2024 Tennessee Invite

Jordan Crooks started the first midseason meet with a bang in the 200 freestyle. Crooks led off the Tennessee men’s 800 freestyle relay with a blistering 1:30.00. He is currently the number 8 performer all time, but you could write a book with all of the places this time is #1. Fastest he has ever been. Fastest Vol in history (beating his own record of 1:30.41 from NCAAs). Fastest swimmer this year. Fastest midseason 200 freestyler ever. 

Let’s start with the personal best time. At this meet last year, he went a 1:32.07 leading off the same relay. At the time, this was a two second drop from his previous best time, also leading off the 800 free relay at the Tennessee invite of 1:34.30. He dropped more time at SECs where he swam the event individually and went 1:31.45 and 1:31.17 in prelims and finals respectively. Finally in prelims at NCAAs he went his best time until this evening at 1:30.41. This means in about 3 months, Crooks dropped a second and a half after previously being known as pretty-exclusively a drop dead sprinter.

Here are his splits from NCAAs and from tonight:

What about the fact that this is at a midseason meet? Is Crooks the fastest midseason 200 freestyler ever? Yes. Here are the top 6 midseason times in history:

1. 1:30.00- Jordan Crooks: 2024 Tennessee Invite
2. 1:30.57- Drew Kibler: 2020 Texas Hall of Fame Invite
3. 1:30.83- Drew Kibler: 2019 Minnesota Invite
4. 1:30.86 Andrew Seliskar: 2018 UGA Fall Invite
5. 1:31.10- Drew Kibler: 2020 Texas First Chance Qualifier (October)
6. 1:31.30- Charlie Hawke: 2023 Tennessee Invite

Crooks’ time this evening is more than 5 tenths faster than the next fastest time at mid-season. Drew Kibler is on the list 3 times though, which makes the list look especially fast. Here are the top 6 performers in history:

1. 1:30.00- Jordan Crooks: 2024 Tennessee Invite
2. 1:30.57- Drew Kibler: 2020 Texas Hall of Fame Invite
3. 1:30.86- Andrew Seliskar: 2018 UGA Fall Invite
4. 1:31.30- Charlie Hawke: 2023 Tennessee Invite
5. 1:31.65- Joao de Luca: 2013 Winter Nationals 
6. 1:31.73- Grant House: 2021 NC State Invite 

Only two other people have ever been 1:30 at this point in the season, which just makes Crooks’ time that much more impressive. It does leave the world of swimming with a lot of questions. Is he next to go under 1:30? How will Luke Hobson respond at the Texas Invite later this week? Can we expect another half second drop in March? One thing is certain, however. It is only November, and only the first day of the meet. There is a lot more swimming in store, and if tonight is any indication, it is going to be exciting.