For the second consecutive season, junior Wade Allen has qualified for the NCAA Men’s Championships. In what has been a record-breaking season, Allen will look to continue his torrid swimming against the nation’s best.
Allen recently set the school record in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 19.45 at the Pac-12 Championships.
“After a really great dual meet season, with flashes of real brilliance in December at the Texas Invite, we thought he would easily make NCAAs. But the entire country seemed to surge in the sprints and suddenly Wade was tied for 27th in the 50 freestyle, and they only take 29, so we were a little nervous,” head coach Gregg Wilson said.
Allen’s brilliance was shown at the Texas Invite when he broke the school record in the 100 freestyle. His time of 43.26 edged out Chris Peterson’s old record by just one one-hundredth of a second.
“Now he’s in, and at this point, two weeks before the meet, he is swimming better than ever. He also knows this meet, he’s been there, and he’s an outstanding racer in prelim swims, so we’re very confident,” Wilson said.
In the 2013 championships, Allen finished 33rd overall in the 100 butterfly and 39th overall in the 100 freestyle.
The championships will be held in Austin, Texas at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center from Mar. 27-29.
Allen will be swimming the 50 freestyle on Thursday, Mar. 27, the 100 freestyle on Friday, Mar. 28 and the 100 butterfly on Saturday, Mar. 29.
