The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
NCAA Championships
No. 1 Men’s Swimming and Diving Preview: NCAA Championships
03.20.2016 | Men's Swimming and Diving
Defending NCAA champions seek 12th national title this week in Atlanta.
NCAA Championship Notes/Factbook
WHAT: Eleven-time NCAA champion No. 1 Texas heads to the 2016 NCAA Championships.
Swimming Qualifiers (# of NCAA Champs appearances and probable individual events)
Jack Conger (3rd appearance, 100 fly, 100 back, 200 fly)
Matt Ellis (4th, 50 free, 100 fly, 100 free)
Will Glass (3rd, 200 IM, 100 fly, 200 fly)
Townley Haas (1st, 500 free, 200 free, 1,650 free)
Ryan Harty (1st, 200 IM, 400 IM 200 back)
Max Holter (1st, 100 & 200 fly)
Tate Jackson (1st, 50 free, 100 fly, 100 free)
Sam Lewis (4th, 500 free & 1,650 free)
Will Licon (3rd, 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 breast)
John Martens (2nd, 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 fly)
John Murray (4th, 50 free, 100 fly, 100 free)
Brett Ringgold (2nd, 50 free, 100 fly, 100 free)
Jonathan Roberts (2nd, 500 free, 400 IM, 200 back)
Joseph Schooling (2nd, 100 & 200 fly)
John Shebat (1st, 200 IM, 100 back, 200 back)
Clark Smith (2nd, 500 free, 200 free, 1,650 free)
Diving Qualifiers
Mark Anderson (3rd, 1m, 3m & platform)
Cory Bowersox (4th, 1m & 3m)
Sean O'Brien (1st, 1m & 3m)
WHEN/WHERE
Wednesday, March 23 through Saturday, March 26
McAuley Aquatic Center
Atlanta, Georgia (hosted by Georgia Tech)
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS HOME PAGE (with complete schedule)
http://www.ramblinwreck.com/sports/c-swim/spec-rel/ncaa-champ.html
LIVE RESULTS
http://www.swmeets.com/Realtime/NCAA/2016/
LIVE DIVING SCORES: DiveMeets.com
LIVE VIDEO
Wednesday & Thursday finals + all prelims
http://atlantaswimming.com/Webcast
Friday & Saturday finals
www.espn.com and the WatchESPN mobile app (cable subscription required)
QUICK HITS
• With 19 Longhorns (16 swimmers, 3 divers) making the trip to Atlanta this week, Texas has filled out its maximum allotment of swimmers and divers for a third consecutive NCAA Championship meet.
• Texas returns 13 of the 19 Longhorns who competed at the 2015 NCAA Championships and delivered UT's 11th NCAA team title with 528 points.
• Texas won five individual events at the 2015 NCAA Championships and returns all three swimmers responsible for the five titles.
o Junior Clark Smith became UT's first NCAA champion in the 500-yard freestyle. Smith, the son of former Texas swimmers John Smith and Tori Trees, knocked off defending champion Cristian Quintero of USC and won the event in 4:09.72.
o Junior Will Licon, the 2015 Big 12 Swimmer of the Year, returns as the defending NCAA champion in the 400 individual medley and the 200 breaststroke. The El Paso native became the first Longhorn to claim a national title in the 400 IM last March.
o Joseph Schooling won NCAA titles in the 100 and 200 butterfly and became the first Texas freshman to win two NCAA individual swimming titles at the same meet since Brendan Hansen in 2001. The Singaporean also became the first Texas swimmer to win both the 100 and 200 fly in his Longhorns career. Schooling broke Ian Crocker's 14-year-old school and Big 12 records in the 100 butterfly (44.51). He went on to win nine gold medals for Singapore at the Southeast Asian Games in June and won bronze in the 100m butterfly at the FINA World Championships.
• Texas returns five of the six swimmers who accounted for its two NCAA relay titles last season. All-America junior Jack Conger swam on the victorious 200 freestyle relay and 400 medley relay. Seniors Matt Ellis and John Murray joined Conger on the 200 free relay, while Licon and Schooling joined Conger on the 400 medley relay. Former Longhorn Kip Darmody competed on both NCAA champion relays last season as a senior.
