The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
NCAA Championships
No. 6 Men’s Swimming and Diving Preview: NCAA Championships
03.12.2018 | Men's Swimming and Diving
Longhorns aim for fourth consecutive national title in Minneapolis.
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WHAT: Thirteen-time NCAA champion No. 4 Texas seeks its fourth straight NCAA team title at the 2018 NCAA Division I Men's Swimming and Diving Championships. The Longhorns have qualified 15 swimmers and three divers for the national meet.
Swimming Qualifiers
Josh Artmann (1st appearance, 100 & 200 backstroke)
Townley Haas (3rd appearance, 500, 200 & 100 freestyle)
Ryan Harty (2nd appearance, 200 & 400 IM, 200 backstroke)
Tate Jackson (3rd appearance, 50 and 100 freestyle)
Austin Katz (1st appearance, 100 & 200 backstroke)
JohnThomas Larson (1st appearance, 500, 200 & 1,650 freestyle)
Parker Neri (1st appearance, 500, 200 & 100 freestyle)
Jeff Newkirk (2nd appearance, 500 & 200 freestyle, 200 backstroke)
Sam Pomajevich (1st appearance, 500 freestyle, 100 & 200 fly)
Brett Ringgold (4th appearance, 50 & 100 free, 100 fly)
Jonathan Roberts (4th appearance, 200 & 400 IM, 200 backstroke)
Joseph Schooling (4th appearance, 50 free, 100 & 200 fly)
John Shebat (3rd appearance, 100 & 200 back, 100 fly)
Sam Stewart (3rd appearance, 200 & 400 IM, 200 breaststroke)
Chris Yeager (1st appearance, 500 free & 1,650 free)
Diving Qualifiers
Grayson Campbell (1-meter & 3-meter)
Jacob Cornish (1-meter and platform)
Jordan Windle (1-meter, 3-meter & platform)
WHEN/WHERE
Wednesday, March 21, 6 p.m. finals (800 freestyle relay only)
Thursday, March 22-Saturday, March 24, 10 a.m. prelims/6 p.m. finals
Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center – Minneapolis, Minnesota
Championship Information Page (includes results and video links): HERE
QUICK HITS
- Texas heads to Minneapolis as the three-time defending NCAA champion and a 13-time overall national champion. The Longhorns broke a tie with Michigan last season for No. 1 all-time with its 13 NCAA men's swimming and diving titles.
- Texas takes to Minneapolis 10 of the 18 Longhorns who competed at the 2017 NCAA Championships and delivered UT's 13th NCAA team title.
- Texas won seven individual events at the 2017 NCAA Championships and returns one swimmer who accounted for one of those NCAA titles, Townley Haas (200 freestyle). UT also returns Joseph Schooling, a two-time NCAA champion and former NCAA record holder in both the 100 butterfly (2015 & 2016) and 200 butterfly (2015 & 2016).
- Texas returns five of the seven swimmers who accounted for its four NCAA relay titles last season. Joseph Schooling and Brett Ringgold helped the Horns to NCAA titles a year ago in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays and the 200 medley relay. John Shebat joined Ringgold on the 200 medley relay and teamed with both Schooling and Ringgold on the 400 medley relay. Townley Haas joined Schooling and Ringgold to help the Horns win the 400 freestyle relay, and Tate Jackson joined Schooling and Ringgold on the 200 freestyle relay.
- Head coach Eddie Reese, now in his 40th year with the Longhorns, ranks No. 1 all-time among men's swimming and diving coaches with his 13 NCAA crowns. He passed former Ohio State coach Mike Peppe for No. 1 all-time in 2016.
- Texas boasts more NCAA team titles (13) and NCAA top-two finishes (24) than any other men's swimming and diving program since head coach Eddie Reese's arrival in Austin in 1978. Texas has registered 31 top-three finishes at the NCAA Championships with Reese at the helm of the program.
- 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, '16, '17).
- Texas has finished no worse than second at nine of the last 10 NCAA Championship meets.
