By Benny Liang and Lander Eicholzer, Swimming World College Interns.
Following up on our previous article, “10 Women to Watch this College Season“, here are the top 10 men we think you should watch out for this 2016-2017 season. Featuring numerous Olympians and multiple-time national champions, the guys on this list will be sure to provide chills and thrills this coming March at NCAAs.
Sprinters
1. Caeleb Dressel
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
Two words to describe Dressel? Fastest ever. The NCAA record holder in the 50 and 100 freestyles (18.20 and 40.46, respectively) returns for his junior season after a successful summer in Rio, cumulating in a gold medal by leading off Team USA’s 4×100 freestyle relay. Dressel isn’t just a one stroke specialist either– he took second in the 100 fly behind former Bolles teammate Joseph Schooling, racing to the third fastest time in history (44.40). The Gators’ addition of National High School record holder Chandler Bray will free Dressel from the breaststroke leg of the medley relay, meaning the first sub-40 second 100 split could be seen at this years NCAAs.
2. Ryan Held
Photo Courtesy: Reagan Lunn/Georgia Tech Athletics
Ryan Held made his Olympic debut with an extremely respectable 47.73 second split on the US’s gold medal-winning 4×100 freestyle relay. He returns to Raleigh to work with an exceptional coaching staff at North Carolina State. The Wolfpack graduates Lithuanian sprinter Simonas Bilis but with Held returning as the third fastest 50 (18.92) and 100 (41.69) freestyler in the nation, this shouldn’t be a problem. Look for Ryan Held to be leading the Wolfpack this year as they hunt for a top-three finish at this year’s National Championships.
Honorable Mentions
Brett Ringgold – Texas
Paul Powers – Michigan
Distance
3. Townley Haas
Photo Courtesy: Eric Seals-USA TODAY Sports
Texas’s freshman sensation returns with high expectations for his sophomore year. Haas exploded at NCAAs to win the 200 in 1:30.46 and 500 in 4:09.00, cracking Simon Burnett’s legendary record of 1:31.20 in the former and just missing Peter Vanderkaay’s American record of 4:08.54 in the latter. Haas laid down the fastest 200m split (1:44.14) of any swimmer in the 800 free relay in Rio, besting his individual time of 1:45.66 by far. Haas has been on a huge upward trajectory since joining the Longhorns and shows no sign of slowing down his development this season.
4. Clark Smith
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
Clark Smith had a disappointing NCAA outing last year after adding eight seconds in the 500 and over 18 in the 1650. However, he entered the meet as the top distance swimmer in both the 500 (4:08.82) and the mile (14:31.29). Despite a poor NCAA meet, Smith was able to regroup by the time Olympic Trials came around. He qualified for Rio where he won a gold medal as part of the United States’ 4×200 relay team. Looking for redemption in his senior season, Smith may well find himself atop an NCAA podium in March.
Honorable Mentions
Akaram Mahmoud – South Carolina
Matt Hutchins – Wisconsin
Breaststroke
5. Will Licon
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
Licon has been a mainstay on Texas’s roster since he dethroned Kevin Cordes in the 200 breast two years ago. Since then he has won numerous NCAA titles, including one last year in the 200 breast, where he cracked what many considered to be an untouchable record: Kevin Cordes’s mark of 1:48.66. Licon swam a time of 1:48.12. This year, the Longhorn may decide to swim the 100 breast over the 400 IM, which he won in 2015. Licon’s 100 breast split (51.81) going out for his record-setting 200 would have earned him a cool third in the individual event; his split in the 400 medley relay was the fastest in the field. A packed field in the 400 IM featuring freshly-minted Olympian Jay Litherland and returning American record holder Chase Kalisz along with six of eight returning ‘A’ finalists may pressure Licon into taking the easier route in order to score more points for Texas in the fight against Cal.
