SwimSwam commenter Willswim requested if somebody might put collectively a side-by-side comparability chart for Texas, Cal, Florida, and Indiana and the reply was sure, we will. As Willswim stated, there’s numerous motion—it’s early within the season, groups are nonetheless making an attempt to determine their optimum lineups, and a few of the high swimmers that can issue into these relays (Destin Lasco, Matt King, Adam Chaney, and many others.) haven’t swum a meet but this season. However, we’ve given it our greatest shot at predicting what the relay lineups will appear like.
We’ve tried to dig up the quickest relay break up by every swimmer but when you understand of a quicker one than what’s listed, tell us. To make the lineups, we relied on the quartets that groups have already fielded this season but in addition made educated guesses about the place swimmers like Lasco, King, and Chaney, will slot in primarily based on previous performances. We’ve adhered to the utmost of 4 relays for every swimmer, although we’ve famous the place somebody might drop a person to swim all 5 relays.
Lastly, as ASU is main the NCAA in 4 out of the 5 relays this season, we’ve added them to the combo. They’ve an uphill battle to stay within the high 5 this season, however the velocity their relays have proven this season will go a good distance in the direction of making that occur.
Tables are organized quickest to slowest, left to proper. Relay splits are highlighted. Flat begin instances are clean and famous with (FS).
200 Freestyle Relay
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For our functions, the 200 freestyle relay is an easy train. Florida, the NCAA document holders, and defending champions, are the quickest of the favorites. With an add-up of 1:13.47, Josh Liendo, Adam Chaney, Julian Smith, and Ed Fullum-Huot examine in simply .12 seconds from the NCAA document the Gators set in 2023.
For all of the speak about what ASU misplaced within the low season, their 200 freestyle relay seems to be to have improved. They completed third on the 2024 NCAA Championships with a 1:13.95, two-hundredths slower than their add-up this season. That’s largely as a consequence of Ilya Kharun popping an 18.59 at ASU vs. NC State, however including switch Tommy Palmer actually helps as effectively.
This relay is an effective instance of how essential the addition of Chris Guiliano is for Texas. They’re nonetheless the fourth-fastest of the favorites—a listing that doesn’t embody NC State or Tennessee, two sturdy groups on this race—however Guiliano lights up their dash corps and places them proper in the course of the dash freestyle motion. With out him, their dash relays undergo, which seemingly retains them out of the dialog for the NCAA title.
As an alternative, this relay turns into Indiana’s weak spot. The Hoosiers could lead on off with Matt King, who has damaged 19 seconds earlier than, however his 18.96 lifetime finest remains to be method behind the lead-off swimmers of the remainder of the applications. With applications shifting in the direction of utilizing their quickest swimmers to steer off, that relay leg turns into much more essential or Indiana will spend the remainder of the relay combating by the wave.
400 Freestyle Relay
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The 400 freestyle relay, the final occasion of the NCAA Championships, is all the time a free-for-all. The swimmers are drained after an extended meet and giving all the pieces they’ve left. So, it’s unlikely that we’ll see Cal soar as far beneath the two:43.40 NCAA document that their add-up suggests. However, with an on-paper time of two:42.95, .45 seconds beneath ASU’s document from final season, exhibits how clearly they’re the favorites on this relay.
Guiliano on the Texas relay launches them into the combo with ASU, as their add-up instances are five-hundredths aside. Indiana recovers on this relay from different pure freestyle dash relay with one other 2:45-point add-up. They’ve bought choices as to whether or not they lead-off with King or Miroslaw, too. Equally, Texas might lead-off with Hobson and have Guiliano on a flying begin, although a Guiliano lead-off might be their most suitable choice.
800 Freestyle Relay
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The 800 freestyle relay is maybe essentially the most chaotic of the 5 relays, made much more so as a result of so few groups have swum the race this season. It additionally appears to be the relay that followers most need to see Guiliano on, although curiously, including Guiliano doesn’t put the Longhorns forward of the Cal, the NCAA document holders. As soon as once more, the Golden Bears’ add-up is quicker than the NCAA document because the examine in with a 6:01.44, .82 seconds forward of the 6:02.26 they swam final 12 months.