- Texas has won 134 NCAA individual titles (No. 3 all-time). That total includes 67 NCAA individual swimming titles, 48 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)
- Texas – 13
- Auburn – 8
- Stanford – 7
- California - 5
- Michigan - 2
- Florida - 2
- Arizona - 1
- UCLA - 1
NCAA top-two finishes since 1978-79 (Reese's first at Texas)
- Texas – 24
- Stanford – 17
- Auburn – 11
- California – 11
- USC – 4
- Michigan – 3
- Florida – 3
- Arizona – 2
- UCLA – 2
- SMU – 1
CAREER NCAA INDIVIDUAL TITLES AMONG CURRENT LONGHORNS
4___Joseph Schooling (2015 100 & 200 fly; 2016 100 & 200 fly)
3___Townley Haas (2016 500 & 200 free; 2017 200 free)
CAREER NCAA RELAY TITLES AMONG CURRENT LONGHORNS
8___Joseph Schooling (2015 400 MR; 2016 800 FR, 200 FR & 400 MR; 2017 200 & 400 FR, 200 & 400 MR)
4___Brett Ringgold (2016 200 FR; 2017 200 & 400 FR, 200 MR)
3___John Shebat (2016 400 MR; 2017 200 & 400 MR)
2___Townley Haas (2016 800 FR; 2017 400 FR)
1___Tate Jackson (2017 200 FR)
NCAA RECORDS AMONG CURRENT LONGHORNS (former Longhorns on relays in parentheses)
400 Medley Relay – John Shebat & Joseph Schooling (with Will Licon & Jack Conger), 2:59.22
200 Medley Relay – John Shebat, Joseph Schooling & Brett Ringgold (with Will Licon)
400 Freestyle Relay – Brett Ringgold, Townley Haas & Joseph Schooling (with Jack Conger)
200 Freestyle – Townley Haas, 1:30.46 (also an American record)
MORE ON TEXAS' NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS QUALIFIERS
Joseph Schooling
The 12-time NCAA champion brings the top seed in the 100-yard butterfly (44.78) into his fourth NCAA Championship meet. The Olympic gold medalist from Singapore also holds the fourth seed in the 200 butterfly (1:40.72) and the No. 24 seed in the 50 freestyle (19.33). Schooling boasts four NCAA individual titles (2016 & 2017 100/200 fly) and has helped the Horns to eight NCAA relay crowns.
Brett Ringgold
The four-time NCAA champion holds the No. 10 seeds in the 50 freestyle (19.07) and 100 freestyle (41.89) events. Ringgold has helped Texas win the 200 freestyle relay the last two years in addition to the 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay last year.
Jonathan Roberts
Roberts, who earned All-America honors in all three of his individual events a year ago at the NCAA Championships, is seeded 10th in the 200 backstroke (1:39.76). The Southlake native is seeded 20th in the 200 IM (1:43.54) and 27th in the 400 IM (3:43.72). He was a finalist in the 200m freestyle at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials.
Townley Haas
The Olympic gold medalist in the 4x200m freestyle relay is the two-time defending NCAA champion in the 200 freestyle. Haas, who holds NCAA and American records in the same event, is seeded fourth in the 200 at 1:32.40 and 11th in the 500 freestyle (4:14.43), an event he won as a freshman in 2016. Haas won silver in the 200m freestyle plus three gold medals on relays at the 2017 FINA World Championships.
Jeff Newkirk
One of three Texas juniors from the state of Virginia, Newkirk is seeded eighth in the 200 freestyle at 1:32.80. He will be eligible to swim the 500 freestyle and 200 backstroke, as well. Newkirk is making his second NCAA Championships appearance in as many seasons.
Tate Jackson
Jackson set a school record in the 100 freestyle with his winning mark of 41.27 at the Big 12 Championships. The Austin native takes the No. 2 seed in that event to Minneapolis along with a No. 5 national mark in the 50 freestyle (18.95). Jackson joined Jimmy Feigen, Schooling and Ringgold as the only Longhorns to dip below 19 seconds in the 50 freestyle. He won his first NCAA title last season on UT's 200 freestyle relay.
John Shebat
Shebat set school records on his way to runner-up finishes in the 100 and 200 backstroke at the 2017 NCAA Championships. He is seeded 14th in the 100 backstroke (45.76) and will be eligible for the 200 backstroke, as well. Shebat led off UT's NCAA champion 200 and 400 medley relays a year ago in addition to the 400 medley relay in 2016.
Sam Stewart
The junior from Mississippi makes his third NCAA Championships appearance and second with the Longhorns after transferring from Auburn following his freshman season. Stewart punched his ticket to Minneapolis with a 3:41.68 in the 400 IM earlier this month at the American Short Course Championships. He earned honorable mention All-America honors last season in the 400 IM.
Ryan Harty
This redshirt sophomore returns for a second NCAA Championships meet after qualifying fifth in the 200 backstroke (1:39.23). Harty, who is joined at Texas by his younger sister and swimmer Kaitlin Harty, will compete in the 200 and 400 individual medleys, as well.
