Texas Men Make it 3 Straight with 2016-17 NCAA Championship Title

2017 MEN’S NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Texas Longhorns are your 2016-17 Men’s NCAA Swimming and Diving champions, marking their 3rd-straight team title. Texas earned a collective 542 points, beating runner-up Cal (349) by 193 points. That’s the 5th largest margin of victory ever behind Stanford’s margins of victory in 1992 and 1998 (276, 204.5) and Auburn’s margins of victory (196.5, 256.5) in 2003 and 2004.

Texas won 11 events throughout the meet, tying their record-high 11 wins in a single NCAA meet, which they set at the 2001 Men’s NCAA Championships.

The seniors played a big role for the Longhorns, as 3 of them were individual event winners: Jack Conger, Will Licon, and Clark Smith. Conger won his first NCAA title in his final individual race, setting a new American Record of 1:37.35 in the 200 fly. Smith set new American Records with his victories in the 500 free (4:08.42) and 1650 free (14:22.41). Licon went out in style, claiming his 3rd-straight 200 breast title in a new American Record of 1:47.91. He also won the 100 breast (50.68) and was co-champion in the 200 IM (1:40.67).

Sophomore Townley Haas repeated as NCAA champion in the 200 free, swimming the 2nd fastest time ever in 1:30.65. The Longhorns also defended titles in the 200 free relay and 400 medley relay. Their additional wins included the 200 medley relay and 400 free relay. They dismantled the NCAA Records in the 200 medley relay, 400 medley relay, and 400 free relay. They also set a new American Record with a runner-up finish in the 800 free relay.

Contributing runner-up finishes with some of the fastest times in history were Joseph Schooling, who clocked a blistering 43.75 in the 100 fly to take 2nd, and John Shebat, who was the runner-up in both backstrokes in 44.35/1:37.24.

2016-2017 National Champion Texas Longhorns Full Roster:

  • Mark Anderson (senior)
  • Safa Anya (sophomore)
  • Josh Artmann (freshman)
  • Jared Butler (junior)
  • Grayson Campbell (freshman)
  • Thomas Colket (redshirt junior)
  • Jack Conger (senior)
  • Jacob Cornish (freshman)
  • P.J. Dunne (senior)
  • Imri Ganiel (junior)
  • Will Glass (senior)
  • Townley Haas (senior)
  • Ryan Harty (sophomore)
  • Hayden Henry (senior)
  • Max Holter (sophomore)
  • Jacob Huerta (freshman)
  • Tate Jackson (sophomore)
  • Sam Kline (freshman)
  • Jack Lanphear (freshman)
  • Will Licon (senior)
  • Cory Loria (senior)
  • Casey Melzer (sophomore)
  • Reed Merritt (freshman)
  • Braxton Moore (freshman)
  • Jeff Newkirk (sophomore)
  • Jeremy Nichols (sophomore)
  • Sean O’Brien (redshirt senior)
  • Brett Ringgold (junior)
  • Jonathan Roberts (junior)
  • Joseph Schooling (junior)
  • John Shebat (sophomore)
  • Clark Smith (senior)
  • Sam Stewart (sophomore)
  • Austin Temple (junior)
  • Mason Tenney (sophomore)
  • Preston Varozza (freshman)

Coaching Staff:

  • Eddie Reese (head coach)
  • Matt Scoggin (diving coach)
  • Wyatt Collins (assistant coach)
  • Jon Alter (special assistant – operations)
  • Rick Schavone (volunteer diving coach)
  • Chase Kreitler (volunteer coach)
  • Ben Rodgers (manager)
  • Racel Escobedo (diving manager)

FINAL TEAM SCORES:

  1. Texas                             542   2. California                        349
  3. Florida                         294.5   4. NC State                        272.5
  5. Stanford                          242   6. Southern Cali                     237
  7. Indiana                         229.5   8. Univ of Georgia                   183
  9. Missouri                        179.5  10. Alabama                         153.5
 11. Louisville                      143.5  12. Auburn                          127.5
 13. Purdue                          106.5  14. Arizona State                     100
 15. South Carolina                     99  16. Texas A&M                          87
 17. Michigan                           82  18. Wisconsin                          63
 19. Ohio St                          58.5  20. Tennessee                          55
 21. University of Miami                51  22. Virginia Tech                      48
 23. Minnesota                          43  24. Arizona                          36.5
 25. Notre Dame                         29  26. Lsu                                28
 27. Harvard                            24  28. Penn St                            23
 28. Northwestern                       23  30. Denver                             19
 31. Florida State                      16  32. Duke                               12
 33. George Washington                   9  34. Pittsburgh                          8
 35. Cornell                             7  36. UNC                                 6
 37. Kentucky                            4  38. University of Wyoming               3
 39. Hawaii                              2  39. Penn                                2
 39. Missouri State                      2  42. Towson                              1
 42. Yale                                1

In This Story

33
Leave a Reply

Subscribe
Notify of

33 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
MICHMAN
7 years ago

How Michigan has fallen from grace. A 17th place finish is certainly disappointing. I would like to know what Mike Bottom is doing in Ann Arbor. Not sure if he can recruit any longer. The lack of depth is noticeable for a team that has been very competitive lately. Maybe it’s that the B1G cannot compete with the warm climate schools.

swimming
7 years ago

What happened to the Associate Head Coach?

