UF S&D: Josh Liendo Captures 50 Free National Title; Only Second Gator to Ever Claim Victory

The sophomore swam a personal best 18.07 to earn his first NCAA 50 Free Title. He becomes the second Gator to win the event, after Caleb Dressel’s four Titles.

Thursday Time Trial Results<https://floridagators.com/documents/2024/3/28/Thursday_Trials_Results.pdf> | Thursday’s Finals Results<https://floridagators.com/documents/2024/3/28/Thursday_Finals_Results.pdf>

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Individual events began on Day two of the NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships and the Gators continue to make headlines. Florida brought home two National Titles while setting six All-Time bests in Florida’s Record book.

Josh Liendo collected his first individual title of the meet, touching the wall in just 18.07. He becomes the second Gator to win the event, after Caleb Dressel’s four-straight title run from 2015-18. Liendo’s time marks the second-best in Gator history, following Dressel’s 17.63. Liendo finished just 0.02 seconds ahead of reigning champion Jordan Crooks of Tennessee.

Back-to-back NCAA Champions, the 200 Free Relay Team of Josh Liendo (18.25), Adam Chaney (18.29), Julian Smith (18.51), Macguire McDuff (18.44) brought home Florida’s third-consecutive title after putting together a 1:13.49. The time becomes the new pool record for IU’s Natatorium and comes close to the NCAA, Meet and program record of 1:13.35 that Liendo, Chaney, Eric Friese and McDuff set at last year’s NCAA Championships.

Jake Mitchell and Giovanni Linscheer represented Florida in the 500 Free and went one-two in the consolation final. Jake swam a personal best of 4:10.48 to earn first place in his heat and ninth overall. The senior’s time ties for fourth best in Gator history. Linscheer followed suit, swimming a personal best of 4:11.84 to go second and 10th in the nation. The sophomore marks his name in the eighth-best spot in Florida’s Top-10 times.

Chaney and Ed Fullum-Huot also scored for Florida in the 50 free, adding six points to Liendo’s 20. Fullum Huot’s 19.07 was just 0.03 off his personal best time (19.04), which he set in morning prelims to record the eighth-best time in Florida’s top-10. The sophomore finished 13th overall and fifth in the Consolation Final. His Fellow Gator, Adam Chaney, went 19.15 in the heat to place 15th overall and seventh in Consolation.

Diving

Diving competition began today, with three Gators taking part in the 1-Meter. Peyton Donald scored back-to-back 63.00’s to move up on the scoreboard and took the final advancing spot at 16th. The sophomore kept his momentum in the Consolation Final, scoring above 50.00 in all six dives to earn 14th to improve from his 40th placement at last year’s NCAA Championships. He and his brother Skip Donald are set to take part in the 3-meter tomorrow.

Making his Championships return, Anton Svirskyi scored 294.85 to finish 36, just in front of fellow diver Conor Gesing. The freshman made his first NCAA appearance and earned 38th place with 287.55.

Hear From Winning Gator Josh Liendo

On the tough competition in the 50 free…
“There are so many things to think about in the event and I have learned a lot about that this year, many details that I have to make sure I hit. I was just in my own lane and doing my own thing. I want to get it done for the guys. It’s a really though meet and I want to keep the momentum going.”

Up Next
Championship action speeds up tomorrow with seven events taking place. The 400 IM opens Friday morning prelims, with the 100 Butterfly, 200 Free, 100 Breaststroke and 100 Backstroke following. Diving will move to the 3-Meter springboard to conclude prelim action before heading into Finals. The 400 Medley Relay will close out day three of the 2024 NCAA Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships.

Top 10 Standings
Arizona – 201
California – 169
Florida – 161
Indiana – 107
Texas – 106
NC State – 98
Tennessee – 86
Stanford – 84
Auburn – 67
Virginia Tech – 61

All-American Tracker
200 Medley Relay – Adam Chaney, Julian Smith, Josh Liendo, Macguire McDuff
800 Freestyle Relay – Macguire McDuff, Julian Smith, Oskar Lindholm, Jake Mitchell
200 Freestyle Relay – Josh Liendo, Adam Chaney, Julian Smith, Macguire McDuff
50 Freestyle: Josh Liendo

Honorable Mention All-American Tracker
500 Freestyle: Jake Mitchell and Giovanni Linscheer
200 IM: Julian Smith
50 Free: Adam Chaney and Ed Fullum-Huot

Thursday’s Complete Results
Results from Thursday’s Finals and Prelims can be found below as well as Friday and Saturday’s schedule can be found below.

