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
- Live Results
200 YARD BUTTERFLY
- NCAA record: 1:37.97 Joseph Schooling (Texas) 3-25-2016
- American record: 1:38.06, Jack Conger (Texas) 3-25-2016
- U.S. Open record: 1:37.97 Joseph Schooling (Texas) 3-25-2016
- 2016 NCAA Champion: Joseph Schooling (Texas) – 1:37.97
Texas’s Jack Conger is perhaps the best Division I swimmer right now in short course without an individual NCAA title. As impressive as his swims have been in his career, there’s always someone just ahead of him– usually that’s his teammate, Joseph Schooling, the reigning Olympic champion in the 100 fly. Schooling is seeded at #11 with a 1:41.58, but don’t let his seed time fool you– the man is a pure racer who will swim fast when it counts.
Conger, though, is still the #1 seed (1:39.17), and nobody else has broken 1:40 yet this year. Focused on his first individual trophy, Conger will also be bent on taking down Schooling’s NCAA and U.S. Open records of 1:37.97, which he was so very close to last year. Schooling has had more trouble coming back post-Olympics in the 200– perhaps now is the chance for Conger to win this fight.
A different Singaporean could keep Conger out of gold contention, too, as Cal’s late addition Zheng Quah just became NCAA-eligible after Pac-12s and time-trialed a 1:40.36 to qualify as the 2nd seed. He’s surely a wildcard, with no SCY background, but has been as fast as 1:56.01 in the 200 LCM fly, a very competitive time internationally. Joining him as a title threat is his Cal teammate Andrew Seliskar (#4 1:40.74), who quietly busted a 1:39.95 for third place last year.
Olympian Chase Kalisz will throw his name in the hat here, too. He comes in as the #3 seed with a 1:40.38– needless to say, he’s looking a lot better this year than he did his last NCAA meet in 2015, when he finished 38th in this race with a 1:45.85. The Georgia Bulldog likely won’t be alone if he makes the A final this year, as his teammate Pace Clark is the #5 seed at 1:40.87.
Florida’s Jan Switkowski (#6 1:40.94) and Indiana’s Vini Lanza (#7 1:40.97) are the last two men under 1:41 so far this year. They went 1-2, respectively, in the B final last year– both come in significantly faster than they did in 2016. Stanford’s Jimmy Yoder sits right behind them at 8th with a 1:41.31. NCAA newcomers Andrea Vazaios of NC State and Noah Lense of Ohio State are next up, with Vazaios seeded at #9 (1:41.42) and Lense at #10 (1:41.44).
Looking back on the psych sheet, two lower seeds could certainly crash the A final party– #17 Matt Josa and #27 Gunnar Bentz. Cal’s Josa is a transfer from Division II Queens, and went a lifetime best 1:42.40 at Pac-12s. Bentz, of Georgia, made the A final last year, though he came in with a 1:41-mid from SECs in 2016 rather than the 1:43.0 that he’s at now.
TOP 8 PICKS:
| PLACE | SWIMMER | TEAM | SEED | BEST TIME |
| 1 | Jack Conger | Texas | 1:39.17 (#1) | 1:38.06 |
| 2 | Joseph Schooling | Texas | 1:41.58 (#11) | 1:37.97 |
| 3 | Andrew Seliskar | Cal | 1:40.74 (#4) | 1:39.95 |
| 4 | Zheng Quah | Cal | 1:40.36 (#2) | 1:40.36 |
| 5 | Pace Clark | Georgia | 1:40.87 (#6) | 1:40.17 |
| 6 | Chase Kalisz | Georgia | 1:40.38 (#3) | 1:40.38 |
| 7 | Jan Switkowski | Florida | 1:40.94 (#5) | 1:40.94 |
| 8 | Vini Lanza | Indiana | 1:40.97 (#7) | 1:40.97 |
Dark Horse: Zach Harting (Louisville). Harting has had clutch swims in the past, and he finished 7th at Trials in this event with a lot of the top seeds in this event for NCAAs. It’s time for a big SCY swim from him.
Joseph Schooling wins this. No doubt. Mark my words.
This will be a great race, but I’ll give the edge to Conger. His 2Fly looks good, his schedule is a little lighter than last year and it’s his last chance to win an individual NCAA title. My money’s on Conger.
Conger will win! Schooling was so fast at Conference, I think he was fully rested. His training base was limited because he eased back in after the Olympics. His 200 fly will be a shade slower than last year.
Conger has been training hard since September Wigan chip on his shoulder. He’ll rest well and win.
That’s my theory anyway.
Reese is a good coach, Conger and Schooling most likely the same amount if rest going into Big 12s, he wouldn’t let anybody that is going to NCAAs be rested for that meet.
Stay woke on Zheng Quah! Time trialed day after Pac-12s on first day of eligibility….. Sketchy at best, but possible player??? Upset alert?
Finalist, but my bet: finals time slower than his time trial.
After attending Austin, Iowa City, and Atlanta NCAAs I have to skip this one because of business reasons.
I will miss Longhorns winning one more. Here are my favorite 10 moments from last 3 NCAAs:
1. Driving from Minneapolis, where I finished a business trip, to Iowa City to watch now famous 100 fly finals.
2. Watching Kevin Cordes swimming 100 breast with play by play commentary by Eric Friedland, one of my favorite Longhorns
3. Will Licon and Clark Smith’s father coming to meet me (never thought anyone there knew who I was but apparently
they all read Swimswam, and Tripp Cooper’s Mom told them I was there) and John Smith telling me every Longhorn… Read more »
Did you like tell Tripp Coopers mom I’m PSYCHODAD on swimswam?
Nah, I don’t do that, but sarcasm is noted, as well as my hatred for the company you “represent.” The only person I introduced myself like that to was Mel in Iowa City, and he did not believe me anyway.
Hook’em.
I just lost my cookies ?
Watch out for QZW. He is ready to burst onto the NCAA scene and rock the boat!
Most professionals would be expected to.
Didn’t they take it out in 46.8 last year. That was pretty impressive.
Conger did. Schooling was a bit back at the 100 but had a monster back half.
Schooling is the favourite to win 100, 200 fly.