Nicolas Albiero, Robby Giller Move Up All-Time 17-18 Rankings

A pair of teenagers already wrapping up their freshman seasons of college swimming moved up the USA Swimming All-Time Rankings for the 17-18 age group on Friday morning. Swimming at the 2018 NCAA Championships in Minneapolis, Nicolas Albiero of Louisville qualified 5th into the final of the 100 back and 45.05, while Virginia’s Robby Giller qualified 15th into the final of the 400 IM in 3:41.56.

For Albiero, that now makes him the 2nd-fastest 17-18 in history, behind only the age group record holder Ryan Murphy, who swam a 44.63 in 2014 at his first NCAA Championship meet. Murphy would go on to win Olympic gold and break the World Record in the 100 back in long course at the 2016 Olympic Games.

Albiero’s previous best time was a 45.38 from the medley relay leadoff on Thursday that ranked him 4th all-time, which didn’t improve hs rank any from the 45.42 that he swam at the ACC Championships in February. Of note, he jumped Austin Katz, a freshman at Texas who will also swim in the A-Final on Friday in the 100 back, but turned 19 on Monday and is no longer eligible for USA Swimming age group rankings. Jack Conger’s 45.32 is the fastest time on this list actually done by a swimmer in high school; he never improved upon the 45.32 he did as a senior, switching his focus more to butterfly at Texas.

All Time Top 5, 17-18 100 yard backstroke:

1. Ryan Murphy, 44.63 – 2014 NCAA Championships
2. Nicolas Albiero, 45.05 – 2018 NCAA Championships
3. Jack Conger, 45.32 – 2012 Tom Dolan Invitational
4. Austin Katz, 45.34 – 2017 Texas Hall of Fame Invitational
5. David Nolan, 45.49 – 2011 Pennsyvlania High School AAA State Championship meet

Giller, meanwhile, jumped into 5th place in the all-time rankings. His previous best of 3:44.72 was done at the ACC Championships and had him ranked 22nd in the age group. That drop vaults him up the leaderboard, passing names like Reece Whitley and World Record breakers in the event Michael Phelps (now 7th) and Dave Wharton (now 6th).

All Time Top 5, 17-18 400 yard IM

1. Andrew Seliskar, 3:37.52 – 2015 Potomac Valley Swimming Championships
2. Chase Kalisz, 3:39.82 – 2013 SEC Championships
3. Gunnar Bentz, 3:40.57 – 2014 Bulldog Invitational
4. Ryan Lochte, 3:41.45 – 2003 NCAA Championships
5. Robby Giller, 3:41.56 – 2018 NCAA Championships