The NCAA Record No One Saw Coming: Urlando’s 43.35 100 Back Relay Leadoff

2022 NCAA Division I Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships

Men 100 Yard Backstroke

  • NCAA Record: 43.49 – Ryan Murphy, California (2016)
  • Meet Record: 43.49 – Ryan Murphy, California (2016)
  • American Record: 43.49 – Ryan Murphy, California (2016)
  • S. Open Record: 43.49 – Ryan Murphy, California (2016)
  • Pool Record: 43.49 – Ryan Murphy, California (2016)

Georgia sophomore Luca Urlando stunned the crowd at the McAuley Aquatic Center on the Georgia Tech campus on Friday night, leading off the Bulldogs’ 400 medley relay with a 100 backstroke time of 43.35 that broke the NCAA, meet, American, U.S. Open, and pool records in one fell swoop.

In doing so, Urlando erased a six-year-old mark that Ryan Murphy set at 2016 NCAAs when he won the 100 back championship final in 43.49.

Urlando was out .20 faster than Murphy and back only .06 slower.

  • Ryan Murphy 2016 NCAA/American/U.S. Open Record: (r:+0.55) 20.96 – 22.53 = 43.49
  • Luca Urlando 2022 NCAA/American/U.S. Open Record: (r:+0.65) 20.76 – 22.59 = 43.35

Urlando did not enter the 100 backstroke individual event; he chose instead to swim the 200 IM on Day 2, the 100 fly on Day 3, and the 200 fly on Day 4. In tonight’s 100 fly final, Urlando was runner-up to Stanford’s Andrei Minakov by .09 with 43.80. The 100 backstroke title went to NC State’s Kacper Stokowski with 44.04.

Urlando slashed just over a second off his PB leading off tonight’s relay. Coming into the meet, his lifetime best in the 100 back was 44.38 from 2022 ACC Championships, on another 400 medley relay leadoff. Before that, it was the 45.66 he swam in December 2018 to break the 15-16 national age group record.

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Panic Breastroke
2 years ago

I believe team members should be allowed behind the blocks to mimic relays for both the individual 50 / 100 / 200 free and 100 back. Teammates must be in tech suits. I can be convinced 1650 as well.

Records would fall.

Discuss

1650 Onetrick
Reply to  Panic Breastroke
2 years ago

I would hate that. I just wanna be left alone to focus for an individual event. Relay hype is for relays.

1650 Onetrick
2 years ago

Either his 200 fly is gonna be absolutely insane tomorrow or this guy should add the 100 back to his lineup next year. Maybe drop 200 IM?

Z.C.
Reply to  1650 Onetrick
2 years ago

Why not drop the 100 Fly instead?

Swim like a fish drink like a fish.
Reply to  1650 Onetrick
2 years ago

Unless he’s gonna go to breaststroke school he’d be better off with the double over the im. Georgia doesn’t have the best relays and sprint depth so him being off by the end of the night won’t do much. That being said I hope they flip the 200 freelay and the 4 medley next year

ALEXANDER POP-OFF
2 years ago

Even Clorox couldn’t clean up this FILTH! Luca Urlando!

Last edited 2 years ago by ALEXANDER POP-OFF
Mnswim
2 years ago

Umm yeah, totally didn’t see that coming! holy cow great swim!

ISpeakTheTruth
2 years ago

Good night! That is REALLY FAST!

Susan in North Bend
2 years ago

Fastest 200 Butterback combo in history… Luca is now “Butterback Daddy”

Big Mac #1
Reply to  Susan in North Bend
2 years ago

Might be Phelps LC, no cap

HJones
Reply to  Big Mac #1
2 years ago

Phelps: 102.83 seconds
Perisol: 103.24 seconds

Milak’s best 100 LCM back is a 54.67 from 2018, and he has obviously gotten much faster since then given his 23.0 SCM 50.

jeff
Reply to  Big Mac #1
2 years ago

and on the womens side I think it’s Regan Smith probably- she beats out Curzan by like a tenth and Curzan beats MacNeil by 0.02

That Guy
2 years ago

Luca and Georgia don’t swim in the ACC conference. His previous best was from the SEC championship.

Big Mac #1
2 years ago

Tad off topic but watching sates on fly, his turns looked a bit wack

MarkB
Reply to  Big Mac #1
2 years ago

A tad off topic?

About Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant is the mother of four daughters, all of whom swam in college. With an undergraduate degree from Princeton (where she was an all-Ivy tennis player) and an MBA from INSEAD, she worked for many years in the financial industry, both in France and the U.S. Anne is currently …

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