Townley Haas Comments on Gutsy 500 Free NCAA Record (Video)

2019 MEN’S NCAA SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Reported by Jared Anderson.

500 FREESTYLE – FINALS

  • NCAA Record: Clark Smith, Texas (2017) – 4:08.42
  • American Record: Zane Grothe, Unattached (2017) – 4:07.25
  • U.S. Open Record: Zane Grothe, Unattached (2017) – 4:07.25
  • Meet Record: Clark Smith, Texas (2017) – 4:08.42
  • 2018 Champion: Townley Haas, Texas – 4:08.60

Top 8 Finishers:

  1. Townley Haas, Texas – 4:08.19
  2. Sean Grieshop, Cal – 4:10.29
  3. Brooks Fail, Arizona -4:10.77
  4. Ricardo Vargas, Michigan – 4:12.21
  5. Walker Higgins, Georgia – 4:12.65
  6. Fynn Minuth, South Carolina – 4:12.72
  7. Mark Theall, Texas A&M – 4:16.05
  8. Brennan Novak, Harvard – 4:21.72

Townley Haas swam perhaps the gutsiest 500 free you’ll ever see. The Texas senior went out way under American and NCAA record pace – he was a full second under pace as of the 100-mark, and held strong through at least the halfway point. (He flipped at 2:00.4 at the 250, for an insane reference).

Haas did fall off a little as his splits slipped from 24-highs to 25s with a 26.0 in the mix late. But he finished in 4:08.19, cracking the NCAA and meet record of 4:08.42 set by his former teammate Clark Smith. That Smith swim was the only 500 free Haas ever lost in the NCAA Championships – that year, Haas was second. He won the year prior and now the two years after.

Cal’s Sean Grieshop held his spot, though he had to battle back late. The sophomore finished second in 4:10.29 in what’s been a breakout season for the highly-rated recruit.

Arizona’s Brooks Fail also held his spot – he cut another eight tenths from prelims to go 4:10.77 in the final, rounding out the top three who swam away from the field a bit.

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usaswimerror
4 years ago

In swimming the 200 long course, I have often wondered if Haas wouldn’t benefit from taking it out a bit slower. He has been stuck at 1:45 flat start and the idea of racing it differently I thought must have crossed the minds of Eddie and Townley. Nope. Sounds Like Eddie has Haas convinced that he can do so much more and the key to that is mental. Pedal-to-the-metal is the strategy for Haas. Sounds like Haas really buys off on the idea as well. Hoping for big things this summer for Townley.

Longhorn
4 years ago

Congratulations Townley!

Swammer
4 years ago

Townley needs to take his mind completely out of his head and go 1:27 in the 2free.

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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