Josh Artmann
The Austin native qualified for his first national championship meet in the 200 backstroke as the No. 27 seed (1:41.16). He was a finalist in both backstroke events at the Big 12 Championships.
Austin Katz
The Floridian holds the No. 1 national seed in the 200 backstroke (1:38.49) and the No. 7 seed in the 100 backstroke (45.34). He won both events at the Big 12 Championships and won silver in the 200m backstroke last summer at the World University Games.
Sam Pomajevich
Pomajevich is seeded sixth in the 200 butterfly (1:40.82) and is eligible to swim the 200 and 500 freestyles.
Parker Neri
The Big 12 champion in the 500 freestyle, Neri holds the No. 22 national seed in that event. (4:15.40).
JohnThomas Larson
Larson treks back to his home state this month with the 25th seed in the 500 freestyle (4:15.60). The Bloomington native set state high school records in the 200 IM and 500 freestyle a year ago at the site of this year's NCAA Championships, Minnesota's Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center.
Chris Yeager
Yeager, who was preceded at Texas by his sister and former Longhorns swimmer Erin, holds the No. 19 seed in the 1,650 freestyle after winning the Big 12 title in 14:48.01.
DIVERS
Jordan Windle
The Cambodian-born Windle, who has represented Team USA at the last two World Championships, qualified on all three boards at the NCAA Zone "D" Diving Meet at the same site as the NCAA Championships.
Grayson Campbell
An All-American as a true freshman last season on three-meter, Campbell returns to the NCAA Championships with berths to compete on one-meter and three-meter. He won the one-meter event and placed second on three-meter at the Zone meet in Minneapolis.
Jacob Cornish
An NCAA Championships qualifier as a freshman last season on platform, Cornish will compete on platform and one-meter in Minneapolis. He won his second league title and first on one-meter last month at the Big 12 Championships.
SEASON NOTES
JORDAN WINDLE SETS NCAA RECORD ON PLATFORM
Texas freshman Jordan Windle shattered the NCAA record in the men's platform diving event to last month at the Big 12 Championships.
Windle netted 579.60 points through the six-round men's platform final and eclipsed the previous NCAA record of 560 points held by former Duke diver Nick McCrory.
Windle garnered multiple perfect 10 scores on four of his six dives in the final. He totaled 96 points on his first dive, an inward three-and-a-half somersault before compiling 92.40 points in round two with his back three-and-a-half somersault. Windle posted an incredible score of 111 points on his inward four-and-a-half somersault with perfect scores from six of the seven judges.
He tallied 86.40 points in round four before going over 100 once more on his reverse three-and-a-half somersault for 102 points. He capped his incredible performance with his back two-and-a-half somersault with two-and-a-half twists for 91.80 points.
HORNS HOOK 39TH CONSECUTIVE CONFERENCE TITLE
Texas won its 39th consecutive conference title with 1,052 points last month at the Big 12 Championships in Austin. West Virginia placed second with 947.5 points while TCU took third with 667.5 points.
Junior Tate Jackson was voted as the Men's Swimmer of the Meet, and Jordan Windle was tabbed as the Men's Diver of the Meet and the Men's Newcomer of the Meet. UT's Eddie Reese was voted as the Men's Swimming Coach of the Meet.
JACKSON REWRITES SCHOOL MARK IN 100 FREESTYLE
Junior Tate Jackson snagged the school record in the 100 freestyle during the preliminary around lowered it further in the final. The Austin native clocked 41.42 seconds in prelims to take down the school mark of 41.49 set by Jimmy Feigen at the 2009 NCAA Championships. Jackson, who won the 50 freestyle on Thursday, completed a sweep of the sprint freestyle events with his new school and Big 12 mark of 41.27 in the final.
FORTY ON THE FORTY ACRES
The most decorated head coach in the rich intercollegiate athletics history of The University of Texas, Eddie Reese is wrapping up his 40th season in Austin. Reese, the only coach in the sport's history to win NCAA titles in four different decades, is responsible for all 13 NCAA men's team championship banners hanging at UT's Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center.
Reese won Texas' first NCAA men's swimming and team title in his third season in 1981. He put the Longhorns back on top in 1988, which kicked off an incredible run of four consecutive NCAA titles through 1991. UT claimed its sixth NCAA title under Reese in 1996. Four years later, Reese put together another impressive run of three NCAA titles in as many years (2000-02).
