Sophie Kaufman contributed to this report.
That is our third iteration of this text the place we study the relays of the groups contending for the boys’s NCAA title subsequent month. We began this sequence in early November when commenter Willswim requested if we might put collectively a chart like this, although there was a number of motion over the previous couple of months.
Earlier right now, Brooks Curry confirmed up on the ACC psych sheets as an addition to Cal’s roster for the convention championships subsequent week. Whereas Curry will not be on the Cal roster, he’s entered at ACCs within the 50, 100, and 200 freestyle occasions. His look on the crew shakes up fairly a number of of the relay placements, and will have an effect on NCAA placement significantly.
Cal will not be the one crew that has seen modifications, nevertheless. Florida misplaced senior Adam Chaney, who we had been together with on our lists, to the switch portal lately, and that shifted most of their relays again fairly a bit.
We final appeared on the relays again in December, when information of Caspar Corbeau heading to Indiana broke, together with up to date splits from midseason meets.
Tables are organized from quickest to slowest, left to proper. Relay splits are highlighted. Flat begin instances for non-lead-off legs aren’t crammed and are famous with (FS).
200 Free Relay
This record noticed one of many extra vital modifications with the addition of Curry and the removing of Chaney from Florida.
On the 2022 SEC Championships, Curry break up 18.14 on the freestyle leg of the 200 medley relay, which was quicker than the 18.85 from freshman Lucca Battaglini on the Minnesota Invite. Simply the change on this break up for Cal dropped their projected time from 1:14.18 to 1:13.47 and moved them as much as first, simply forward of the 1:13.59 projection for Cal.
The alternative occurred with Florida. We had Adam Chaney on the relay together with his 18.26 break up serving to Florida to a projected first place end, however with out Chaney, their subsequent quickest sprinter is Alex Painter at 18.64. This shifted Florida again into the third place, leaving ASU in 2nd.
Indiana and Texas didn’t shift in any respect, firmly standing within the 4th and fifth positions.
To not be ignored is the Tennessee males, who won’t be within the battle for the NCAA title, however might simply throw a wrench on this high 5, significantly on the dash relays with legs from Jordan Crooks and Gui Caribe.
400 Freestyle Relay:
The addition of Curry to this relay doesn’t change Cal’s predicted placement, it merely widens the margin by which they’re on high. Curry doesn’t have a whole lot of rolling begin relay splits within the 100 freestyle, and his flat begin time is quicker than his relay splits. His private better of 40.84 would exchange Matt Jensen’s flat begin of 41.11, which improves the general time by just below three tenths of a second, however they had been already a second-and-a-half forward of the sector.
Their time additionally strikes additional below the NCAA report, with the report sitting at 2:43.40 from ASU final yr, and their added time coming in at 2:42.68.
Florida moved down considerably within the rankings, dropping from 2nd again to fifth with their 4 quickest swimmers. Chaney had a recorded finest break up of 40.8, and he was changed by Alex Painter, whose quickest relay break up is 42.54.
Texas, Cal, and Indiana didn’t see any modifications, however all of them moved up a spot, because of Florida’s shift.
800 Freestyle Relay
The time distinction between Curry and former 4th swimmer Robin Hanson will not be extremely vital, with Curry coming in simply half-a-second quicker together with his flat begin time. That half-a-second was sufficient, although, to maneuver them into first over Texas by nearly three tenths of a second.
It’s value noting that, in these predictions, three Cal swimmers and all 4 Texas swimmers have their flat begin time making up their relay prediction. Whereas usually relay begins are quicker, it implies that we might see a change in the best way these relays really shake out as soon as all however the first swimmers are going from a relay begin.
Each groups are additionally considerably below Cal’s 6:02.26 NCAA report from final yr.
Florida probably sees one relay change right here from the best way we’ve been predicting. Up to now, we’ve been placing Josh Liendo on this relay as a result of he’s over a second quicker than another potential swimmer, and Florida was speculated to win the medley relay with or with out him. As we’ll see in a second, that’s not the case, so Florida will possible transfer him off this relay with a view to probably win the medley. This strikes freshman Alexander Painter on together with his lifetime better of 1:34.11. With Liendo, the relay is predicted at 6:08.58. With out Lienod, they arrive in at 6:09.74. Eventually yr’s NCAA championships, this time change would have made the distinction between eighth and eleventh or 22 factors and 12 factors.
ASU and Indiana see no modifications from their midseason instances, and are nonetheless predicted third and fifth amongst these 5 groups respectively.
200 Medley Relay
That is the place Florida’s choice is available in. Initially of the season once we labored out the relays, Florida received the relay with or with out Liendo’s assist, thanks largely to Adam Chaney’s 20.19 backstroke leg. With this break up, their time added as much as 1:21.12, which might lead the NCAA this season. With out him, the backstroke leg goes to Jonny Marshall at 20.83. That is lower than seven tenths of a second distinction, however with how shut this relay is true now, it moved Florida again into fifth place amongst these 5 groups at 1:21.76.
The unique relay had Scotty Buff on the fly leg at 19.75. If we exchange him with Liendo and his 18.97 50 fly break up, the relay time drops all the way down to 1:20.98, shifting them again into first. Eventually yr’s NCAA Championships, 1:20.98 would have been third and 32 factors, and 1:21.76 would have been fifth at 28 factors. Both approach, the relay with Liendo will place considerably increased than the relay with out him.
On the Brooks Curry facet of issues, he would exchange Jack Alexy on this relay since he has a quicker relay begin time, which might put Alexy on solely three relays at NCAAs as a result of Bjorn Seeliger has the freestyle leg on the 400 medley relay together with his 40.3 break up. With Curry on the 200 medley, their time drops to 1:21.49, which is sufficient to bounce them forward of Indiana’s 1:21.55.
400 Medley Relay
Florida is the one relay with personnel modifications right here, changing Chaney’s 40.9 with Painter’s 42.65. This raises their total time from 2:57.77 to 2:59.52 and strikes them again into third in these rankings with Indiana and Cal coming into first and 2nd.
Identical to with Alexy, Crooks has not been quicker than Seeliger’s 40.3 break up, so this is able to be the one relay he doesn’t swim for the Golden Bears.
ASU, Indiana, and Texas don’t have any modifications from the top of December, apart from Indiana shifting into first with the quickest mixture time.
