This week’s Performance Of The Week, sponsored by LumaLanes, goes to Arizona State University freshman Cameron Craig, who dropped a monster 200 freestyle at the 2017 Pac-12 Conference Championships this week. Craig touched the wall in 1:31.71 to claim the win and Pac-12 meet record, running down USC’s Dylan Carter on the last 50 to out-touch him by .27 hundredths.
The young freshman from Michigan has truly blossomed under ASU head coach Bob Bowman at ASU. His best time in the 200 free coming in this year was a 1:38.40 from his junior year of high school, which he slashed almost 4 seconds off of at the Art Adamson Invitational in November when he went 1:34.57. That would have been a notable enough drop for the freshman, but Craig had more in the tank to drop nearly 3 more seconds at Pac-12s and move himself up to the eighth fastest performer of all-time.
Craig split the race perfectly, going out in 44.83 and coming home in 46.88, with his last 50 of 23.24 sealing the deal. That was Craig’s fastest split outside of his opening 50 (he was 23.25 on his second 50 and 23.64 on his third). It’s clear Craig has another gear on that final 50, which shows he may have more room to drop when he finds himself in a race at NCAA’s in a few weeks.
The ASU freshman will go into the meet as the second fastest in the country behind fellow freshman Dean Farris of Harvard. The 200 free has quickly shaped up to be one of the races to watch at men’s NCAA’s, with American record holder Townley Haas in the mix with these two freshman and sophomore Blake Pieroni, who was 1:31.83 at B1G’s.
Congratulations Cameron Craig on earning Swimming World’s Performance of the Week!
Special Thanks to LumaLanes for sponsoring Swimming World’s Performance of the Week.
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