Townley Haas Swims 2nd Fastest 200 Free Ever To Defend NCAA Title

2017 MEN’S NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, March 22 – Saturday, March 25
• IUPUI Natatorium – Indianapolis, IN
• Prelims 10AM/Finals 6PM (Eastern Time)
• Defending Champion: Texas (results)
• Championship Central
• Psych Sheet
• Live stream: Wednesday/Thursday Prelims & Finals, Friday/Saturday Prelims / Friday/Saturday finals on ESPN3
• Event Previews
• Live Results
• Friday prelim heat sheets

While the 200 free championship final of the 2017 NCAA men’s swimming and diving championships wasn’t quite as crazy as some might have expected, it was still a very exciting race, and Texas sophomore Townley Haas defended his NCAA title, and threw down the 2nd-fastest swim ever, winning with a 1:31.65 on the third night of the NCAA championships.

Haas looked to be a little slow off the blocks, and was about a tenth behind record pace through most of the swim.  While last year Haas jumped off to the lead, surprising the field, this year he was just a bit behind USC junior Dylan Carter at the 50 free, but quickly made up the deficit, and held off Carter and Indiana junior Blake Pieroni to take the win.

Carter and Pieroni, both of whom  lead off the 800 free relay in sub-1:31 swims Wednesday night, couldn’t quite match those times, but they tied in 2nd in 1:31.16, tied for the 5th of all-time, and ahead of Simon Burnett’s 1:31.20 that stood as the US Open record until Haas demolished it last year.

Here’s what we currently have the ten fastest swims ever in this event: