{"id":605171,"date":"2025-02-21T18:32:15","date_gmt":"2025-02-22T01:32:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=605171"},"modified":"2025-02-22T06:24:58","modified_gmt":"2025-02-22T13:24:58","slug":"josh-liendo-crushes-42-12-fly-split-as-florida-men-obliterate-medley-relay-record","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/josh-liendo-crushes-42-12-fly-split-as-florida-men-obliterate-medley-relay-record\/","title":{"rendered":"Josh Liendo Crushes 42.12 Fly Split as Florida Men Obliterate NCAA Medley Relay Record"},"content":{"rendered":"

Josh Liendo Crushes 42.12 Fly Split as Florida Men Obliterate Medley Relay Record<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Florida men were gunning for history in the 400 medley relay. Already during Friday evening’s session at the SEC Championships,\u00a0Julian Smith<\/strong> had taken down the all-time record in the 100 breaststroke after\u00a0Jonny Marshall<\/strong> posted a conference title in the 100 backstroke. One day earlier,\u00a0Josh Liendo<\/strong> had improved upon his best time in the 100 butterfly, reinforcing his status as the second-fastest performer ever while inching closer to the NCAA and U.S. Open records held by\u00a0Caeleb Dressel<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Add in freshman\u00a0Alex Painter<\/strong> on the anchor leg, and the Gators had enough speed to destroy the NCAA and U.S. Open records set by Arizona State at last season’s NCAA Championships. The previous best was 2:57.32, and this year’s Florida team skipped over 2:56 entirely to post a time of 2:55.66.<\/p>\n

Marshall led off in 43.91, less than two tenths off his winning mark from the 100 back earlier in the night, and Smith followed up his individual record of 49.51 with a 48.95 anchor leg, which only\u00a0Leon Marchand<\/strong> has ever surpassed. Liendo then clocked 42.12 on the butterfly leg, a half-second faster than the 42.77 split he posted last season which was previously the fastest in history. Painter came home in 40.68 to secure the new record.<\/p>\n

The Gators were 2.5 seconds under the previous SEC record that their team of Adam Chaney<\/strong>,\u00a0Dillon Hillis<\/strong>, Liendo and\u00a0Macguire McDuff<\/strong> swam at the 2023 NCAA Championships, which at the time stood as the NCAA and U.S. Open records. These improvements from Smith and Liendo plus the development of the British bookends have helped Florida overcome the earlier-than-expected departures of Chaney and McDuff from the Florida roster this season.<\/p>\n

Tennessee, meanwhile, became the only other team to break 3:00 this season as\u00a0Harrison Lierz<\/strong>,\u00a0Kevin Houseman<\/strong>, Jordan Crooks<\/strong> and\u00a0Gui Caribe<\/strong> finished in 2:59.69. Crooks clocked 43.56 on fly, a mark that only six other men have surpassed, and Caribe was the only swimmer to out-split his Florida counterpart as he came home in 40.38.<\/p>\n

Texas finished third in 3:00.97 with\u00a0Will Modglin<\/strong>,\u00a0Nate Germonprez<\/strong>,\u00a0Hubert Kos<\/strong> and\u00a0Luke Hobson<\/strong>, and the Longhorns are now the third-quickest team in the country this year.<\/p>\n