The 2022 NCAA Men\u2019s Division I Swimming and Diving Championship continued with the finals of the 500-yard freestyle from McAuley Aquatic Center on the campus of Georgia Tech in Atlanta.<\/p>\n

How fast was the start of the individual races during prelims? So fast that Olympic champion Bobby Finke<\/strong> went a 4:11.77 and didn\u2019t even make the A final.<\/p>\n

In the prelims, Georgia\u2019s Matthew Sates<\/strong> picked up his already fast pace at about the 350 mark and touched in 4:08.73.<\/p>\n

In the final, the race started with a hushed crowd as everyone in the building waited to see who was going to make their move first, especially with how fast the prelims were across the board.<\/p>\n

Kieran Smith<\/strong> took the lead at the 100 mark from Lane 2. He held the lead through the 200 mark. Texas\u2019 Luke Hobson<\/strong> made a slight move ahead of the pack during that span but was still behind Smith until the 350 mark when they turned about the same time, with Sates closing.<\/p>\n

Sates made his move at the 350 again and rocketed past Hobson and Smith. Meanwhile, teammate Jake Magahey<\/strong> made a similar move and rode the wave to second place. Sates broke the meet record at 4:06.61, three tenths off the NCAA overall record.<\/p>\n

Magahey was second in 4:07.38 after his late charge, also breaking the previous meet record of 4:07.97 that he set last year as the NCAA champion in this event.
\nHobson finished third in 4:08.42, ahead of Smith (4:08.68).<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a good swim. The title at NCAAs has been a goal for the last month, since I got to Georgia,\u201d Sates said. \u201cI am getting used to yards and the 500. I still have a lot to learn and improve and I am happy with the swim. That was my fourth 500 (ever), my second final.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis final was supposed to be a 300 then 200 (strategy) but I actually miscounted. So I did it 150, so a little bit to learn. My strategy is to finish hard,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n