University of Tennessee Athletics
Crooks Sets Championship Record in 100 Free, Top Seed in Thursday’s Final
December 11, 2024 | Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving, Men's Swimming & Diving
BUDAPEST, Hungary – Tennessee senior Jordan Crooks enjoyed an impressive day of swimming Wednesday at the Short Course World Championships to highlight a successful start to the meet for the Big Orange.
The George Town, Cayman Islands, native threw down a blazing 44.95 effort during the 100 free prelims to set a new championship meet record and national record. Crooks' mark is the third-fastest time ever in short-course meters history, and it was just 0.11 seconds off the world record time. He had the top time in prelims and the semifinals to secure his spot in lane four of Thursday's final.
Crooks wasn't the only Vol to make the top eight of the 100 free. Junior Gui Caribe won the first heat of the semifinals behind a 45.86 effort to punch his ticket to the final. The reigning NCAA silver medalist in the 100 free helped the Brazilian 400 free relay to a fifth-place finish on Tuesday and also placed 10th in the 50 fly thanks to a personal-best time of 22.18.
The Olympic duo of Crooks and Caribe are two of the best sprint freestylers in the NCAA once again this season. At the midseason mark, Crooks is the national leader in the 50 and 100 free, while Caribe ranks second overall in the 100 free and third in the 50 free. Both are slated to swim the 50 free in Budapest on Saturday, with Crooks holding the title of reigning champion from the 2022 edition in Melbourne, Australia.
During the first two days, Vols and Lady Vols have broken a combined five national records. Also swimming the 100 free this morning was graduate student Lamar Taylor and freshman Jillian Crooks. Taylor took 13th in the event thanks to a new Bahamian national record time of 46.34, while Crooks improved the Cayman Islands national record with a 54.13 mark.
Two-time Olympian Ellen Walshe set a pair of Irish national records on Tuesday in the 50 fly (25.45) and 200 IM (2:05.52). She finished fifth in the 200 IM and 14th in the 50 fly. Three-time Olympic swimmer Kira Toussaint narrowly missed the 100 back semifinals, taking 17th with a time of 57.55.
Lady Vol signee Mizuki Hirai, a 2024 Paris Olympian from Japan, advanced to a pair of semifinals on the first day of competition. She placed 13th in the 50 fly (25.27) and 14th in the 100 back (57.44). She also helped the Japanese mixed 200 medley relay to a seventh-place finish.
Here's the remaining schedule for the meet:
Thursday, Dec. 12
Women's 50 Back Prelims & Semifinals – Mizuki Hirai, Kira Toussaint
Men's 50 Back Prelims & Semifinals – Lamar Taylor
Women's 100 IM Prelims & Semifinals – Ellen Walshe
Men's 400 Free Prelims & Finals – Joaquin Vargas
Women's 800 Free Relay Prelims & Finals
Men's 100 Free Finals – Gui Caribe, Jordan Crooks
Friday, Dec. 13
Mixed 200 Free Relay Prelims & Finals
Women's 100 Fly Prelims & Semifinals – Mizuki Hirai, Ellen Walshe
Men's 800 Free Relay Prelims & Finals
50 Back Finals
100 IM Finals
Saturday, Dec. 14
Women's 400 IM Prelims & Finals – Ellen Walshe
Women's 50 Free Prelims & Semifinals – Jillian Crooks
Men's 50 Free Prelims & Semifinals – Gui Caribe, Jordan Crooks, Lamar Taylor
Men's 50 Breast Prelims & Semifinals – Michael Houlie, Peter John Stevens
Mixed 400 Medley Relay Prelims & Finals
100 Fly Finals
Sunday, Dec. 15
Women's 200 Free Prelims & Finals – Julia Mrozinki
Men's 200 Free Prelims & Finals – Nikoli Blackman, Rafael Ponce de Leon Castilla
Women's 200 Back Prelims & Finals – Regan Rathwell
400 Medley Relay Prelims & Finals
50 Free Finals
50 Breast Finals
The George Town, Cayman Islands, native threw down a blazing 44.95 effort during the 100 free prelims to set a new championship meet record and national record. Crooks' mark is the third-fastest time ever in short-course meters history, and it was just 0.11 seconds off the world record time. He had the top time in prelims and the semifinals to secure his spot in lane four of Thursday's final.