HARAMBE
7 years ago

Will Licon ain’t not hard

bobo gigi
7 years ago

Congrats to Texas, the swimmers and the coaches, on a dominant win. So many talents in that team. Like Stanford on the women’s side it was a massive destruction.

Grubby_1
7 years ago

What another incredible NCAA Championship. It just gets better. Swimming in our country is strong. The teams have great depth and talent and no record is safe. Pretty sure the tech suit times are now erased. Congratulations to all of the swimmers and divers who worked so hard to deliver an exciting meet. ‘At’s allot of hard work.

The Longhorns had a better game plan but so great to see the likes of Ryan Murphy and Caleb Dressel, Cal, NC State, Gators etc. really post some fantastic swims. Would really question the number of DQ’s out there. These guys are pros. Someone had a wraltney gerber for downward propulsion in breaststroke. I hope the coaches pounced on those calls.

Dan
7 years ago

Can Texas win next year?
They loose some big points from their Seniors, but if they can get a breaststroker (Temple?) to step up, they should be able to win next year as well. I know Cal will get Hoffer and Josa will probably learn to not get DQed, they need someone to replace Murphy, can Hoffer be that person?

Bakstroke
Reply to  Dan
7 years ago

Shebat is looking clutch and will get faster and they get some major pickups next years

PsychoDad
Reply to  Bakstroke
7 years ago

Shebat, Roberts, Harty, and young talent, Artmann and Varozza – Texas will be really strong in backstroke next year.
Breaststroke is major concern, other than that – Texas will be fine.

Zanna
Reply to  Dan
7 years ago

Cal will also get Grieshop next year. Valuable in the IM’s and mid distance.

Zanna
Reply to  Dan
7 years ago

And Texas gets Drew Kibler.

Cmon
Reply to  Zanna
7 years ago

Thought​ kibler was 2018? Pretty sure he won’t be there next year. With the points Texas loses and what cal can add, my money is on cal.

Cmon
Reply to  Dan
7 years ago

Freestyle relays will be cals strength

Reply to  Cmon
7 years ago

Freestyle?From 4x100free NCAA record Team, Texas will lose only Conger.They will lose two in 4×200, but they can replace one with Schooling.

PK boo I\'m sad my name is too short now
Reply to  DDias
7 years ago

If they had replaced Conger with Jackson (41.7 in the morning) or probably Shebat they still win the 400 free relay.

Cmon
Reply to  DDias
7 years ago

Cal could be first team to have 4 18 flat start 50’s. They won’t be as strong in 8 free relay as texas

Caleb
Reply to  Dan
7 years ago

I think Cal is probably the favorite but they’ll be relying heavily on freshmen which makes it a little iffy… I would not write off Texas next year.

Zemhaj
7 years ago

Food for thought: There were 4 big changes (outside of the 200 Backstroke) for NC State that could’ve moved them into 3rd. Now, I know that swimming doesn’t work this way every time but I think more people assumed Schooling would take the title in the 100 fly AND Conger would touch 2nd. A difference of .77 from Dressel (43.58) to Conger (44.35) and a point difference of -4.0 for Florida. Next, the 400 medley relay. Florida was 8th, NC State missed the A final (3:05.64), and if they had qualified for the A final in place of Florida (3:04.90), the time difference of .74 and another -4.0 for Florida and +12.0 for NC. Next, Ryan Held was a heavy… Read more »

Steve Nolan
Reply to  Zemhaj
7 years ago

If they swam faster they would have scored more points.

Hmmmm
Reply to  Zemhaj
7 years ago

I remember a whole lotta smack talk from the NC State fan base on Swim Swam back in October when they Beat Texas at Texas when they swam without Licon, Schooling, Harty and several others who were testing. They celebrated in their home pool like they won NCAA’s. I remember “Texas is done” talk and NC State was “winning it all this year”. Seems somebody forget to mention that to Texas.

Speed Racer
7 years ago

Blow out win. When does the debate begin on repeat chances for the top 5 team finishers based on returning players and incoming potential scorers. Was a little shocked Cal did not keep it closer. And what happened to the NC State projected scores!?!

About Lauren Neidigh

Lauren Neidigh

Lauren Neidigh is a former NCAA swimmer at the University of Arizona (2013-2015) and the University of Florida (2011-2013). While her college swimming career left a bit to be desired, her Snapchat chin selfies and hot takes on Twitter do not disappoint. She's also a high school graduate of The …

Read More »