NCAA Men’s Swimming: Everything to Know Guide For November Invitationals This Weekend

The Tennessee Invitational will be one of the top invites to watch this weekend. Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

NCAA Men’s Swimming: Everything to Know Guide For November Invitationals This Weekend

We have approached the midway point of the collegiate season. As the weather outside gets colder, the action inside the pool gets hotter as teams are starting to see their first glimpses of rest and will get to wear suits for the first time this season. The first round of mid-season invitationals get started this weekend with almost every single power five team competing this weekend across the country with the exception of the six teams going to the insanely stacked Minnesota Invite the first weekend in December (Texas, Cal, Michigan, etc).

The mid-season invites are exciting because it gives coaches a chance to see how their swimmers can compete with a small ounce of rest and what kind of times they can put down when they put a suit on. Of course now teams wear suits in duel meets all the time but invitationals really give coaches a chance to see how their team can perform in as-close-as-championship circumstances as you can get.

Mid-season invitationals are not the greatest parameter for determining who will win NCAAs (last year’s 50 free NCAA champion Ryan Hoffer was tied for 14th after all the mid-season invites last season in the 50 free) but they are a good appetizer to see who means is a contender and who is a pretender.

For hard core swimming fans, this is an exciting time but also an overwhelming one — with trying to keep up with so many meets at once, as well as the International Swimming League European Derby set to also take place this weekend in London. So we at Swimming World have presented a guide with the six biggest invitationals you will want to follow this weekend in NCAA men’s swimming.

To read about this weekend’s invitationals for the women’s swimming landscape, check here.

Tennessee

The Indiana Hoosiers are the top ranked team coming into the Tennessee Invite; Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Men’s Teams:

#4 Indiana
#8 Tennessee
#12 Georgia
#18 Virginia
Carson-Newman (Division II)

When: November 21 – November 23

Where: Knoxville, Tennessee

Top Individuals to watch: Mohamed Samy, Indiana; Camden Murphy, Georgia; Jack Walker, Virginia; Alec Connolly, Tennessee

Key Freshmen to watch: Brendan Burns, Indiana; Harry Homans, Georgia; Sean Conway, Virginia

Key Races:

100 breast: Three guys at this invite are currently ranked in the top 10 in Division I with Virginia’s Keefer Barnum (3rd, 53.07), Tennessee’s Michael Houlie (4th, 53.09), and Indiana’s Zane Backes (53.58) all ranked high with their duel meet swims thus far. However, only Backes scored at NCAAs last season with a fifth place finish and the other two falling out of the top 16. The Tennessee Invite will be where Barnum and Houlie will want to establish their presence on the national stage and Houlie will have the advantage of being in his home pool. Houlie is coming off a good summer where he won a silver in the 50 breast at the 2019 World University Games while representing South Africa.

1650: Since the 1650 hasn’t been swum at a lot of duel meets, we are going off of 1000 times and this meet will feature some of the best up-and-coming distance swimmers. Georgia sophomore Andrew Abruzzo is currently ranked third in Division I with an 8:59.25 after he was disappointingly 35th at NCAAs in the 1650 last season. Two spots below him is Georgia teammate Greg Reed (9:03.02) and sitting right behind him are NC State’s Ross Dant (9:03.08) and Indiana’s Mikey Calvillo (9:04.79). Tennessee’s Taylor Abbott (9:04.95) is just two spots behind them in the national rankings, setting up what will potentially be a great race on the last night of the meet. Four of those five have represented the United States on the international stage in either pool or open water competitions in the last two years and they are waiting for their big breakthrough in college swimming.

NC State

Coleman Stewart will lead NC State into its own Invite; Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Men’s Teams:

#7 NC State
#14 Arizona State
#15 Duke
#23 Auburn
#24 Wisconsin

When: November 21 – November 23

Where: Greensboro, North Carolina

Top Individuals to Watch: Coleman Stewart, NC State; Zachary Poti, Arizona State; Santiago Grassi, Auburn; Cameron Tysoe, Wisconsin; Miles Williams, Duke

Key Freshmen to watch: Ross Dant, NC State; Jack Dolan, Arizona State; Jack Armstrong, Auburn

Key Races:

50 free: NC State has become a regular powerhouse, securing four straight top four NCAA finishes and that has been in large part to their sprinters, who seem to just re-load every single year. Sophomore Nyls Korstanje is eighth (19.84) in Division I this season in duel meets and while the Wolfpack’s 200 free relay is only ranked 10th (1:20.47), they can never be counted out in any sprint event. It won’t be a cake walk in the 50 for Korstanje at the NC State Invite as he will do battle with Auburn’s Santiago Grassi (9th, 19.86), Duke’s Miles Williams (17th, 20.07), Arizona State’s Evan Carlson and Carter Swift (36th, 20.29) and Wisconsin’s Griffin Back (42nd, 20.31). Anything can and will happen in the 50 free, and Korstanje could throw down a big swim on Thursday night in Greensboro.