Texas ascended to the top of the men's swimming and diving world once again in 2010 and claimed its 10th NCAA title. And, for an unfathomable third time in his distinguished tenure, Reese led Texas to another stretch of three consecutive NCAA titles in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
DIVERS SWEEP TEAM TITLES AT USA DIVING WINTER NATIONALS
Texas swept the men's, women's and combined team titles an added an individual high point award winner at the USA Diving Winter National Championships in December.
Texas claimed the men's team title with 143.5 points, and the UT men joined the women to win the combined team title. UT freshman Jordan Windle was the men's individual high point winner with 58 points for the meet. The two-time World Championships qualifier won a second straight U.S. national title on platform and added a pair of third-place finishes on one-meter and three-meter.
UT diving coach Matt Scoggin was honored with the Mike Peppe Award as the nation's top coach, and Grayson Campbell teamed with UNC's Gregory Duncan to win the men's synchronized three-meter title.
HAAS, SCHOOLING WIN MEDALS AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
UT junior Townley Haas won five medals, including three golds, for Team USA, and senior Joseph Schooling won bronze for Singapore last summer at the FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
Haas, a gold medalist in the 4x200m freestyle relay at the 2016 Olympic Games, won gold in the 4x100m freestyle relay, the 4x100m medley relay and the 4x100m mixed freestyle relay in Budapest. He added his top individual finish to date at a major international meet, as he won silver in the 200m freestyle, a year after placing fifth in the same event at the Rio Olympics. The Richmond, Virginia, native added bronze in the 4x200m freestyle relay.
Schooling, the gold medalist in the 100m butterfly for Singapore at the 2016 Olympic Games, won bronze in the same event in Budapest.
ROBERTS, KATZ WIN SILVER MEDALS AT WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES
Texas senior Jonathan Roberts and freshman Austin Katz won medals for Team USA at the 2017 World University Games in Taipei City, Taiwan.
Roberts anchored the American's 4x200m freestyle relay to a silver medal. He split 1 minute, 48.83 seconds on the relays final leg, as the relay won silver in 7:12.19.
Katz, a true freshman in his first semester with the Longhorns, won silver in the 200m backstroke at 1:56.70 and missed out on the gold by less than two-tenths of a second.
Texas sophomore diver Grayson Campbell also competed for Team USA at the World University Games. He joined Texas women's diver Meghan O'Brien to place fourth in the mixed synchronized three-meter final in Taipei City.
CAMPBELL, WINDLE WIN TITLES AT USA DIVING NATIONALS
Texas sophomore Grayson Campbell captured his first senior national title on one-meter, and freshman Jordan Windle claimed the platform title at the USA Diving National Championships in August.
Campbell led the one-meter competition from start-to-finish and totaled 366.90 points for the win. Windle totaled 425.70 points en route to victory in the men's platform final. He also represented Team USA at the 2015 and 2017 FINA World Championships. He placed 26th on platform at the 2017 World Championships.
THRICE AS NICE
Texas maintained its place as the sport's most dominant men's program last year for a third consecutive season, as the Longhorns tied their own NCAA Championship meet record with 11 national titles on their way to a third straight and 13th overall NCAA team title last March.
The Longhorns won the 2017 NCAA title with 542 points and outdistanced their nearest competitor, runner-up California, by 193 points. Remarkably, Texas won the last three NCAA team titles by an average margin of 171 points in the final team standings.
Will Licon became the first Longhorn to win three individual titles at a single NCAA Championship meet. His victory in the 100 breaststroke made him just the fourth swimmer ever in the history of men's collegiate swimming and diving to win NCAA individual titles in four different events (200 & 400 IM, 100 & 200 breaststroke).
He lowered his NCAA and American records en route to victory in the 200 breaststroke, claimed his second career national title in the 200 IM and his first in the 100 breaststroke. Licon's performance resulted in his selection as the 2017 Big 12 Conference co-Male Athlete of the Year alongside Frank Mason of Kansas basketball.
Clark Smith set NCAA and American records en route to victory in the 500 and 1,650 freestyle events at his final NCAA Championship. Jack Conger added yet another NCAA and American record-setting swim, as he claimed his first NCAA individual title in the 200 butterfly.
Olympic gold medalist Townley Haas won his second straight NCAA title in the 200 freestyle, and Longhorns John Shebat and Jonathan Roberts both broke Aaron Peirsol's 14-year-old school record in the 200 backstroke on the meet's final day.
Players Mentioned
