World Championship bronze medalist and four-time World Junior Champion Ksawery Masiuk will defer his enrollment at the University of Texas until the fall of 2025. That pushes back the original commitment plan that was for him to arrive mid-season in the next few weeks.
Masiuk cited “formalities” as the reason for the delay.
This is a significant blow to Texas’ hopes of rising all the way to the NCAA title in the first year under new Director of Swimming Bob Bowman, who last year led Arizona State to the crown. While the Longhorns are still in the hunt thanks to other transfers and some big early-season performances from swimmers like Rex Maurer, Masiuk was projected to be a key piece that gave the Texas faithful hope of a return to the top of the standings after a 7th-place finish at last year’s meet.
Masiuk is best-known as a backstroker, but is a capable sprint freestyler as well – an area where the Longhorns have a gap in this year’s roster.
Masiuk’s Best Times LCM/SCM:
- 50 free – 22.77/22.03
- 100 free – 48.62/46.92
- 200 free – 1:48.93/1:45.58
- 50 back – 24.44/23.29
- 100 back – 52.58/50.43
- 200 back – 1:56.48/1:52.86
- 50 fly – 23.59/22.94
- 100 fly – 52.31/50.33
Texas’ top 50 freestyler this year is Garrett Gould, who swam 19.38 in the team’s post-invite dual meet a couple weeks ago. Will Modglin leads the team in the 100 free in 42.08, but is also the team’s top backstroker so far this season by a lot (though transfer Hubert Kos hasn’t really broken through yet this season after finishing 4th at NCAAs last year in the 100).
By comparison, Gould’s best LCM 50 free is 22.76 and Modglin’s best LCM 100 free is 49.07, times that Masiuk is already equal to or better than, so he would make an immediate impact on those relays.
Today, Masiuk would project to have somewhere north of a 40-point impact on Texas’ outcome at the NCAA Championships, which would be crucial points in an expected battle with Indiana and Cal for the title.
Masiuk won bronze medals at the 2022 and 2024 World Aquatics Championships in the 50 backstroke, was on Poland’s history-making 400 free relay bronze medal at the 2024 World Short Course Swimming Championships, and won six medals, including gold in the 50 and 100 back, at the 2022 World Junior Championships.
He adds to that six European Junior Championship gold medals and 11 total medals at the 2021 and 2022 meets.
Masiuk turned 20 earlier in December.
The Texas men return to racing on January 10th when they host SMU. Two weeks later they will host the biggest non-championship meet of the season against Arizona State, NC State, and Virginia.
Texas fans are crashing out so hard rn. Big blow to the hypothetical relays and scenarios. Corbeau dipping out to the rival team to ring chase is just twisting the knife in the open wound
Horns down
Literally
I was wanting a new story to get the Corbeau to Indiana story off the front page. This was not the one I wanted.
Sorry bro 🙁
I feel the same
Isn’t this the same guy that was committed for a fairly long while to NC State and then never went there? Wonder if he will ever enroll in a college in the U.S.A.
Eh, while I love a good conspiracy this all kinda maps out fairly easily. NC State was the early commit but of course when Bob comes calling you don’t say no very quickly. The semester delay is just due to enrollment stuff. Fairly normal for an international
But….. ya never know
Kind of looking like his delayed attendance at NC State!
With the addition of Corbeau to IU and Texas losing Masiuk, it looks like IU’s meet to lose. Barring a big DQ or IU being off at NCAAs, I don’t see Texas having enough.
Yeah I think that’s where I stand right now.
It’ll be close enough that the winner will have to swim well, but I think Indiana is in the driver’s seat.
Or, as it stands, Indiana is in the diver’s seat.
I think it’s still going to be close enough to be an extremely exciting meet! Cannot wait!
More than Reasonable assertion, that’s like a 70-80 point swing with those two swimmers
Can someone correct me if I am wrong, but the 22 roster spots for SEC’s Men’s Swimming and Diving is for the swimmers and divers, not just the swimmers.
Maybe? We still don’t have a full and complete answer, and it all seems to oscillate. I think we won’t get a full answer until at least the final House settlement is approved.
Noticeable but not catastrophic hit to UT’s Backstroke points BUT a potentially devastating blow to the Free Relays
The Hoosiers get Matt King and Rafael Miroslaw back on the roster in addition to Corbeau, while the Horns have lost Shackell and Masiuk…
Is it March yet?
I really hope this is a 3 team barn burner like 2018 but everything has been breaking IU’s way as of late. Massive dual meet against Florida this week to really see where they are as a team. Julian Smith and Savickas vs The IU Breaststroke Avengers is going to be electric
There’s an alternate universe out there where they’re getting an upcoming NCAAs with Masiuk, C. Foster, and Marchand on Texas, Tomac, Coetze and Shackell on Cal, Hafnaoui on Indiana, McDuff on Florida, and Ponti on NC State.
Masiuk, Foster, Marchand…and Corbeau?
If Texas gets Corbeau then I’m also putting Matt Sates on Cal.
Well heck, if we’re just drafting people, I’ll take Ahmed Jaoudi and Miron Lifintsev!
Haha wasn’t there a rumor about Sates trying to get on Cal? I’ll concede that this might have just been a fever dream I had where they added Matt Sates, Hunter Armstrong, Brooks Curry, and Andrei Minakov at mid season last year lol.
Yeah but if I recall it was when my boy Buttstroke thought he was doing satire by just making things up and nobody knew it was made up. I think he recanted.
Haha I didn’t know that. It’s pretty funny and apropos of how things go on swim twt.
Met Buttstroke at Trials. They actually credentialed him as “Buttstroke” which was pretty incredible. Nice guy, loves loves loves swimming.
Well. That takes care of the roster caps!
Not to be that guy, but if Cal gets Shackell, shouldn’t NC State get Masiuk?
No because in this particular alternate universe Masiuk was never going to NC State. Also of note, every one there braids their armpit hair and spaghetti is the traditional Thanksgiving meal. It’s an interesting place.
“Swimming: What If…?”