Josh Schneider Wins NCAA Championship In 50 Freestyle

March 26, 2010

NCAA Swimming Central | Race Video

COLUMBUS - University of Cincinnati swimmer Josh Schneider won the 2010 NCAA Championship in the 50-yard freestyle, Friday on the first day of the NCAA meet at the Bill and Mae McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion on the campus of The Ohio State University.

Schneider becomes UC's fourth individual national champion and the first in an individual swimming event since 1946. The three previous UC individual champions were Charles Keating (swimming) in 1946, diver Pat Evans in 1989, and diver Becky Ruehl in 1996. Keating was the 200 breaststroke champion, Evans was a 3-meter diving champion, and Ruehl took the 10-meter diving crown.

"The key to the race was not thinking about it," Schneider said. "I just let it rock out. I was third at the turn and I said to myself I wasn't going to lose the race. It was so loud in here, I had no idea I won. I looked up at the board and saw a 1 by my name and couldn't believe it."

The senior, top-seeded entering the event, swam a school- and pool-record time of 18.93. It was better then his seed time of 19.07 from the morning, and his first time swimming under 19 seconds in competition.

He trailed Cal's Nathan Adrian at the turn and was neck and neck with Texas' Jimmy Feigen swimming identical 9.27 opening 25s, compared to Adrian's 9.20. Schneider chased him down in the last 25 yards, swimming 9.66 to Feigen's 9.81 and Adrian's 9.82 to earn the win.

After the race, Schneider received congratulatory phone calls from several people, including UC's first national champion Charles Keating, the 1946 winner of the 200 breaststroke.

Schneider will swim two more races in the meet, tackling the 100 butterfly on Saturday and 100 freestyle on Sunday.

Complete results from the 50 freestyle are listed below:

Event 4 Men 50 Yard Freestyle
=========================================================================
American: A 18.71 3/26/2009 Nathan Adrian, California
US Open: O 18.47 3/27/2008 Cesar Cielo, Auburn
NCAA Meet: M 18.47 3/27/2008 Cesar Cielo, Auburn
NCAA: N 18.47 3/27/2008 Cesar Cielo, Auburn
Pool: P 18.97 3/26/2010 Jimmy Feigen, TEX-ST
19.35 "A"
20.31 "B"
Name Year School Prelims Finals Points
=========================================================================
=== A - Final ===

1 Schneider, Josh CINC 19.07 18.93P 20
r:+0.70 9.27 18.93 (9.66)
2 Adrian, Nathan CAL 19.04 19.02 17
r:+0.73 9.20 19.02 (9.82)
3 Brown, Adam AUB 19.34 19.03 16
r:+0.75 9.33 19.03 (9.70)
4 Feigen, Jimmy TEX 18.97 19.08 15
r:+0.71 9.27 19.08 (9.81)
5 Louw, Gideon AUB 19.22 19.14 14
r:+0.75 9.39 19.14 (9.75)
6 Daniels, Joshua CAL 19.29 19.41 13
r:+0.75 9.44 19.41 (9.97)
7 Dunford, David STAN 19.37 19.47 12
r:+0.78 9.57 19.47 (9.90)
8 Coville, Alex STAN 19.17 19.51 11
r:+0.70 9.39 19.51 (10.12)