• Texas boasts more NCAA team titles (11) and NCAA top-two finishes (22) than any other men's swimming and diving program since head coach Eddie Reese's arrival in Austin in 1978.
• Soon to wrap his 38th season with the Longhorns, Reese is the only college swimming coach to win NCAA team titles in four separate decades (1981, '88, '89, '90, '91, '96, 2000, '01, '02, 2010, '15). Last March, Reese tied former Ohio State coach Mike Peppe for No. 1 all-time with 11 NCAA men's swimming and diving titles.
• Reese's Longhorns have finished among the top-three at the NCAA Championships in 29 of his previous 37 seasons in Austin. Texas has finished no worse than second at seven of the last eight NCAA Championship meets.
• Texas is tied with Ohio State for No. 2 all-time with 11 NCAA men's swimming and diving team titles.
• Texas has won 114 NCAA individual titles (No. 4 all-time). That total includes 54 NCAA individual swimming titles, 41 NCAA swimming relay crowns and 19 NCAA diving titles.
• Texas has won NCAA titles in all 18 swimming events and two of the three diving events contested annually at the NCAA Championships.
NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving team titles
since 1978-79 (Reese's first at season at Texas)
o Texas – 11
o Auburn – 8
o Stanford – 7
o California - 5
o Michigan - 2
o Florida - 2
o Arizona - 1
o UCLA - 1
NCAA top-two finishes since 1978-79 (Reese's first at Texas)
o Texas – 22
o Stanford – 17
o Auburn – 11
o California – 9
o USC – 4
o Michigan – 3
o Florida – 3
o Arizona – 2
o UCLA – 2
o SMU – 1
CAREER NCAA INDIVIDUAL TITLES
2___Will Licon (2015 400 IM & 200 breast)
2___Joseph Schooling (2015 100 & 200 fly)
1___Clark Smith (2015 500 free)
CAREER NCAA RELAY TITLES
2___Jack Conger (2015 200 FR & 400 MR)
1___Will Licon (2015 400 MR)
1___John Murray (2015 200 FR)
1___Matt Ellis (2015 200 FR)
1___Joseph Schooling (2015 400 MR)
NINETEEN LONGHORNS SET FOR NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
All-America junior Jack Conger finished as the NCAA runner-up behind teammate Joseph Schooling in the 100 and 200 butterfly events at the 2015 NCAA Championships. Conger, who anchored UT's 400 medley relay to victory at that same meet, holds the No. 2 seed in the 200 butterfly (1:40.57), an event in which he holds the American record. Conger also is seeded third in the 100 butterfly (45.19).
All-America senior Matt Ellis helped the Horns to victory in the 200 freestyle relay at the 2015 NCAA Championships. He heads to the 2016 NCAA Championships as the 22nd seed in the 100 freestyle (42.82) and the 23rd seed in the 100 butterfly.
All-America junior Will Glass joined Ellis in a group of six Longhorns that reached the 100 butterfly final at the 2015 NCAA Championships. Glass holds the 13th seed in the 100 butterfly at 46.01.
Townley Haas heads to the NCAA Championships on the heels of an impressive freshman season. Haas, the Big 12 champion in the 200 and 500 freestyles, holds the No. 3 seed in the 500 freestyle (4:12.63), the No. 6 seed in the 1,650 freestyle (14:41.09) and the No. 9 seed in the 200 freestyle (1:33.19).
Ryan Harty also rode a strong freshman season to his first NCAA Championships berth. Harty is seeded eighth in the 200 backstroke (1:40.39), 11th in the 200 individual medley (1:43.26) and 25th in the 400 individual medley (3:44.93). His younger sister, Kaitlin, will swim for the Texas women under Carol Capitani beginning next season.
Freshman Max Holter is seeded 23rd in the 200 butterfly at 1:43.33, and his classmate Tate Jackson is seeded 10th in the 50 freestyle (19.25) after winning the event at the Big 12 Championships. Senior Sam Lewis qualified for a fourth straight NCAA Championships by way of his No. 19 seed in the 1,650 freestyle (14:54.53). The Tyler native is an All-American in both the 500 and 1,605 freestyle events.
