School records were broken and titles were earned, but Texas still remains the team to beat in the NCAA men’s Swimming and Diving Championship at Georgia Tech’s McAuley Aquatic Center.
Here are seven things we learned on Friday:
1. Longhorn express: Texas remains the powerhouse team after Friday's finals with 366 points. California is in second place with 271 points followed by Florida (255), N.C. State (197) and Georgia (162).
2. Record-breaking night: Two Texas swimmers made history, sophomore Joseph Schooling and freshman Townley Haas. Schooling set the NCAA and pool record for 100 butterfly with a time of 44.01. That is Schooling's second straight title for the 100 fly.
Haas continued to help Texas with the fastest time in history for the 200 freestyle. His time of 1:30.46 is the NCAA, American, and U.S. Open record.
3. Koski powers Georgia: Matias Koski came in second in the 200 freestyle and led a record-setting session. After three days of competition, the Bulldogs stand fifth. Georgia has finished in the top 10 at the NCAAs seven times in the last eight seasons.
“This was a really good day for us,” Georgia coach Jack Bauerle said. “We’re grinding away and our guys put themselves into good positions today.”
Koski claimed the silver in the 200 freestyle in 1:31.54, trailing only Texas’s Townley Haas (1:30.46). This week at the NCAAs, Koski twice has lowered his school record as he led off the 800 freestyle relay in 1:32.31 and added the 1:31.54 in the 200 freestyle finals.
4. Roar of a Tiger: Missouri is coming home with a title in the 100 breaststroke to showcase thanks to Fabian Schwingenschlogl. The junior from Germany set a pool record of 51.29.
5. Murphy breaks records: As if he wasn't impressive enough Thursday, California's Ryan Murphy managed to finish stronger than ever in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 43.49, which lowers his own NCAA, American, and U.S. Open record time by .02.
6. Georgia duo shines: Sophomores Jay Litherland and Gunnar Bentz had impressive swims in the 400 individual medley. Litherland, who is No. 5 in the 400 medley in school history, placed third in 3:38.47, while Bentz, ranked No. 2 in the individual medley in UGA history, touched the wall at 3:38.59, good enough for fourth place.
7. Big moment for Pitt: Dominic Giordano earned Pittsburgh's first NCAA title. The junior diver won the men's three-meter diving event with 460.30 points.
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