Townley Haas Sizzles With 1:30.52 Split in 800 Free Relay, Best 200 Free Split Ever

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

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While Jack Conger, Clark Smith and Joseph Schooling definitely put up world-class swims around him for Texas to set an NCAA, U.S. Open mark in the 800-yard free relay, Townley Haas cranked out a truly special swim with a monster split as the second leg.

Haas raced his way to a blistering time of 1:30.52, breaking the previous record for the fastest split of 1:30.60 posted by Michigan’s Michael Wynalda during the previous NCAA, U.S. Open record of 6:09.85 for Michigan at the 2014 Big Ten Championships.

Haas, just a freshman, split the race 20.41, 43.36, 1:06.89, 1:30.52.

Wynalda, meanwhile, put up splits of 21.19, 44.17, 1:07.27, 1:30.60.

Wynalda was the first person to ever break the 1:31 barrier on a split, but was unable to challenge the NCAA and U.S. Open record in the individual 200 free of 1:31.20 set by Simon Burnett in 2006.

Tonight proved to be an unreal final heat with the three best swims in the history of the 800-yard free relay, and Haas’ split wound up being truly special.

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Josh Geisinger

8 years ago

They did break the open record. Pretty nuts

Greg Meehan

8 years ago

I was thinking NC State would win this, if only they didn’t have somebody leave too early (as they have done in relays the last couple years). And they swam great (6:09, also under the old US Open record). But Texas was even better with their 6:08! That’s a 1:32 average!

Theodore Wesley Glocker

8 years ago

Insane

Steve Jones

8 years ago

Josh Geisinger

Frank Wright

8 years ago

Yikes, spectacular.