At Home, Jordan Crooks Staring At Opportunity to Prove Worth In Olympic-Sized Pool
Unlike in NCAA competition, where his name is found near the top of the psych sheets, scrolling is necessary to locate Jordan Crooks’ entries for this week’s TYR Pro Series stop in Knoxville. A short-course star, Crooks remains a largely unproven talent in the Olympic-sized pool, and that is the format which will be utilized from Wednesday through Saturday at the Allan Jones Aquatic Center.
There’s no reason Jones should be dismissed as a potential factor in the long-course realm, as he possesses undeniable raw speed. At some point, though, the University of Tennessee standout must demonstrate the ability to transfer his short-course talent to the bigger pool. This week, with TYR action at his home venue, Crooks has an opportunity to take a step forward.
Coming off a gold medal in the 50-meter freestyle at the World Short Course Championships in Melbourne, Crooks was impressive over the weekend in his first collegiate meet of the new year. As the Volunteers topped Missouri in a Southeastern Conference matchup, Crooks won the 100-yard butterfly in 45.42 and the 100 backstroke in 46.09. For good measure, Crooks split sub-20 for the 50 fly as part of the Vols’ 200 medley relay, and he added a 41.61 split in the 400 freestyle relay.
In shifting to long course for the Pro Series, Crooks is seeded 11th in the 50 free (22.81) and 24th in the 100 freestyle (50.05), and 42nd in the 100 backstroke and 49th in the 100 butterfly. The sprint-freestyle events are the races to watch, as Crooks owns career-best times of 22.20 and 48.79 in those events. Anything close to those marks in Knoxville would be considered a positive outcome, and generate momentum.
One of the top contenders for NCAA crowns in the 50 free and 100 free, Crooks is staring at a key summer, with the World Champs scheduled for Fukuoka, Japan. A strong showing there would set a foundation for the Olympic year to follow. Consider Knoxville an initial step.