All-America junior Will Licon returns for his third straight NCAA Championships appearance after winning the 400 individual medley and the 200 breaststroke at the 2015 NCAA Championships.
The El Paso native defeated defending champion Chase Kalisz of Georgia in the 400 IM and took out defending champion Kevin Cordes of Arizona on consecutive nights at the 2015 NCAA Championships. Licon holds the top seed in the 200 breaststroke (1:50.47), the sixth seed in the 200 IM (1:42.85) and the 13th seed in the 400 IM (3:42.98).
Senior John Martens qualified for a second straight NCAA Championships with his No. 27 national seed in the 400 IM (3:45.13). All-America senior John Murray qualified for his third straight NCAA Championships with his No. 8 seed in the 100 freestyle (42.42), No. 11 seed in the 50 freestyle (19.26), No. 21 seed in the 100 butterfly (46.24). The San Antonio native helped the 200 free relay to victory at the 2015 NCAA Championships.
Sophomore Brett Ringgold reaches the NCAA Championships for a second straight year by way of his No. 5 seed in the 100 freestyle (42.04) and No. 17 seed in the 50 freestyle (19.38). His classmate and former club teammate Jonathan Roberts qualified ninth nationally in the 400 IM (3:41.54). Roberts was one of three Longhorns to swim the 500 freestyle championship final at the 2015 NCAA Championships.
Last season, All-America sophomore Joseph Schooling became the first Longhorn to win NCAA titles in both the 100 and 200 butterfly events. He returns to the NCAA Championships as the top seed in both the 100 (44.62) and the 200 (1:40.48).
Freshman John Shebat qualified 14th overall in the 100 backstroke (45.88) and 25th in the 200 IM (1:44.13). All-America junior Clark Smith became UT's first NCAA champion in the 500 freestyle last season. He returns for a second NCAA Championships appearance as the top seed in both the 500 freestyle (4:08.82) and 1,650 freestyle (14:31.29) and as the 10th seed in the 200 freestyle (1:33.36).
Divers Mark Anderson, Cory Bowersox and Sean O'Brien earned their NCAA Championships bids on one-meter and three-meter earlier this month at the NCAA Zone "D" Diving Meet in College Station. Anderson earned All-America honors on all three boards at the 2015 NCAA Championships, and Bowersox is a three-time All-American on one-meter. All three divers have opportunities to earn NCAA Championships bids this afternoon on platform at the NCAA Zone "D" Diving Meet in College Station.
HORNS HOOK 37TH CONSECUTIVE CONFERENCE TITLE
Top-ranked Texas won 19 of 21 events and cruised to its 37th consecutive conference title last month at the Big 12 Championships in Austin.
The Longhorns captured their 20th Big 12 crown with 1,018 points. All-America junior Will Licon was selected as the Men's Swimmer of the Meet, and freshman Townley Haas was named the Men's Newcomer of the Meet. All-America junior Mark Anderson took top honors as the Men's Diver of the Meet and Matt Scoggin was selected as the Men's Diving Coach of the Meet.
SMITH FOLLOWS NCAA TITLE WITH RECORD-SETTING SEASON
Junior Clark Smith has done anything but rest on his laurels after winning UT's first NCAA title in the 500 freestyle last season. The Atlanta-born Smith set school and Big 12 records in the 1,650 freestyle at the Big 12 Championships less than three months after toppling NCAA and American records in the 1,000 freestyle at the Texas Invitational.
Swimming the event for the first time in college, Smith dropped the nation's top time and set school and Big 12 records in the 1,650 freestyle in 14:31.29. The mark eclipsed the previous school and Big 12 record of 14:32.75 set by Michael McBroom at the 2013 NCAA Championships
Smith, who went for a 1,000-yard split in the 1,650 freestyle at the Texas Invitational, clocked 8 minutes, 33.93 seconds at the Invite to break the American record of 8:36.49 set by former U.S. Olympian Erik Vendt on Jan. 18, 2008. Smith took down the NCAA record of 8:43.48 set by former Longhorn Michael McBroom on Feb. 1, 2013 in Austin.
