Josh Liendo, Jordan Crooks Spotlight Cadre of Males’s Sprinters in Motion This Week
Throughout the first 4 school swimming seasons after Caeleb Dressel exhausted his eligibility on the College of Florida, nobody severely challenged the legendary data he left behind within the quick course yards dash occasions. That each one modified within the spring of 2023 when new Gator Josh Liendo swam his first championship season whereas Tennessee’s Jordan Crooks emerged as a power.
Crooks is the one man except for Dressel to swim underneath 18 seconds within the 50 freestyle, with Crooks having posted a mark of 17.93 that’s simply three tenths shy of Dressel’s finest. Crooks took down Liendo to win the NCAA title within the 50 free, however within the different 4 finals during which the 2 males have confronted off, Liendo has earned nationwide titles at Crooks’ expense.
In 2024, Liendo accomplished the so-called “Dressel triple” with particular person titles in all three occasions. His occasions of 40.20 within the 100 free and 43.07 within the 100 butterfly made him the second-fastest man ever in each occasions, whereas his two-hundredth win over Crooks within the 50 free in 18.07 moved him to No. 3 all-time.
This 12 months, all the intense contenders within the dash occasions return to the school stage, and they’ll spend the following 4 months jockeying for place on the nationwide stage however extra importantly getting ready to be at their respective bests for the ultimate showdown in March. These efforts start in earnest this weekend when a lot of the huge names race at one among a number of invitationals.
Jordan Crooks — Picture Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
Liendo, who has captured Olympic silver within the 100-meter fly since his most up-to-date signature collegiate win, will race alongside his Florida teammates in Athens, Ga., on the College of Georgia Invite, whereas Crooks and teammate Gui Caribe will compete at house. Whereas Crooks stays the Volunteers’ prime performer within the 50 free, Caribe has come on within the 100, coming in second to Liendo eventually 12 months’s NCAAs within the yards occasion in 40.55 earlier than ending tenth within the 100-meter race in Paris, three spots and 7 hundredths forward of Crooks.
Additionally within the competitors pool this weekend are the Arizona State Solar Devils, racing in Greensboro, N.C., on the NC State Invite. Jonny Kulow returns after making the ultimate in each dash occasions final 12 months whereas Ilya Kharun has turn out to be a significant nationwide contender within the 50 free, along with his signature butterfly occasions, after clocking a season-best time of 18.59 this spring.
Nevertheless, three males anticipated to contend within the 50 and 100 come March is not going to be in motion upfront of the Thanksgiving vacation. Cal swimmers Jack Alexy and Bjorn Seeliger will wait for 2 weeks till the Golden Bears head to Minnesota for invitational motion whereas Chris Guiliano, recent off a breakout summer time during which he certified for the U.S. Olympic staff within the 50, 100 and 200-meter free, will not be but a part of the Texas roster after transferring from the suspended Notre Dame staff.
Whereas the highest occasions will enhance considerably within the coming days, any evaluation of the dash occasions on the nationwide stage will probably be incomplete till the Cal duo and Guiliano get their racing probabilities.
In the meantime, the competitors Liendo and Crooks will face within the 100 fly is sort of similar to final season, with each A-finalist from the school nationwide meet nonetheless racing this 12 months. Actually, the top-seven nationwide finishers are all racing this weekend. Liendo and Crooks should have no main challenges at their meets, however in Greensboro, Kharun will probably be swimming in opposition to 2023 NCAA champion Youssef Ramadan and the NC State duo of Luke Miller and Aiden Hayes.
Nobody will probably be profitable any titles this weekend, however the varied invitationals happening throughout the nation will give helpful insights into who’s trending in the correct route upfront of championship season.
