Kieran Smith Blasts New American Record With 4:06 500 at SECs (RACE VIDEO)

kieran-smith-freestyle
Photo Courtesy: Connor Trimble

Nearly 24 hours after nearly breaking 1:30 in the 200 freestyle, Florida sophomore Kieran Smith absolutely demolished the record books in the 500 freestyle, scorching a 4:06.32. The time lowered the NCAA record set last season by Townley Haas of Texas (4:08.19) and also took down Zane Grothe’s American record of 4:07.25 set in December 2017.

Smith finished ahead of Texas A&M junior Mark Theall (4:10.77) and Florida teammate Bobby Finke (4:10.86).

Kieran Smith led from start to finish and used an incredible last three 50’s to get under the American record. His win marks the first for Florida in the 500 at SECs since Pawel Werner in 2016.

This was the second record set on Wednesday night at the 2020 SEC Swimming and Diving Championships in Auburn as Arkansas’ Anna Hopkin swam the fastest 50 freestyle relay split earlier in the night in the 200 freestyle relay.

Georgia’s Walker Higgins (4:13.98), Florida’s Khader Baqlah (4:15.86), Georgia’s Andrew Abruzzo (4:17.04), Georgia’s Greg Reed (4:18.88) and Alabama’s Nico Hernandez-Tome (4:19.47) also competed in the championship final.

Kieran Smith will be in the 400 IM on Thursday morning and his third event has not yet been determined. He is entered in the 200 butterfly, 200 backstroke and 100 freestyle and will have to choose one of those events. He is in his sophomore year at Florida and swam the 200 IM, 400 IM and 200 back at last year’s NCAA Championships. He reached the final in both IMs last year, finishing seventh in the 400 and eighth in the 200.

Former record holder Zane Grothe has already reacted to the news of his record getting broken.

American Record Progression – Men’s 500 Freestyle

  • 4:06.32, Kieran Smith (2020)
  • 4:07.25, Zane Grothe (2017)
  • 4:08.42, Clark Smith (2017)
  • 4:08.54, Peter Vanderkaay (2008)
  • 4:08.60, Peter Vanderkaay (2006)
  • 4:08.75, Tom Dolan (1995)
  • 4:11.59, Chad Carvin (1994)
  • 4:13.06, Mike O’Brien (1985)
  • 4:14.85, Matt Cetlinski (1985)
  • 4:15.36, George DiCarlo (1984)
 Event 10  Men 500 Yard Freestyle
=========================================================================
         NCAA: N 4:08.19  3/28/2019 Townley Haas, Texas
     SEC Meet: S 4:10.51  2/15/2018 Fynn Minuth, South Carolina
         Pool: P 4:10.77  2/18/2015 Mitch D'Arrigo, Florida
                 4:11.82  A
                 4:23.34  B
    Name           Year School            Prelims     Finals       Points 
=========================================================================
                            === A - Final ===                            
 
  1 Smith, Kieran S  SO FLOR              4:14.55    4:06.32NA       32  
    r:+0.68  22.45        47.28 (24.83)
        1:12.07 (24.79)     1:37.08 (25.01)
        2:02.25 (25.17)     2:27.35 (25.10)
        2:52.40 (25.05)     3:17.25 (24.85)
        3:42.19 (24.94)     4:06.32 (24.13)
  2 Theall, Mark J   JR Texas A&M         4:13.98    4:10.77PA       28  
    r:+0.66  22.68        47.21 (24.53)
        1:12.30 (25.09)     1:37.63 (25.33)
        2:03.16 (25.53)     2:28.93 (25.77)
        2:54.72 (25.79)     3:20.25 (25.53)
        3:45.76 (25.51)     4:10.77 (25.01)
  3 Finke, Bobby C   SO FLOR              4:13.74    4:10.86 A       27  
    r:+0.72  22.88        47.74 (24.86)
        1:12.95 (25.21)     1:38.28 (25.33)
        2:03.79 (25.51)     2:29.31 (25.52)
        2:54.98 (25.67)     3:20.61 (25.63)
        3:46.36 (25.75)     4:10.86 (24.50)
  4 Higgins, Walker  SR Georgia           4:13.66    4:13.98 B       26  
    r:+0.67  22.37        47.10 (24.73)
        1:12.54 (25.44)     1:38.19 (25.65)
        2:04.04 (25.85)     2:29.86 (25.82)
        2:55.88 (26.02)     3:22.05 (26.17)
        3:48.26 (26.21)     4:13.98 (25.72)
  5 Baqlah, Khader   SR FLOR              4:15.56    4:15.86 B       25  
    r:+0.70  23.00        48.05 (25.05)
        1:13.30 (25.25)     1:38.72 (25.42)
        2:04.75 (26.03)     2:30.32 (25.57)
        2:56.36 (26.04)     3:23.07 (26.71)
        3:49.72 (26.65)     4:15.86 (26.14)
  6 Abruzzo, Andrew  SO Georgia           4:15.03    4:17.04 B       24  
    r:+0.76  23.32        48.62 (25.30)
        1:14.49 (25.87)     1:40.52 (26.03)
        2:06.84 (26.32)     2:33.16 (26.32)
        2:59.64 (26.48)     3:25.74 (26.10)
        3:51.91 (26.17)     4:17.04 (25.13)
  7 Reed, Greg C     JR Georgia           4:16.79    4:18.88 B       23  
    r:+0.66  23.42        49.13 (25.71)
        1:15.08 (25.95)     1:41.40 (26.32)
        2:07.77 (26.37)     2:34.43 (26.66)
        3:00.77 (26.34)     3:27.25 (26.48)
        3:53.32 (26.07)     4:18.88 (25.56)
  8 Hernandez-Tome,  SO Alabama           4:17.64    4:19.47 B       22  
    r:+0.67  23.41        48.90 (25.49)
        1:14.87 (25.97)     1:41.09 (26.22)
        2:07.56 (26.47)     2:33.80 (26.24)
        3:00.33 (26.53)     3:27.24 (26.91)
        3:53.72 (26.48)     4:19.47 (25.75)
 Men - Team Rankings - Through Event 10                  
 
