WATCH: Dean Farris Breaks American Record in 200 Free

2019 MEN’S NCAA SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

  • Wednesday, March 27 – Saturday, March 30
  • Lee & Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center, Austin, Texas
  • Prelims 10 AM / Finals 6 PM (Central Time)
  • Defending champion: Texas (4x) (2018 results)
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Originally reported by James Sutherland

Dean Farris smashed the NCAA, American, and U.S. Open Records in the 200 free on the lead-off leg of Harvard’s 800 free relay at the Men’s NCAA Championships, clocking 1:29.15 to erase Townley Haas‘ mark of 1:29.50 set last year.

Swimming in the second of three heats, the junior went out in a hellacious pace over the first 150, splitting 20.56, 22.33 (42.89), and 22.54 (1:05.43). His only 50 over 23 was the final one, closing in 23.72.

Compared to Haas, he was slightly faster on the front half, significantly faster on the third 50, and a bit slower coming home. Check out the splits:

HAAS, 2018 NCAAS FARRIS, 2019 NCAAS
20.64 20.56
22.48 (43.12) 22.33 (42.89)
23.06 (1:06.18) 22.54 (1:05.43)
23.32 (1:29.50) 23.72 (1:29.15)

Haas had set the record in the individual event of the 2018 Championships after Blake Pieroni became the first man ever sub-1:30 on the lead-off of the relay in 1:29.63.

Incredibly, Farris isn’t even contesting the 200 free individually, instead opting to swim the 100 back on day three. Prior to this swim his best time was 1:30.83 from the Ivy League Championships at the beginning of March.

The record-setting lead-off helped Harvard to place second in heat two (of three), ultimately finishing seventh overall in 6:11.73. Andrew Seliskar (1:30.14) and Zach Apple (1:30.34) were the next two fastest on their team’s opening legs, while Haas anchored Texas in 1:29.66 for the fastest split of all-time (overtaking Farris’ 1:30.22). The Longhorns won in a new American and NCAA Record of 6:05.03.

After tonight, the all-time fastest performers are:

  1. Dean Farris, 1:29.15
  2. Townley Haas, 1:29.50
  3. Blake Pieroni, 1:29.63
  4. Andrew Seliskar, 1:30.14
  5. Zach Apple, 1:30.34

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Swim Theorist
5 years ago

Does @FarrisDean or @HarvardSwim read swimtheory.com? If so, he knows that athletes have a 58% chance of swimming the 200 Free faster as a lead-off leg than as an individual event. Good choice, Dean!
http://www.swimtheory.com/home/001-lifecycle/001-006b-some-athletes-swim-faster-in-relays

Mr. F
5 years ago

I heard The Academy rescinded Green Book’s best picture and gave it to this video instead

Buckeyeboy
5 years ago

I counted 35 strokes the first 100. Incredible DPS. Never seen anything like that.

sane swim parent
Reply to  Buckeyeboy
5 years ago

I think if you look under “easy speed” in the dictionary, you get a link to that first 100. Beautiful swimming.

Swimmy
Reply to  Buckeyeboy
5 years ago

Deans also like 6’8” so a little bigger than most swimmers

Jim
5 years ago

Gotta suck for the guy who dives in and doesnt see if he broke the record or not until after his portion of the race!

dawser
5 years ago

Non-believers, convert, become a Deanodite!

phelp's dog
5 years ago

DEAN 2020 individual 200 freestyle and 4x100m relay

Really
5 years ago

If Dean falls in the forest, does he make a sound?

sven
5 years ago

Cool to think that with Pieroni, Haas, Farris, and Seliskar we could have a sub-6 relay.

SwimGeek
Reply to  sven
5 years ago

And those same 4 could conceivably be a sub-7 meters relay for Tokyo 2020!

anonymoose
Reply to  SwimGeek
5 years ago

he means sub 7min 800 lcm relay for the brainlets

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  SwimGeek
5 years ago

indeed !!!

About Nick Pecoraro

Nick Pecoraro

Nick has had the passion for swimming since his first dive in the water in middle school, immediately falling for breaststroke. Nick had expanded to IM events in his late teens, helping foster a short, but memorable NCAA Div III swim experience at Calvin University. While working on his B.A. …

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