Jordan Crooks Swims 17.93 in 50 Freestyle, Joins Dressel in Exclusive Sub-18 Club
For almost five years, Caeleb Dressel stood alone in swimming under 18 seconds in the 50-yard freestyle, but now, another sprinter from the Southeastern Conference has joined the six-time Olympic champion in hitting a 17-second flat start performance. Wednesday evening at the SEC Championships in College Station, Texas, Tennessee sophomore Jordan Crooks recorded a time of 17.93, just three tenths away from Dressel’s record mark of 17.63.
Crooks entered the day tied with Cal’s Bjorn Seeliger for No. 2 in history in the 50 free at 18.27, and then he swam a time of 18.25 in prelims to move into the second position by himself. Crooks was set for a showdown with Florida’s Josh Liendo, who touched in 18.35 in the morning, which made him the fifth-fastest man in history, but Liendo was unable to stay with Crooks as he entered historic territory in the final. He flipped in 8.62, already three tenths clear of Liendo, and he ended up finishing almost a half-second clear.
Liendo finished second in 18.39, just four hundredths slower than his prelims time, while Florida’s Adam Chaney took third in 18.71. Another Tennessee swimmer, Gui Caribe, placed fourth in 18.79, while Florida’s Macguire McDuff took fifth in 18.99. LSU’s Brooks Curry, the NCAA champion in the 50 free last year, ended up sixth in 18.99.
Last season, Crooks tied for third in the 50 free national final with a time of 18.60 before placing fifth in the 100 free, but the Cayman Islands native has exploded so far this season, with numerous impressive performances in the fall preceding a short course world title in the 50-meter free. Also at the SEC meet, Crooks has recorded an 18.90 50 butterfly split as part of the Volunteers’ 200 medley relay, and he will surely have additional big swims to come in the 100 fly, 100 free and other relays.
Event 14 Men 50 Yard Freestyle
=========================================================================
NCAA: N 17.63 3/22/2018 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
SEC: S 17.63 3/22/2018 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
SEC Meet: M 18.23 2/17/2016 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
POOL: P 18.25 2/15/2023 Jordan Crooks, CAL
18.88 A
19.82 B
Name Year School Prelims Finals Points
=========================================================================
=== Championship Final ===
1 Crooks, Jordan SO Tennessee-SE 18.25 17.93MA 32
r:+0.60 8.62 17.93 (9.31)
2 Liendo, Josh FR Florida-FL 18.35 18.39 A 28
r:+0.60 8.93 18.39 (9.46)
3 Chaney, Adam C SO Florida-FL 19.04 18.71 A 27
r:+0.59 9.14 18.71 (9.57)
4 Santos, Guilher Tennessee-SE 19.08 18.79 A 26
r:+0.58 8.99 18.79 (9.80)
5 McDuff, Macguir SO Florida-FL 18.99 18.95 B 25
r:+0.61 9.14 18.95 (9.81)
6 Curry, Brooks V SR LSU-LA 19.08 18.99 B 24
r:+0.59 8.96 18.99 (10.03)
7 Tirheimer, Loga JR Auburn-SE 19.05 19.17 B 22.5
r:+0.61 9.23 19.17 (9.94)
7 Downing, Dillon SR Georgia 19.09 19.17 B 22.5
r:+0.66 9.16 19.17 (10.01)
50 yards please.
The rest of the world don’t care.