{"id":525907,"date":"2023-03-24T17:06:34","date_gmt":"2023-03-25T00:06:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=525907"},"modified":"2023-03-24T20:00:37","modified_gmt":"2023-03-25T03:00:37","slug":"ncaa-mens-championships-max-mchugh-makes-it-three-in-a-row-in-100-breaststroke","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/ncaa-mens-championships-max-mchugh-makes-it-three-in-a-row-in-100-breaststroke\/","title":{"rendered":"NCAA Men’s Championships: Max McHugh Makes it Three in a Row in 100 Breaststroke"},"content":{"rendered":"

Minnesota’s Max McHugh<\/strong> entered the 2022 NCAA Division I Championship aiming for a third consecutive title in the event, this time in his home pool as the meet is in Minneapolis.<\/p>\n

That opportunity brought out more pressure but also more excitement.<\/p>\n

McHugh pulled out to a narrow lead at the midway point. He kept building that lead and got to the wall in 50 seconds flat – four tenths from the NCAA and American record.<\/p>\n

“It is hard to put into words. We have known this would be here for two years at least. It has been in the back of my head for a while. It means a lot for my family, friends and teammates,” McHugh said. “It was a special memory for a lot of people here and I am so grateful I could do it for them.”<\/p>\n

The home crowd was electric as he was announced and kept it going.<\/p>\n

“The team, the women’s team, my family. It is a very special moment that I will remember the rest of my life,” he said. “I heard them before the race. I tried to zone it out, but after the race, hearing them is a moment I will never forget.”<\/p>\n

It was his third consecutive title in the event.<\/p>\n

The NCAA and American record was set in the same pool five years ago by Indiana’s Ian Finnerty<\/strong>, who was the first man to go sub-50 and win in 49.69.<\/p>\n

“Fifty flat was good. Not the time I wanted, but that’s alright. I wasn’t going for a time, I was going for the win,” McHugh said. “I could care less about the time. It was an awesome race.”<\/p>\n

The race was completely full of seniors and fifth-year seniors.<\/p>\n

McHugh won the race in 50.00, followed by Indiana fifth-year Van Mathias<\/strong> (50.60).<\/p>\n

Louisville senior Denis Petrashov<\/strong> took third in 50.78, followed by Texas senior Caspar Corbeau<\/strong> (50.79) and Florida fifth-year Dillon Hillis<\/strong> (50.80).<\/p>\n

Cal senior Liam Bell<\/strong> was sixth (50.88), followed by fifth-year teammate Reece Whitley<\/strong> (51.04) and Alabama senior Derek Maas<\/strong> (51.23), the NCAA Elite 90 Award recipient for the meet.<\/p>\n

“Those guys are awesome and it was a great race. It provided a sense of comfort. I see those guys like Reece and Liam all the time. It is exciting to see what next year will bring (with younger swimmers),” he said.<\/p>\n

McHugh said he isn’t sure whether he will continue swimming after this year.<\/p>\n

“I will reflect the next couple weeks. It is nice that trials is just a year away, so that is definitely an option,” he said. “I will talk to the coaching staff and feel it out. Not sure just yet.”<\/p>\n