MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., March 24. ARE you kidding? After years of waiting, Auburn's Fred Bousquet became the first man to crack the 19-second barrier in the 50-yard freestyle Wednesday afternoon. Actually, Bousquet plowed through the barrier.
Competing in the 50 free prelims at the NCAA Championships, Bousquet clocked an eye-popping 18.74. Repeat, he went 18.74. The swim broke the NCAA record of 19.05, held jointly by Tom Jager (1990) and Anthony Ervin (2002).
Bousquet went out in 9.26 and came back in 9.48, easily making him the top seed for the evening finals. Arizona's Lyndon Ferns qualified second in 19.30.
Last year, with the NCAA Champs held in short-course meters, Bousquet broke the world record in the 50 free. But, this swim may be bigger, as the 19-second barrier has been long chased.