 2014 – 1:39.33
9. Sam Pomajevich, 2019 – 1:39.35

That is also the fastest time by an active NCAA swimmer outside of a conference or NCAA Championship meet.

Casas’ Splits:

• 50m – 21.55
• 100m – 25.17 (46.72)
• 150m – 26.18
• 200m – 26.33 (52.51)

Casas’ opening split of 46.72 is one of the fastest opening splits in history in an elite 200 yard fly. For example, the fastest opening split at the 2019 NCAA Championships was Zheng Quah, who split 47.13 en route to 1:39.68.

Jack Conger, when he set the US Open Record of 1:37.35 at the 2017 NCAA Championships, opened in 45.78. Schooling’s 1:37 opened in 47.53.

Casas is a member of the USA Swimming National Team in the 100 back, 200 back, and 200 IM. In 201f19, he was the 2nd-fastest American in the 100 back in long course with a 52.72, behind only the World Record holder Ryan Murphy. In the 200 back, he was 3rd-fastest in long course in 1:55.79, behind only Ryan Murphy and Austin Katz.

Casas doesn’t have much experience in the 200 fly in long course. He hasn’t swum the race since he was 13-years old in 2013, where he was 2:39.

After the 200 fly, Casas swam the very next event, the 50 free, in 21.73 and a few events later came back to race the 500 free in 4:19.97. That 500 free is also a personal best for him.

Casas was wearing a racing suit for the meet.

RACE VIDEO:

Full Meet Recap will follow at the conclusion of the night.