  1. University of Florida             282   
  2. Texas A&M University              271
  3. Georgia, University of            263   
  4. Tennessee, University of, Knox    241
  5. Kentucky, University of           206   
  6. University of Alabama             205
  7. Auburn University                 179   
  7. Missouri                          179
  9. Louisiana State University        167  
 10. South Carolina, University of,    161
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42 Comments
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Byron Soto
4 years ago

Holy Moley that’s fast. Almost broke 1:30 in the 200?!?

Renee Chandler
4 years ago

Kuddos!!!! That’s movin’!!!

Kent Johnson
4 years ago

woah… crazy fast.

Eric Parr Johnson
4 years ago

Wow

Erik Bacon
4 years ago

Mind. Blown.

That is so fast.

Donna Sizemore Hale
4 years ago

That’s fast

Tom Reynolds
4 years ago

Paul McCloskey?

Paul McCloskey
4 years ago

Tom Reynolds dude, he split 1:30 for a 200 in the 800 free relay…INSANE!

Joanna Janicki Shadeck

Just WoW!!!!! ? Congrats Kieran!!!!!

Dan Hemenway
4 years ago

Wow. Wally Flick

Mike Burdick
4 years ago

Brian Kremers

Scott Wilson
4 years ago

Jeezus

Doug Newman
4 years ago

Zachary Jones Aaron Wands ??????

Aaron Wands
4 years ago

Doug Newman wow!!

Jennifer Ahaus
4 years ago

How? Just how? Amazing!!

Doug Newman
4 years ago

Aaron Wands there is video of the race for your viewing pleasure

Aaron Wands
4 years ago

Doug Newman he shifted it to another gear at the 300

Doug Newman
4 years ago

Aaron Wands oh yeah…last 150 was insane.

Joanne Newton
4 years ago

His splits are amazing! Like a machine!

Rosanne Schaeffer Tejeda

Wow!!! ???

Joel Gitlin
4 years ago

Awesome ?‍♂️?

Kathy Maloney
4 years ago

Outstanding !!!! Congrats Kieran !!!!

Rich Comstock
4 years ago

Cooper Comstock

Matthew M. Powell
4 years ago

Darren Powell

Brian Kremers
4 years ago

Mike Burdick nice!

Darren Powell
4 years ago

Matthew M. Powell unbelievable swim!! Impressive to say the least.

Darren Powell
4 years ago

Byron Beede

Emmanuel Lanzo
Emmanuel Lanzo
4 years ago

Ufff!

Anonymous
Anonymous
4 years ago
Reply to  Emmanuel Lanzo

#focusandeffortfoundhere

Nancy Leffler
4 years ago

Wow .. unbelievable

Larry Leake
4 years ago

Brent Wright check this out….!

Shannon Woods
4 years ago

Super human ?

Shannon Woods
4 years ago

Raymond Woods

Pat Kennedy
4 years ago

Phenomenal swim!!!

Jim Bowser
4 years ago

Congrats to Kieran, our home state Southern CT. guy with killer times.

Brent Wright
4 years ago

Larry Leake wow

Thomas A. Small
4 years ago

Congratulations great job

Scott R Moore
4 years ago

29 years ago I was battling to break 5 minutes. This is incredible

Kevin Olds
4 years ago

Wow from me too Larry Leake

Scott Raymond
4 years ago

Getting closer to cracking the 4’ mark ??

JoAnn Sullivan
4 years ago

Holy Shit that’s fast!

Andrea Bravo Fernandez

Crazy! Congrats Kieran!

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