The son of a pair of former NCAA champion Longhorns swimmers, Smith nearly took down the NCAA and American records two nights earlier in the 500-yard freestyle. However, his top national mark of 4:08.82 did eclipse the school and Big 12 record of 4:09.32 set by Michael Klueh at the 2009 NCAA Championships.
SCHOOLING POSTS PAIR OF TOP NATIONAL MARKS AT TEXAS INVITE
Joseph Schooling swept the 100 and 200 butterfly events as a freshman at the 2015 NCAA Championships, and the Olympian from Singapore hasn't missed a beat in the butterfly events as a sophomore.
Schooling posted the top times in the country in both events at the Texas Invitational. He clocked 44.98 in the prelims of the 100 butterfly and won the 200 butterfly the following night in 1:40.48. He lowered his 100 fly season-best to 44.62 at the Big 12 Championships.
Last March, Schooling became the first Texas swimmer to win NCAA titles in both the 100 and 200 butterfly events. In doing so, he became the first Texas freshman swimmer to win two NCAA individual swimming titles since Brendan Hansen in 2001. Schooling was the first UT freshman swimmer to win an NCAA individual swimming title since Austin Surhoff in 2010.
CONGER, LICON REMAIN AMONG NATION'S ELITE
Juniors Jack Conger and Will Licon accounted for a bundle of points in the Longhorns' NCAA title run last March, and the duo is on pace for another productive season.
The versatile Conger gives Texas a reliable threat in the backstroke, butterfly and freestyle events in the 100- and 200-yard distances. Better known for his proficiency in the backstroke and butterfly events, it was Conger who not only anchored the Longhorns' 400 medley relay to a 2015 NCAA title but also helped Texas to its first NCAA crown in the 200 free relay since 1996.
Conger emerged from the Texas Invitational with the nation's No. 3 marks in the 100 butterfly (45.19) and the 200 butterfly (1:41.40) in addition to the No. 8 national mark in the 200 freestyle (1:34.20). He lowered his season-best in the 200 butterfly to 1:40.57 at the Big 12 Championships.
Licon, the 2015 Big 12 Swimmer of the Year, cemented himself as one of the premier swimmers in the storied history of the Texas program last season with his three individual school records and two NCAA individual titles.
Last March, the 2015 Big 12 Swimmer of the Year defeated American record holder Chase Kalisz of Georgia and became UT's first NCAA champion in the 400-yard individual medley. The following night at the NCAA Championships, Licon dethroned two-time defending NCAA champion and American record holder Kevin Cordes of Arizona and won the national title in the 200-yard breaststroke.
This season, Licon ranks No. 1 in the 200 breaststroke (1:52.82). He also holds the nation's No. 12 mark in the 200 individual medley (1:44.85) and the No. 13 mark in the 400 individual medley (3:42.98).
SPRINT FREESTYLE GROUP IMPRESSES AT TEXAS INVITE
Headed by senior John Murray and sophomore Brett Ringgold, Texas logged six top-12 national swims in the 50 and 100 freestyle events at the Texas Invitational.
Murray, who helped the Horns win the 200 freestyle relay at the 2015 NCAA Championships, ranks No. 11 nationally in the 50 freestyle (19.26) and No. 8 in the 100 freestyle (42.42). Ringgold produced breakthrough swims at the Texas Invite and notched the nation's No. 5 mark in the 100 freestyle (42.04) and the No. 7 mark in the 50 freestyle (19.38).
FRESHMEN CONTRIBUTING EARLY
Texas' balanced roster features a talented group of freshmen who rank among the nation's elite in their respective events midway through the season.
Through the regular season, Townley Haas and Ryan Harty were the nation's only freshmen ranked among the top-two nationally in an individual event and the only freshmen with multiple top-five national marks. In fact, Haas boasted three national top-four marks.
The U.S. national teamer showed off exceptional freestyle range at the Texas Invitational with his No. 2 national marks in the 500 freestyle (4:14.07) and 1,650 freestyle (14:41.09) in addition to his No. 4 national time in the 200 freestyle (1:33.38). Haas also posted the nation's No. 10 mark in the 1,000 freestyle at 9:04.17.