Crooks wasn't the only Vol to make the top eight of the 100 free. Junior Gui Caribe won the first heat of the semifinals behind a 45.86 effort to punch his ticket to the final. The reigning NCAA silver medalist in the 100 free helped the Brazilian 400 free relay to a fifth-place finish on Tuesday and also placed 10th in the 50 fly thanks to a personal-best time of 22.18.
The Olympic duo of Crooks and Caribe are two of the best sprint freestylers in the NCAA once again this season. At the midseason mark, Crooks is the national leader in the 50 and 100 free, while Caribe ranks second overall in the 100 free and third in the 50 free. Both are slated to swim the 50 free in Budapest on Saturday, with Crooks holding the title of reigning champion from the 2022 edition in Melbourne, Australia.
During the first two days, Vols and Lady Vols have broken a combined five national records. Also swimming the 100 free this morning was graduate student Lamar Taylor and freshman Jillian Crooks. Taylor took 13th in the event thanks to a new Bahamian national record time of 46.34, while Crooks improved the Cayman Islands national record with a 54.13 mark.
Two-time Olympian Ellen Walshe set a pair of Irish national records on Tuesday in the 50 fly (25.45) and 200 IM (2:05.52). She finished fifth in the 200 IM and 14th in the 50 fly. Three-time Olympic swimmer Kira Toussaint narrowly missed the 100 back semifinals, taking 17th with a time of 57.55.
Lady Vol signee Mizuki Hirai, a 2024 Paris Olympian from Japan, advanced to a pair of semifinals on the first day of competition. She placed 13th in the 50 fly (25.27) and 14th in the 100 back (57.44). She also helped the Japanese mixed 200 medley relay to a seventh-place finish.
Here's the remaining schedule for the meet:
Thursday, Dec. 12
Women's 50 Back Prelims & Semifinals – Mizuki Hirai, Kira Toussaint
Men's 50 Back Prelims & Semifinals – Lamar Taylor
Women's 100 IM Prelims & Semifinals – Ellen Walshe
Men's 400 Free Prelims & Finals – Joaquin Vargas
Women's 800 Free Relay Prelims & Finals
Men's 100 Free Finals – Gui Caribe, Jordan Crooks
Friday, Dec. 13
Mixed 200 Free Relay Prelims & Finals
Women's 100 Fly Prelims & Semifinals – Mizuki Hirai, Ellen Walshe
Men's 800 Free Relay Prelims & Finals
50 Back Finals
100 IM Finals
Saturday, Dec. 14
Women's 400 IM Prelims & Finals – Ellen Walshe
Women's 50 Free Prelims & Semifinals – Jillian Crooks
Men's 50 Free Prelims & Semifinals – Gui Caribe, Jordan Crooks, Lamar Taylor
Men's 50 Breast Prelims & Semifinals – Michael Houlie, Peter John Stevens
Mixed 400 Medley Relay Prelims & Finals
100 Fly Finals
Sunday, Dec. 15
Women's 200 Free Prelims & Finals – Julia Mrozinki
Men's 200 Free Prelims & Finals – Nikoli Blackman, Rafael Ponce de Leon Castilla
Women's 200 Back Prelims & Finals – Regan Rathwell
400 Medley Relay Prelims & Finals
50 Free Finals
50 Breast Finals
Players Mentioned
Free
/ Swimming & Diving
Free/Fly
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Free/Back/Fly
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Sprint Free
/ Swimming & Diving
Distance Free
/ Swimming & Diving
Back/IM
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Free/Back
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Free/Back
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