Honorable Mentions
Fabian Schwingenschlogl – Missouri
Brandon Fiala – Virginia Tech
Backstroke
6. Ryan Murphy
Photo Courtesy: JD Lasica
The undisputed king of backstroke returns to Cal for the final time. Boasting the fastest times in history in the 100 and 200 yard backstrokes (43.49 and 1:35.73), Murphy will look to team up with Connor Hoppe, Matthew Josa, and Long Gutierrez to form a deadly medley relay combo for the Golden Bears. Murphy adds a topflight 200 IM (1:40.27) which makes him an NCAA title contender along with Licon of Texas. Both men have a chance to join David Nolan in the sub-1:40 club this season.
Honorable Mentions
Connor Oslin – Alabama
Hennessey Stuart – NC State
Butterfly
7. Joseph Schooling
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
After edging out Ian Crocker’s long-standing textile world record of 50.40 by one one-hundredth of a second and winning the 100m butterfly at the Rio Olympic Games, Schooling should anticipate another sweep of the butterfly events this year. The Singaporean native smashed the old NCAA records in breakaway fashion, edging out teammate Jack Conger in the 200 by less than a tenth of a second to win it in 1:37.97 and cracking Austin Staab’s super-suited record of 44.18 but barely missing the 44-second barrier in a time of 44.01. The lethal Texas squad of Schooling, Conger, Licon, and Haas will look to lock down another National Championship this year.
8. Jack Conger
Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports
One of many famed Nation’s Capital Swim Club products, Jack Conger was the top ranked recruit in 2013. Primarily known as a backstroker before arriving in Austin, Conger has found his butterfly speed in college. A year ago, he broke the American record in the 200 fly by over a second in 1:38.06. However, he was out-touched by Singaporean teammate Joseph Schooling for the title. His time in the 200 butterfly is incredible nonetheless, and in his senior year that may be his best chance at an individual NCAA title. Conger opted for the 100 fly at NCAAs last year where he finished third, but his best time in the 200 free (1:31.89) is the second fastest returning time this year behind fellow Longhorn Haas, meaning Conger will have some decisions to make going into his last NCAAs.
9. Matthew Josa
Photo Courtesy: Brooke Wright
Matthew Josa arrives in Berkeley after spending his first two years of eligibility at Division II Queens University and training with David Marsh at SwimMac Elite. Josa is by far the biggest transfer in the NCAA this year and will go a long way towards maintaining points lost to the graduation of Josh Prenot and Jacob Pebley. His 44.89 100 fly is over a second faster than teammate Justin Lynch, who he will likely take the place of in the medley relays. Josa has immediate scoring potential in multiple events: along with the 100 fly, which he would have taken a close 4th behind Conger (44.87), Josa’s 200 IM (1:41.94) would have taken 7th. His 200 fly (1:42.96) would have also sneaked into the B final to make him a triple event threat.
Honorable Mentions
Andrew Seliskar – California
Lucas Kaliszak – Alabama
IM
10. Chase Kalisz
Photo Courtesy: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports
Kalisz returns to Athens, Georgia after a stellar Olympic redshirt year where he trained with Bob Bowman and Michael Phelps at Arizona State. Kalisz is another swimmer returning off a strong Olympic campaign that saw him snag a come-from-behind silver medal in the 400 IM over Daiya Seto of Japan. The Maryland native also holds the American record in the yards version of the same event in 3:34.50, which is almost 1.5 seconds faster than the next fastest performance in history. Kalisz will also be looked to in the butterfly events, where he was the 2015 SEC champion for the Bulldogs in the 200 (1:41.70)
Honorable Mentions
Jay Litherland – Georgia
Gunnar Bentz – Georgia
All commentaries are the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.
Well written Benny
Watch out for Zach Harting, Louisville, in the 200 Fly. The guy is tougher than nails!
Cant wait for Hoffer to join cal and get under his 41.23 and hopefully be the youngest to go under 41. 40.7 maybe????
@santocondorelli
Look at the second author’s name Scott. It’s Lander!!