Texas wants Guiliano to swim three particular person occasions, in order that they’ll want to depart him off a relay. There’s no scarcity of 200 freestylers on the Longhorns roster, although proper now it seems to be like their finest transfer is to depart him off the 400 medley relay as exchanging Guiliano for Hubert Kos provides nearly two seconds to their add-up.
Guiliano’s arrival makes the combat for a spot on this relay that a lot nearer—proper now, Rex Maurer and Coby Carrozza are the very best choices, although it’s straightforward to think about Aaron Shackell contending for a spot. Kos will seemingly be on the 200 medley relay earlier that session, although might pull the double.
That is arguably the relay the place Florida feels the lack of Macguire McDuff essentially the most. Except considered one of their swimmers breaks by within the 200 free this 12 months, they’ll both must punt on this relay (which they’ll’t do if they need the general NCAA crown) or use Josh Liendo. Liendo’s been as quick as 1:32.16; whereas they received’t be within the hunt for the 800 freestyle relay title, that might preserve them within the combine for a high 8 with an add-up of 6:08.58. Meaning they’d seemingly take him off the 200 medley relay and sub in Scotty Buff, which they did on the 2024 SEC Championships.
With out Kharun or Jonny Kulow, this relay is ASU’s main weak spot; even one 1:34-split received’t lower it in a world the place having a 1:32-high break up places a group out of rivalry for the occasion’s NCAA title. That stated, lower than an hour in the past ASU did use Kulow on because the 800 free relay anchor on the ASU vs. Cal vs. Stanford tri-meet. He break up 1:33.66, teaming with Sammon (1:32.86 lead-off), Tiago Behar (1:33.69), and Filip Senc-Samardzic (1:32.97). That seemingly confirms his place on this relay; which means he’ll both be pulled off one other one or solely swim two particular person occasions. Placing Kulow’s 1:33.66 and Senc-Samardzic’s new quickest break up on the relay drops the Solar Devils to six:10.71.
200 Medley Relay
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Florida is the highest seed whether or not or not they use Liendo right here. Granted, his 18.97 50 fly break up, the second-fastest in historical past, is difficult to depart off a relay; with it, the Gators’ add-up is 1:20.34, .19 seconds from their NCAA document.
The Gators’ lead narrows with Buff on butterfly as a substitute of Liendo, as their 1:21.34 with Buff is simply .08 seconds forward of ASU’s add-up. Plus, ASU’s add-up is mushy, Lucien Vergnes is getting quicker with every meet as he will get extra comfy in yards, and Kharun simply fired off a 19.1 50 fly break up—it appears seemingly he’ll be part of Liendo and Jordan Crooks with a sub-19 second break up sooner relatively than later.
Yamato Okadome can be getting used to yards in Berkeley and within the meantime, he’s posting intriguing breaststroke instances that would transfer Cal up from their fourth-place standing amongst these 5 groups.
For Indiana, it might prove that their worldwide freshman, Olympian Miroslav Knedla, attracts onto this relay (in addition to the 400 medley relay). Nonetheless, at this second, he doesn’t have the quickest lead-off on the group.
400 Medley Relay
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Getting disqualified on this relay finally 12 months’s NCAA Championships damage the Gators’ bid to upset Cal for second place. They’re the favorites within the occasion this 12 months, they usually have choices right here too. Julian Smith swam two particular person occasions at NCAAs final 12 months and will do the identical once more. That might let Florida decide up seven-hundredths on this relay, bettering their add-up from 2:58.80 to 2:58.73. Although Chaney has been quicker than Jonny Marshall within the 100 again, it ought to be quickest for them to make use of Marshall on backstroke and slide Chaney to freestyle.
Cal sits a few second behind Florida, adopted carefully by Indiana. They’re the three groups of this group with an add-up that’s sub-3:00. Okadome might find yourself on this relay for Cal, although at present Matt Jensen has the quickest 100 breaststroke.
If that is certainly the relay that Texas opts to depart Guiliano off, it’s seemingly they flip to Luke Hobson. Hobson’s proven he can throw down aggressive splits within the 50 and 100 freestyle, although in fact placing in Guiliano’s lightning-fast 40.17 finest break up considerably improves the relay add-up. However even with Hobson, the three:01.39 add-up is far faster than the three:02.44 they swam on the 2024 NCAAs for eighth place.
