Dressel Splits Record 17.71, Not as Stunning as NCAA Butterfly Title

Florida's Caeleb Dressel. Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

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By Dan D’Addona.

The first surprising finish came from someone not so surprising.

Florida’s Caeleb Dressel is used to being on the top of the podium and setting records in the sprint freestyle events — not the butterfly. So it was not a huge surprise that he set another record, splitting a stunning 17.71 to anchor the 200 medley relay in prelims.

The surprise came later when Dressel used a late surge to edge two-time defending champion Joseph Schooling of Texas in the 100-yard butterfly and win his second event of the NCAA Division I championships on Friday in Indianapolis, etching his name on another record.

“For me, that was the event of the meet,” Indiana’s Blake Pieroni said.

Dressel broke the world record in the process, finishing in 43.58, coming home in an incredible 22.88 split in the final 50.

“It was a heck of a race. Joe Schooling is one of the hardest guys to beat in the sport of swimming,” Dressel said. “He just has this ambiance about it. He carries his confidence with him where he has a smirk on his face — and you can’t beat the kid. If you watch the replay of him walking out in Rio, he’s got a smirk on his face and he beat Michael Phelps. He is just a great guy and walks with confidence – I respect that so much. Tonight, it was having the right opportunity, the right preparation and the right race and anybody can be beat.

“It is something different. It was just such a fun race. I thought it would be quick but it was nice to see a 43 — a second faster than I was last year.”

Schooling, who led most of the race, finished second, also bettering the previous American and U.S. Open record time set by Tom Shields (43.84) to finish in 43.75. But Dressel’s final 25 made the difference.

“That is how I have swam my 100 fly, I don’t breathe the last 25. I think I split 25.8. It is just being patient and not panicking,” Dressel said. “At the 75, I saw I was in a good spot and put my head down.”

Dressel was coming off the fastest relay split of all time, going 17.71 in the prelims. In the finals, he went 17.93 as Florida finished fifth (1:23.08).

“It gives you confidence if you have one big swim, tonight, I was swimming through a bit of wake, but this morning, I was pretty smooth, pretty clean,” Dressel said. “I am still trying to figure out my 50 speed a bit right now. I think I can be quicker on the shorter end of things.”

Dressel has two individual victories with one day to go, when he will be the favorite to win the 100 freestyle. A win should clinch Swimmer of the Meet for the Florida Gator.

Dressel was in a three-way tie for that honor last year along with Schooling and Cal’s Ryan Murphy.

But after swimming three 50 free races that were in the top five all time — including two identical 18.23s an hour apart on the 200 freestyle relay and winning the 50 free final — Dressel now has the top 10 times in the history of the event all to himself in his signature event.

Add an unexpected national title and the fastest relay split of all time to the mix, and Dressel is clearly the swimmer of the meet.

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