200 back: Coleman Stewart came into this season as our #1 male swimmer in Division I and although he hasn’t swam the 200 back since NCAAs when he placed fourth, he will still be one to watch come this weekend if he swims the 200 back. There’s a possibility he might not swim it and even if he doesn’t, the field is still stacked featuring Arizona State’s Zachary Poti (12th, 1:45.28) and Wisconsin’s Cameron Tysoe (13th, 1:45.30). NC State’s Jake Johnson (1:46.69) has pulled the 200 back load without Stewart for the Wolfpack and can’t be counted out. Both Poti and Tysoe scored at NCAAs last season with Poti placing eighth and Tyose getting 10th. Even without Stewart, this event will be a can’t-miss race. Duke’s Nathaniel Hartley (1:47.55) and Auburn’s Lleyton Smith (1:47.19) are also ranked within the top 50 in Division I this season.

Texas A&M

Shaine Casas had a monstrous breakthrough this summer; Photo Courtesy: Connor Trimble

Men’s Teams:

#10 Texas A&M
#11 Stanford
#25 USC
Air Force
Hawaii
LSU

When: November 21 – November 23

Where: College Station, Texas

Top Individuals to watch: Shaine Casas, Texas A&M; Grant Shoults, Stanford; Alexei Sancov, USC; Olli Kokko, Hawaii; Lewis Clough, LSU

Key freshmen to watch: Ivan Puskovitch, USC; Shane Blinkman, Stanford

Key Races:

100 back: What can Shaine Casas do? After bursting through this summer to top ten ranked swims in both the 100 and 200 back at US Nationals, Casas has become a dark horse to make the 2020 Olympic Team. Still just in his sophomore season, Casas has had a jump this season in yards, sitting third in Division I in the 200 back and tenth in the 100. What will he be able to do with a jammer on? If this summer is any indication, then a sub-45 is certainly possible this weekend, which would put him up to challenge last year’s runner-up and 2018 champion Coleman Stewart.

200 breast: Speaking of long course success, Stanford sophomore Daniel Roy has been spectacular in the 200 LCM breast the last two years, winning a bronze this summer at the 2019 World University Games and a 17-18 NAG record in 2018. But short course hasn’t been too kind to Roy. He was a B-Finalist at NCAAs last season as a freshman, but he hasn’t been able to translate his long course success to the shorter pool as easily. He currently sits 13th in Division I (1:58.92) and will match up this weekend against Texas A&M’s Ben Walker (1:57.79) and Andres Puente Bustamante (1:59.07) as well as Stanford teammate Hank Poppe (1:59.19).

Ohio State

Ohio State will host their own invite; Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Men’s Teams:

#13 Notre Dame
#16 Ohio State
#19 Virginia Tech
#21 Kentucky
Yale

When: November 21 – November 23

Where: Columbus, Ohio

Top Individuals to watch: Cameron Craig, Ohio State; Zach Yeadon, Notre Dame; Antani Ivanov, Virginia Tech; Glen Brown, Kentucky

Key Freshmen to watch: AJ Pouch, Virginia Tech; Luke Thornbrue, Notre Dame; Jacob Eeismann, Kentucky; Joseph Page, Yale

Key Races:

100 free: How has Cameron Craig fared at Ohio State this fall? He has fit in quite nicely with the Buckeyes and swimming right on his times from his last collegiate season two years ago in Tempe. Craig is in his junior season for the Buckeyes after transferring from Arizona State and many will be eager to see if he can replicate what we saw from him his freshman season in 2016-17. Craig is currently ranked 29th in Division I in the 100 free but has shown to be a monster with some rest. His best time put him as one of the favorites to win the national title coming into this season and this weekend we will get to see what kind of shape he is in.

