{"id":582486,"date":"2024-03-28T15:53:25","date_gmt":"2024-03-28T22:53:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=582486"},"modified":"2024-03-28T21:19:52","modified_gmt":"2024-03-29T04:19:52","slug":"ncaa-mens-championships-josh-liendo-edges-jordan-crooks-in-blistering-50-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/ncaa-mens-championships-josh-liendo-edges-jordan-crooks-in-blistering-50-free\/","title":{"rendered":"NCAA Men’s Championships: Josh Liendo Edges Jordan Crooks in Blistering 50 Free"},"content":{"rendered":"

NCAA Men’s Championships: Josh Liendo Edges Jordan Crooks in Blistering 50 Free<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Speed was once again showcased as 2024 NCAA Men’s Division I Swimming Championships continued from Indianapolis with the 50 free.<\/p>\n

Caeleb Dressel<\/strong>‘s record of 17.63 from 2018 is the NCAA and American record. He also held the pool record in 18.23.<\/p>\n

While Dressel’s NCAA and American record was safe – the first event not to have a major record fall – his pool record was broken.<\/p>\n

To make it even more fast and fierce, the top two in this event were separated by just two hundredths of a second.<\/p>\n

Florida’s Josh Liendo<\/strong> was the top seed coming into the race and held on with a scorching 18.07.<\/p>\n

Defending NCAA champion Jordan Crooks<\/strong> was just behind at 18.09 with an incredible finish.<\/p>\n

“It was just a blur. I don’t think I looked at anyone off the turn. I just wanted to execute the race the way I knew I could, just every little detail, and that’s what I did,” Liendo said. “I feel like I race Jordan all the time. I know him pretty well because we have races so many times – Jack, Bjorn, there is just a level you know from racing them. It is fun after the race, even before the race. Pretty good guys in the field.”<\/p>\n

Cal’s Jack Alexy<\/strong> finished third in 18.38 and teammate Bjorn Seeliger<\/strong> was fifth in 18.54, finishing just behind Notre Dame’s Chris Guiliano<\/strong> (18:49).<\/p>\n

Tennessee’s Guilherme Santos<\/strong> finished sixth in 18.57, while two Arizona State sprinters rounded out the finals field – Jack Dolan<\/strong> (18.59) and Jonny Kulow<\/strong> (18.77).<\/p>\n