Harty added depth to an already exceptional Texas individual medley group with his No. 2 national time at the 200-yard distance (1:43.26) and his No. 10 mark at 400 yards (3:44.93).
ANDERSON TAKES TWO AT UT DIVING INVITE
All-America junior diver Mark Anderson won the three-meter and platform events in November at the UT Diving Invite
Anderson claimed the three-meter crown at the UT Diving Invite with 458.15 points and edged All-America teammate Cory Bowersox by about nine points. Anderson claimed the platform title the next day with 451.95 points. Anderson went on to place sixth on platform last month at the USA Diving Winter National Championships.
LONGHORNS FINISH REGULAR SEASON UNBLEMISHED
Texas took on a rigorous fall schedule but delivered balanced performances across the board and produced a perfect 6-0 fall dual-meet record.
The Longhorns opened the 2015-16 dual-meet season on Oct. 16 with long-course victories over Indiana and Florida. The three teams went head-to-head the next day in a traditional short-course pool, and the Longhorns knocked off both teams once again.
After nearly a month-long layoff, the top-ranked Longhorns hit the road and took on No. 12 North Carolina and No. 5 N.C. State. Texas won 13 of the 16 events contested at North Carolina and cruised to a 160-132 victory (Nov. 13).
The Longhorns made the short trip to Raleigh for a showdown with against No. 5 North Carolina State. The Wolfpack put up a considerable fight, but the Longhorns' depth proved to be too much, as Texas emerged with a 154-136 victory.
The Longhorns opened the new year with dual-meet wins over No. 10 Auburn and No. 3 Georgia. Texas remained perfect at 9-0 on the heels of its dual win at Arizona before finishing the season at 10-0 with a Senior Day win over TCU.
A LOOK BACK AT THE 2015 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
• Texas swept the relays on day one (200 free relay and 400 medley relay) for the first time since 1990.
• Texas won the 200 free relay for the fifth time overall (No. 3 all-time) and for the first time since 1996.
• Texas won the 400 medley relay for the 12th time overall (T-1st all-time with Stanford) and for the first time since 2004, when future Olympic gold medalists Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen, Ian Crocker and Garrett Weber-Gale claimed the win. The 2015 Longhorns quartet of Kip Darmody, Will Licon, Joseph Schooling and Jack Conger won in 3:01.23 to break the NCAA, NCAA Championship and U.S. Open record mark of 3:01.39 set by Auburn at the 2009 NCAA Championships.
• As a program, Texas entered the 2015 NCAA Championships with NCAA titles in every swimming event except the 500 freestyle and the 400 individual medley. Sophomores Clark Smith (500 free) and Will Licon (400 IM) filled those voids, meaning Texas has won all 18 swimming events currently contested at the NCAA Championships.
• Joseph Schooling became the first Texas freshman to win an NCAA individual swimming title since Austin Surhoff (200 IM) in 2010. The Singaporean Olympian claimed UT's first NCAA title in the 100 butterfly since 2004 (Ian Crocker) and its seventh overall (No. 2 all-time). Schooling broke Ian Crocker's 11-year-old school record (44.72) en route to victory in 44.51.
• No school had ever landed the top-four finishes in a championship final until Texas went 1-2-3-4 (Schooling, Jack Conger, Tripp Cooper, Will Glass) in the 100 butterfly final.
• Texas made history in the 100 butterfly preliminaries when it qualified an NCAA record six swimmers for the championship final. No school had ever sent more than four swimmers to a championship final in any event at the NCAA Championships. The previous high for single team members represented in an event final (championship final and consolation final combined) was five swimmers by USC in 1987 (500 freestyle) and Michigan in 1994 and 1995 (500 freestyle both years).
• Texas' seven NCAA individual titles at the 2015 NCAA Championships moved UT's all-time total to 114 individual swimming and diving titles, good for No. 4 all-time (54 individual swimming, 41 swimming relays, 19 diving). UT had most recently won seven events at an NCAA Championship meet in 2004.
Players Mentioned