1650 free: After a stellar freshman season where he was fourth in the 1650 at NCAAs, Notre Dame’s Zach Yeadon was one of the top distance swimmers in the fall of 2018. But he didn’t go faster than his Ohio State Invite swims at either ACCs or NCAAs. He still managed to score as an honorable mention All-American in both the 500 and 1650 but it wasn’t anywhere near what he probably thought he was capable of. Yeadon currently sits second in the nation in the 1000 and isn’t expected to get pressure from anyone at Ohio State, Virginia Tech or Kentucky. It will be interesting to see what kind of time he can put up as well as what freshman teammate Luke Thornbrue can do.

Georgia Tech

Kieran Smith has been clutch for Florida this season heading into the Georgia Tech Invite; Photo Courtesy: Connor Trimble

Men’s Teams:

#6 Florida
#17 Florida State
Alabama
East Carolina
Georgia Tech
North Carolina
South Carolina
Utah

When: November 22 – November 24

Where: Atlanta, Georgia

Top Individuals to watch: Kieran Smith, Florida; Caio Pumputis, Georgia Tech; Zane Waddell, Alabama; Peter Varjasi, Florida State; Valdas Abaliksta, North Carolina

Key Freshmen to watch: Eric Friese, Florida; Liam Bell, Alabama

Key races:

200 IM: Florida sophomore Kieran Smith has been fantastic for the Gators this season, sitting with the top time in Division I in the 200 free. But Smith was originally recruited as an IM’er and he will do battle with Georgia Tech junior Caio Pumputis in his home pool. Smith currently sits sixth in Division I with a 1:46.59 while Pumputis is further back at 1:48.93 for 24th. Interestingly enough, Pumputis and Smith are the only two returning A-Finalists from last year as Pumputis was sixth and Smith was eighth; for both guys it was their first NCAA A-Final of their careers. Expect the nation’s leading time out of this weekend to come from Atlanta in the men’s 200 IM.

100 breast: Alabama’s Liam Bell had a great age group career and topped it off with a junior national title this summer in the 100 breast. For his first mid-season invite, he returns to his hometown Atlanta where he swam for Dynamo Swim Club and later the US Aquatic Club. Bell is 18th in Division I (54.57), just a slot behind Florida’s Marco Guarente (54.52) and three spots ahead of South Carolina’s Lionel Khoo (54.63). Those four have been within the same neighborhood of 54-mids this season so it should be a good race to watch. Not far behind is Florida State’s Izaak Bastian (55.04), who should factor in there as well.

Purdue

Evgenii Somov will lead a Louisville team into West Lafayette; Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Men’s Teams:

#9 Louisville
Grand Canyon
McKendree (Division II)
Navy
Pittsburgh
Purdue

When: November 21 – November 23

Where: West Lafayette, Indiana

Top Individuals to Watch: Nick Albiero, Louisville; Trent Pellini, Purdue; Blaise Vera, Pittsburgh; Alexander Skinner, McKendree; Mazen Shoukry, Grand Canyon

Top Freshmen to Watch: Ilia Sibirtsev, Louisville; Michael Juengel, Purdue

Key Races:

50 Free: This race features the fastest man in Division I against the (second) fastest man in Division II. Pittsburgh’s Blaise Vera (19.53) and McKendree’s Alexander Skinner (20.20) are two of the fastest men in their respective divisions and they will lock horns this weekend in West Lafayette. It won’t be a nail biter since there is an established gap between the two but it is still a significant storyline. Skinner has the fastest time in Division II in the 100 free and has pushed his McKendree team to third in the Division II CSCAA poll this season, which is a huge milestone for the program in just its fourth year with a swim team. It will be interesting to see how quick Vera can go with the mantle of “fastest man in the country.” He didn’t score at NCAAs last year in either the 50 or 100 free but has quickly improved this season to lead the nation in the 50 and sit second in Division I in the 100 free.

100 breast: After a great first two seasons in Louisville where he was an A-Finalist in the 100 breast as a freshman and a sophomore, Evgenii Somov is looking to take the next step. He currently sits seventh in Division I in the 100 breast (53.59) and will face stout competition this weekend in Purdue junior Trent Pellini (54.40) who sits 13th in Division I. Like a lot of guys on this list, Pellini enjoyed a nice sophomore breakout season where he made the NCAA meet individually for the first time and got into the B-Final. But Pellini is looking for more. Based on last year alone, Somov and Pellini’s best times were separated by 0.01 with Pellini (51.76) edging Somov (51.77) with his swim from Big Tens while Somov swam that at NCAAs. The returning breaststroke field this season is tough and these guys are part of the reason why. And they will get to lock horns early on just 65 miles from where the big show will be at the end of March.

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