College Swimming Men’s Top Times: Jordan Crooks Has Starred Thus Far
The top performer of the season thus far in men’s college swimming has been Tennessee’s Jordan Crooks, who posted the top time in the country in four individual events at his team’s invitational in November. That was a precursor to his stunning performance at the Short Course World Championships, when the Cayman Islands-native became the first man ever under 20 seconds in the short course meters 50 freestyle on his way to a world title.
Considering only his college times, it’s no surprise to see Crooks at or near the top of the pile in the 50 and 100 free plus the 100 butterfly. He has been a top finisher at the national level in all those events each of the past two seasons, with an NCAA title in the 50 free in 2023. Sure, we cannot count out another stunning meet from Florida’s Josh Liendo in March that could overshadow Crooks, but he is not out of place on top.
But the 200 free, with Crooks having recorded a relay leadoff of 1:30.00 to lead the country? That is a surprise, with Crooks having never showcased the endurance needed for the eight-lap race. His 200 free success might be a one-off, though, as the Volunteers will need Crooks to focus on the sprint events in February and March, with the 800 free relay likely dropped from his lineup.
Of course, it would be hard for anyone currently ranked No. 1 in the 200 free to stay there considering the looming presence of Luke Hobson. The Texas senior did not post any strong swims at midseason, but he went on to break the world record in the short course meters 200 free on the way to a world title. He will be heavily favored for a third consecutive NCAA crown in the yards equivalent event.
How about the other races on the program? With the two months remaining in the season, here are the swimmers ranked first in the country right now in each event in men’s college swimming.
- 50 Freestyle: Jordan Crooks, Tennessee — 18.12
- 100 Freestyle: Jordan Crooks, Tennessee — 40.26
- 200 Freestyle: Jordan Crooks, Tennessee — 1:30.00
- 500 Freestyle: Rex Maurer, Texas — 4:04.45
- 1650 Freestyle: Rex Maurer, Texas — 14:30.47
- 100 Backstroke: Will Modglin, Texas — 43.91
- 200 Backstroke: Will Modglin, Texas — 1:37.84
- 100 Breaststroke: Julian Smith, Florida — 49.98
- 200 Breaststroke: Carles Coll Marti, Virginia Tech — 1:50.09
- 100 Butterfly: Jordan Crooks, Tennessee — 43.77
- 200 Butterfly: Ilya Kharun, Arizona State — 1:38.74
- 200 IM: Hubert Kos, Texas — 1:40.51
- 400 IM: Rex Maurer, Texas — 3:34.19
No surprise to see Kharun topping the 200 fly standings after winning an NCAA title in the event as a freshman and then claiming Olympic bronze in both long course butterfly events in Paris. Coll Marti, meanwhile, will try to make a title run in the 200 breast after he placed third behind Leon Marchand and Matt Fallon on the national level a season ago, although Fallon is returning while Olympic medalist Caspar Corbeau has returned to college swimming at Indiana.
The big breakout stories of the fall were Texas sophomores Maurer and Modglin, who combine for five No. 1 performances on this list. Maurer broke the American record in the 500 free and approached the mark in the 400 IM, and after an up-and-down freshman year at Stanford, he will be very much in the title hunt in multiple events this year.
Modglin, meanwhile, is continuing to take steps after reaching multiple Olympic Trials finals this fall. He will have a tough task in winning individual national titles, particularly with the presence of 200-meter back Olympic champion Kos and multi-time individual titlist Destin Lasco, but he is following the path of collegiate improvement that top-ranked high school recruits can only hope for.
As for Kos, he was originally best known for his individual medley success before becoming primarily a backstroker during his time swimming at Arizona State and now Texas. He took third in the 200 IM at last year’s national championships behind Lasco and Owen McDonald. Lasco did not compete at the Minnesota Invite, but his consistent success through the first three years of his college career make him an imposing threat for championship season.
That leaves Smith as the final No. 1 swimmer on the board after he became the third member of the sub-50 club in the 100 breast at midseason, breaking a Florida school record previously held by Caeleb Dressel. With the graduation of defending champion Liam Bell, the 100 breast is up for grabs on the college level, although we must note the addition of Corbeau to the mix. That barrier-breaking midyear performance puts Smith in a great spot.