At the Jamail Texas Swim Center in Austin, the Texas A&M men’s swim team competed in the American Short Course Championships Friday through Sunday.
The men’s team won two of the three events on day one of the American Short Course Championships and logged five NCAA B-cut times.
Swimmers with an A-cut time automatically get to compete at NCAAs, while B-cut times might make it depending on how many A-cut qualifiers there are. The average for B-cut times making it to Nationals is the top 30 for men and top 37 for women.
In the 500 free, Mark Schnippenkoetter came in fourth with a time of 4:21.86 (B-cut). Luke Stuart came in fifth with a season best time of 4:22.65 (B-cut). Senior Jake Gibbons followed in sixth place with a time of 4:24.69. Freshman William Coakley and Gus Karau had season-best times in the event in 4:25.38 and 4:29.06 respectively.
In the 200 IM, Kaloyan Bratanov placed first with a personal best time of 1:44.07 (B-cut). Alberto Gomez came in third with a time of 1:45.40 (B-cut).
In the 50 free, Mike Thibert came in 1st with a time of 19.85 (B-cut).
Sophomore Shaine Casas tallied another NCAA A-cut time and school record, this one in the 200 fly (1:40.33). The sophomore now owns six individual school records. Casas also swam a personal best of 3:37.59 in the 400 IM. He has already qualified for the NCAA Championship meet. He’s currently the fastest swimmer in the NCAA in both the 200 back (1:37.20) and 200 IM (1:39.91), and he also ranks third nationally in the 100 back (44.48). His 400 IM swim on Friday now also ranks him second nationally in that event behind only Florida sophomore Kieran Smith, who won the SEC title in 3:37.31.
Also in the 200 fly, Alberto Gomez placed fifth with a time of 1:45.21 (B-cut). Jace Brown finished with a time of 1:46.75.
Junior Mark Theall dropped over 10 seconds in the 1,650 free, breaking 15 minutes for the first time with a time of 14:57.67. With that time, he broke a school record, in addition to setting a school record with a time of 9:00.05 in the 1,000-yard free.
Also in the 1,650 free, Luke Stuart notched an NCAA B-cut with a time of 15:19.42. Schnippenkoetter finished with a time of 15:24.13 (B-cut).
In the 200 breast, Jake Schababerle logged a new personal-best and NCAA B-cut time (1:56.97) placing fifth.
Clayton Bobo logged an NCAA B-cut in the 100 free with a time of 43.48 and placed second. Also in the 100 free, Sean Morey came in sixth with a time of 45.34 and Mike Thibert came in 15th with a time of 1:04.95.
In the 200 back, Jake Gibbons placed 4th with a time of 1:46.35 and Adam Koster swam a personal-best time (1:50.18), placing eighth.
Next up for the Aggie men’s swim team is the NCAA Championships at the Iupui Natatorium in Indianapolis, Indiana, from March 25-28.