2018 MEN’S NCAA SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Wednesday, March 21 – Saturday, March 24

Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center – Minneapolis, Minnesota

Defending champion: Texas (3x) (results)

Psych Sheet

Live results

Championship Central

Live stream: Wednesday/Thursday Finals, All Prelims on BTN2GO; Friday/Saturday Finals on WatchESPN

The 2018 Men’s NCAA Championships are underway in Minneapolis, Minnesota and though there was only one event tonight, there was plenty of fast swimming to go around. The 800 free relay featured 5 of the 10 fastest 200 yard freestylers in history coming into the meet as they competed for their respective teams. Indiana’s Blake Pieroni moved up all the way up to the top in the all-time rankings as the leadoff member of his squad, clocking in at 1:29.63 to become the first man ever to break 1:30. He’s now the fastest performer in history, breaking Townley Haas‘ NCAA and American Record.

Pieroni’s Splits by 50: 20.89/22.64/22.92/23.18

Pieroni’s Splits by 100: 43.53/46.10

Tonight’s stacked field included included Texas’ Haas (formerly #1), Indiana’s Pieroni (formerly #2), USC’s Dylan Carter (#3), Harvard’s Dean Farris (#4),and NC State’s Ryan Held (#7), though not all of them swam the leadoff leg and Carter and Farris was in a different heat. Haas swam to a new best time as well, clipping his former best down to a 1:30.41. NC State’s 1:31.32 leadoff leg from Andreas Vazaios makes him the 8th fastest performer ever, so he now joins them on the all-time list. Cal’s Andrew Seliskar is the 7th fastest after leading off in a 1:31.28 for Cal.

ALL-TIME TOP 10 PERFORMERS: 200 FREE

ALL-TIME TOP 10 PERFORMANCES: 200 FREE

The Wolfpack eventually caught up to Indiana, smashing the NCAA Record as the Hoosiers took 2nd. Behind them, Texas broke their own American Record for 3rd place.