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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)
  • Psych Sheet
  • Live results

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 Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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