By David Rieder.
The prototypical college swimming ace might be a sprinter or mid-distance who can pick up big points in stroke events and be a huge factor across the board on relays. So a 400 IM specialist like Chase Kalisz does not exactly fit the bill.
Joseph Schooling and Jack Conger each fit that model perfectly, butterfly aces who are plenty dangerous in any freestyle event from the 50 to the 200, and that duo has fueled Texas’ dominance of the NCAA championships over the past two seasons. The Longhorns memorably put six men into the 100 fly championship final at the 2015 meet, and many of those same swimmers (including Matt Ellis and John Murray) helped fuel Texas’ wins in the 200 free and 400 medley relays at that same meet.
Similarly, it was sprint depth and versatility that carried Cal to NCAA titles in 2011, 2012 and 2014. Tom Shields, Seth Stubblefield, Will Hamilton and Josh Prenot were among those that put up big points across a wide variety of events during that stretch. Now, Cal’s ace would be Ryan Murphy, who, in addition to his backstroke exploits, can place in the top three nationally in the 200 IM and throw down some quick splits on free relays.
The Georgia men don’t have three sprinters right around the 19-second barrier or a threat for an individual title—or even top-eight nationally—in each of the 100-yard events. What the Bulldogs do possess is the top trio of 400 IMers in the country.
Of course it would be Georgia that was loaded with 400 IM specialists. After all, this is the same school that has produced 1500 free NCAA champions Sebastien Rouault, Troy Prinsloo and Martin Grodski, 200 fly titlists Gil Stovall and Mark Dylla and 400 IM winners Robert Margalis and Kalisz.
Kalisz was the NCAA champion in the 400 IM in 2013 and 2014, when he set an American record of 3:34.50 in the event. After a down NCAA championships in 2015, Kalisz chose to take a redshirt year to prepare for Olympic Trials and the Olympics, meets to be held in his much-preferred long course.
“Short course doesn’t really make much sense,” he said. “I think it’s more me getting stronger and working on the technical aspects where I don’t really have to do that long course. I get into my stroke much more easily, or I have another 25 meters to figure it out. It’s just more naturally what I’m better at, and short course is more of a challenge.”
Back in Athens for his senior season, Kalisz competed in four races during Saturday night’s finals at the Georgia Fall Invite. First, he handled breaststroke duties on the Bulldogs’ 200 medley relay, and minutes later, he posted a 3:36.98 in the 400 IM, by far the fastest time in the country, but still one that left the Olympic silver medalist not fully satisfied.
“I think the time was fine. I swam it terrible,” he said afterwards. “I think doing the 200 medley relay didn’t necessarily take any energy out of me—I don’t really know how to sprint. I kind of got into my fly swimming the same way as I did on that relay and never really regained my ground. Swimming a good 400 IM, it needs to be strong, and I didn’t feel like it was at all. I think there were a few seconds left to be had there if I swam it right there.”
Kalisz, as he often does, built a substantial lead on the breaststroke leg, but he had a bit of a challenge on the freestyle as Jay Litherland was closing in. Litherland, who had swum the anchor leg of the 200 medley relay 15 minutes earlier, posted a stunning 49.02 freestyle split to finish with a time of 3:38.19, his lifetime best and the no. 2 time in the country this season.
And then coming in fourth in that race was Gunnar Bentz, who finished third in the event at the NCAAs as a freshman two seasons ago. Bentz held down the fly leg of Georgia’s 200 medley relay before posting a 3:42.89 in the 400 IM.
“I wanted them to swim the 400 IM when they didn’t feel perfect,” Georgia head coach Jack Bauerle explained. “So when it’s fresh they’ll feel a lot better.”
Seems reasonable, and the Bulldogs seem poised to put on a show in the 400 IM come the NCAA championships in Indianapolis.
But what about that 200 medley relay? Not quite as successful, as Taylor Dale and the trio of IMers combined to post a time of 1:27.17, good for ninth place overall—and behind the “B” teams from Auburn, Cal and Michigan.
“Nothing happened because we went really slow,” Kalisz said. “I think everyone raced hard, but there’s not much me, Jay and Gunnar can do speed-wise. We’re kind of limited in our abilities there.”
Plenty of championship 200 medley relays at the collegiate level have loaded up with 50 freestylers who can power off the walls and fake their way through 30 yards of actually swimming another stroke. How about success rate of a 200 medley relay loaded with 400 IM specialists who all perform better in long course than short course?
Sure, Georgia’s women almost pulled off something similar a year ago, when IMer Emily Cameron handled breaststroke duties and versatile Meaghan Raab anchored as the Bulldogs finished seventh in the event at the NCAA championships. Thankfully, Georgia’s men have some more options.
For instance, the Bulldogs’ 400 medley relay Friday evening featured Pace Clark on the fly leg and Javier Acevedo anchoring. Both missed the remainder of the meet but with very legitimate excuses—they left town Saturday to fly up to Windsor for the Short Course World Championships, Clark to represent the U.S. and Acevedo Canada.
Acevedo has been a high-impact freshman so far for Georgia, coming in straight from the Rio Olympics, where he finished 17th in the 100 back. Already, he’s their best sprinter—he anchored that 400 medley relay in 41.92, faster than any Bulldog split in a 100 free at last season’s NCAA championships.
But Kalisz still figures to remain an integral part of those medley relays all season as Georgia’s top breaststroker, but the event lineup at the NCAA meet now places the 200 medley relay at the end of the Friday night session. With the 400 IM first, Kalisz will have a shot to lower his already-impressive American record in that event—and will likely be favored to do so—before he heads back into the water for the relay.
As impressive as Kalisz has been throughout the past several years in long course waters, it’s actually his increased strength and versatility—really, adapting to short course swimming that makes him more valuable than ever for Georgia.
In addition to the 400 IM, Kalisz also won the 200 IM, 100 breast and 200 fly at the Georgia Invite this weekend. His 200 IM time of 1:41.26 ranks tops in the country, and his 1:40.38 in the 200 fly ranks second, just barely behind Jack Conger.
Georgia finished an impressive fifth at the NCAA championships last season, but this year’s Bulldogs might be able to go further—that is, as far as their star redshirt senior takes them.
All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.
