Matthew Brownstead Becomes 2nd-Fastest 17-18 Ever in 100 Yard Free

2021 ACC MEN’S SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• When: Wednesday, February 24th to Saturday, February 27th Prelims 10:00 am | Finals 6:00 pm (1650 prelims Saturday at 4:00 pm)
• Where: Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, North Carolina (Eastern Time Zone)
• Defending Champion: North Carolina State University (NC State) (29x, 6th-straight) (results)
• Streaming: ACC Network
  • Wednesday
  • Thursday
  • Friday
  • Saturday
• Championship Central: Here
• Detailed Timeline: Here
• Psych Sheets: Here
• Live Results
• Saturday Finals Heat Sheets

University of Virginia freshman Matthew Brownstead is now the second-fastest 17-18 swimmer in history in the 100 yard freestyler, after the 41.87 he swam on Saturday at the ACC Men’s Swimming & Diving Championships.

That swim gave Brownstead a sweep of the sprint freestyles at the meet after an 18.88 in the 50 free (which ties him for 4th in the age-group).

Top Male Swimmers All-Time, 17-18 Age Group, 100 Yard Free

1. Ryan Hoffer – 41.23
2. Matthew Brownstead – 41.88
3. Caeleb Dressel – 41.90
4. Drew Kibler – 42.15
5. Matt King – 42.19

Note: another freshman, Matt King of Alabama, who won the SEC title this week in 41.66, turned 19 on February 19, just missing this list. His 42.19 was a mid-season swim.

It also makes Brownstead the 6th-fastest freshman in NCAA history in the event:

1. (TIE) Jimmy Feigen, Texas, 2009 NCAAs/Daniel Krueger, Texas, 2019 NCAAs – 41.49
3. Matt King, Alabama, 2021 SECs – 41.66
4. Daniel Krueger, Texas, 2019 NCAAs – 41.73
5. Brooks Curry, LSU, 2020 SECs – 41.81
6. Matthew Brownstead, Virginia, 2021 ACCs – 41.87

Both the 50 and 100 free for Brownstead broke his own Virginia school records in the events.

There is a wave of speed coming into the NCAA, with a freshman group this year that includes King, Brownstead, SEC 50 free champion Adam Chaney – who has the fastest 50 free time in the country this season.

With Youssef Ramadan at Virginia Tech, better established as a butterflier, and Cal’s Bjorn Seeliger still to race his conference championship meet beginning on Sunday in Houston, that list has depth too.

Brownstead was already a top-class sprinter out of high school, finishing his secondary school career with bests of 19.24 in the 50 free and 43.29 in the 100 free.

Not that all of these freshmen are going to become Caeleb Dressel, but Dressel’s freshman sprint times of 18.67 in the 50 free doesn’t feel as outlandish as it once did. With 18-points and 41-points becoming routine for college freshmen, though, it feels only a matter of time before somebody else pops into range of Dressel’s rarest airs: 17.63 and 39.90.

Race Video:

Matt. Brownstead. 👀 🥇 #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/MbDb5rshRY

— Virginia Swimming and Dive (@UVASwimDive) February 27, 2021