The University of Texas Men's Swimming and Diving team capped off the 2021 season by claiming the national title at the NCAA Championship meet at the Greensboro Aquatic Center. Texas concluded the four-day meet with a total of 595 points, 27 in front of second-place California (568). Florida (367), Georgia (268) and Louisville (211) rounded out the top five teams.
The Longhorns earned their NCAA-best 15th national title in program history. Texas has now won the team title in five of the last six national championship meets (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2021), as the 2020 meet was canceled due to COVID-19.
In his 43rd season as head coach, Eddie Reese won his 15th national crown and recorded his 27th top-two national finish and 34th top-three showing. The 15 national titles are tied for the seventh-most of ANY coach in NCAA history (all sports). Reese has led the Longhorns to 41 consecutive top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships and has now won a national title in FIVE different decades (1981, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2021).
The University of Texas captured the 56th national team championship (52 NCAA titles) in school history and first since Men's Tennis won the 2019 title.
UT opened Saturday's final session by earning 25 points in the 1,650-yard freestyle. Freshman David Johnston claimed a seventh-place finish in a personal-best time of 14:40.13, good for No. 6 on UT's all-time performers list. Junior Alex Zettle placed ninth in a personal-best time of 14:42.40, No. 9 on UT's all-time performers chart, and senior JohnThomas Larson finished 13th (14:48.17).
Senior Austin Katz claimed a fifth-place showing in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:38.92. Freshman Carson Foster finished just behind Katz in sixth in a time of 1:39.23. Sophomore Peter Larson placed 17th in a time of 1:41.35, just 0.28 seconds shy of qualifying for the last spot in the 'B' final.
Juniors Drew Kibler and Daniel Krueger tied each other for second place in the 100-yard freestyle in a time of 41.59. Kibler registered a personal-best time of 41.45 in the morning prelims, No. 3 on UT's all-time top performers chart. Senior Chris Staka finished 14th (sixth in the consolation final) with a time of 42.47. Senior Jake Sannem placed 18th in a time of 42.50, just 0.04 seconds shy of qualifying for the last spot in the 'B' final.
Sophomore Caspar Corbeau earned a fourth-place showing in the 200-yard breaststroke in a personal-best time of 1:51.43, good for No. 2 on UT's all-time top performers chart. Sophomore Jake Foster placed 10th (second in consolation final) in a personal-best time of 1:52.59, No. 6 on UT's all-time top performer list, and junior Braden Vines finished 12th (fourth in consolation final) with a time of 1:53.08.
Senior Sam Pomajevich placed sixth in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 1:40.36. Senior Alvin Jiang recorded a 16th-place showing (eighth in consolation final) in a time of 1:43.76. Freshman Coby Carrozza placed 23rd with a time of 1:43.36.
Windle, who won the individual title on the 1-meter board on Thursday and finished runner-up on the 3-meter springboard on Friday, capped his collegiate career with a fourth-place effort on platform at 422.75 points. He opened the finals session with a score of 91.20 on his first dive, an inward 3 ½ somersault tuck (407c), that earned a perfect score of 10 from one of the judges. Windle closed the event with a score of 91.80 on his sixth and final dive, a back 2 ½ somersault 2 ½ twist pike (5255b).
Sophomore Andrew Harness earned a 10th-place finish (second in consolation final) with a six-round score of 381.80 in the consolation finals. Harness placed ninth in the morning prelims (356.35), finishing less than six points shy of qualifying for the 'A' final. In the consolation final, Harness posted a score of 67.20 on his final dive, a back 2 ½ somersault 1 ½ twist pike (5253b).
Freshman Brendan McCourt finished in 30th place with a score of 283.50 points in the prelims, and freshman Noah Duperre placed 33rd at 274.70 points.
The foursome of Krueger, Staka, Sannem and Kibler closed out the meet with a fourth-place finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay in a time of 2:48.28.