Shaine Casas Moves to No. 7 Performer in 200-Yard Butterfly
Texas A&M standout Shaine Casas might be known best for his talent in the backstroke and individual medley events, but the Olympic hopeful can also dial up a sensational 200 butterfly when given the chance. As the Aggies topped Texas Christian on Friday night, Casas produced a winning mark of 1:39.23 in the 200-yard fly.
With his time, Casas became the 14th individual to crack the 1:40 barrier in the event and took more than a second off his personal best, which had stood at 1:40.33. The performance moved Casas to the No. 7 performer of all-time, with the list topped by Jack Conger and his effort of 1:37.35 from his days at the University of Texas.
Casas is a contender to secure a berth to next year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo in the 100 backstroke and 200 backstroke. Given that he has demonstrated the ability to translate his talent from the short-course pool to the long-course format, Casas can also be considered a challenger in the 200 butterfly. The 200 fly is expected to feature a weaker field than the backstroke events when the United States Trials are held in Omaha.