Ultra Swimmer of the Month: Shaine Casas

Ultra Swim Swimmer of the Month is a recurring SwimSwam feature shedding light on a U.S.-based swimmer who has proven themselves over the past month. As with any item of recognition, Swimmer of the Month is a subjective exercise meant to highlight one athlete whose work holds noteworthy context – perhaps a swimmer who was visibly outperforming other swimmers over the month, or one whose accomplishments slipped through the cracks among other high-profile swims. If your favorite athlete wasn’t selected, feel free to respectfully recognize them in our comment section.

Shaine Casas has been reaching a new level of consistency since Bob Bowman took over coaching duties at the University of Texas, and that was on full display in October during the three-leg World Cup (SCM) series.

Casas, 25, opened the World Cup with a bang in Carmel, setting a new American Record in the men’s 200 IM in 1:49.43, lowering his previous mark of 1:49.51 from the 2024 Short Course World Championships, while also winning the 100 IM in a new U.S. Open Record (50.86) and placing 3rd in both the 200 back (1:49.81) and 400 IM (4:03.10).

From there, Casas zeroed in on the individual medley events and he didn’t lose another race.

In Westmont, he re-broke his U.S. Open Record in the 100 IM (50.45) while also winning the 200 IM (1:50.08) and 400 IM (3:57.41), the latter marking a personal best of more than five and a half seconds after swimming the event for the first time in SCM in Carmel. He topped training partner Carson Foster, who beat him by three and a half seconds in Carmel.

Casas then closed out the series with a second straight medley sweep in Toronto, setting a new best time in the 100 IM (50.28) to move up to #4 all-time, recording the third sub-1:50 swim of his career in the 200 IM (1:49.79) for the sixth-fastest swim in history, and dropping his 400 IM best time down to 3:56.13, moving him up to #3 all-time.

All-Time Performers, Men’s 100 IM (SCM)

1. Caeleb Dressel (USA), 49.28 – 2020
2. Leon Marchand (FRA), 49.92 – 2024
3. Vladimir Morozov (RUS), 50.26 – 2018
4. Shaine Casas (USA), 50.28 – 2025
5. Noe Ponti (SUI), 50.33 – 2024

All-Time Performances, Men’s 200 IM (SCM)

1. Leon Marchand (FRA), 1:48.88 – 2024
2. Shaine Casas (USA), 1:49.43 – 2025
3. Shaine Casas (USA), 1:49.51 – 2024
4. Ryan Lochte (USA), 1:49.63 – 2012
5. Leon Marchand (FRA), 1:49.73 – 2025
6. Shaine Casas (USA), 1:49.79 – 2025
7. Ryan Lochte (USA) / Shaine Casas (USA), 1:50.08 – 2010/2025
8. –
9. Matt Sates (RSA), 1:50.15 – 2022
10. Leon Marchand (FRA), 1:50.30 – 2024

All-Time Performers, Men’s 400 IM (SCM)

1. Daiya Seto (JPN), 3:54.81 – 2019
2. Ryan Lochte (USA), 3:55.50 – 2010
3. Shaine Casas (USA), 3:56.13 – 2025
4. Ilya Borodin (RUS), 3:56.47 – 2021
5. Alberto Razzetti (ITA), 3:57.01 – 2023

Casas ultimately placed 2nd overall in the men’s standings for the World Cup series, scoring 171.2 points to trail Texas training mate Hubert Kos, who scored 175.8 points thanks in part to breaking a pair of world records in Toronto. Casas also earned $113,500 for the series, ranking 2nd on the men’s side behind Kos ($184,000).

Check out Casas speaking on his motivation for the 2026 long course season coming out of the World Cup here.

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