Thursday, March 28
Prelims Results – Top 16 advance to Finals

Men’s 500 Yard Freestyle

11. Jake Mitchell – 4:11.50 (Added +0.22)
13. Giovanni Linscheer – 4:11.97 (Dropped -1.13)
17. Andrew Taylor – 4:13.10 (Dropped -0.38) – 10th best time in program history
23. Eric Brown – 4:15.22 (Added +0.91)
24. Oskar Lindholm – 4:15.41(Added +1.17)

Men’s 200 Yard IM

13. Julian Smith – 1:41.87 (Dropped -0.74)
28. Joaquin Gonzalez Pinero – 1:43.21 (Added +1.14)
30. Mason Laur – 1:43.30 (Dropped -0.40)

Men’s 50 Yard Freestyle

1. Josh Liendo – 18.33 (Dropped -0.22)
14. Adam Chaney – 18.99 (Added +0.08)
16. Edouard Fullum-Huot – 19.04 (Added +0.02)
33. Scotty Buff – 19.35 (Dropped -0.35)

Men’s 1-Meter Diving

Peyton Donald | 16th Place

* Round 1 – 50.70
* Round 2 – 41.85
* Round 3 – 151.05
* Round 4 – 57.00 / 208.05
* Round 5 – 63.00 / 271.05
* Round 6 – 63.00 / 334.05
Conor Gesing | 38th Place

* Round 1 – 59.80
* Round 2 – 97.30
* Round 3 – 46.50 / 143.80
* Round 4 – 38.75 / 182.55
* Round 5 – 52.80 / 235.35
* Round 6 – 52.50 / 287.55
Anton Svirskyi | 36th Place

* Round 1 – 57.20
* Round 2 – 102.20
* Round 3 – 42.00 / 144.20
* Round 4 – 58.50 / 202.70
* Round 5 – 48.75 / 251.45
* Round 6 – 43.40 / 294.85

Thursday, March 28
Finals Results

Men’s 1-Meter Diving

Peyton Donald | 6th Place

* Round 1 – 54.60
* Round 2 – 66.65 / 121.25
* Round 3 – 51.00 / 172.25
* Round 4 – 63.00 / 235.25
* Round 5 – 54.00 / 289.25
* Round 6 – 60.00 / 349.25

Men’s 500 Yard Freestyle

9. Jake Mitchell – 4:10.48 moves to 4th best in all time (ties for fourth)
10. Giovanni Linscheer – 4:11.84 – moves to 8th best in program history

Men’s 200 Yard IM

11. Julian Smith – 1:42.22

Men’s 50 Free

1. Josh Liendo – 18.07
13. Ed Fullum-Huot – 19.07
15. Adam Chaney – 19.15

Men’s 200 Yard Freestyle Relay

2024 NCAA DI men’s swimming and diving championships schedule | All times ET.

Friday, March 29:
10:00 a.m. – Trials: 400-yard individual medley
Trials: 100-yard butterfly
Trials: 200-yard freestyle
Trials: 100-yard breaststroke
Trials: 100-yard backstroke
Trials: Three-meter diving
5:15 p.m. – Consolation Finals: Three-meter diving
6:00 p.m. – Consolation Finals: 400-yard individual medley
Finals: 400-yard individual medley
Consolation Finals: 100-yard butterfly
Finals: 100-yard butterfly
Consolation Finals: 200-yard freestyle
Finals: 200-yard freestyle
Consolation Finals: 100-yard breaststroke
Finals: 100-yard breaststroke
Consolation Finals: 100-yard backstroke
Finals: 100-yard backstroke
Finals: Three-meter diving
Finals: 400-yard medley relay

Saturday, March 30:
10:00 a.m. – Trials: 100-yard freestyle
Trials: 200-yard backstroke
Trials: 200-yard breaststroke
Trials: 200-yard butterfly
Trials: Platform diving
3:45 p.m. – Trials: 1,650-yard freestyle – All but heat of time finals
5:15 p.m. – Consolation Finals: Platform diving
6:00 p.m. – Finals: 1,650-yard freestyle (last heat of timed finals)
Consolation Finals: 200-yard backstroke
Finals: 200-yard backstroke
Consolation Finals: 100-yard freestyle
Finals: 100-yard freestyle
Consolation Finals: 200-yard breaststroke
Finals: 200-yard breaststroke
Consolation Finals: 200-yard butterfly
Finals: 200-yard butterfly
Finals: Platform diving
Finals: 400-yard freestyle relay