Top-ranked UT men’s swimming and diving dominating Big 12 Championships

By Steve Lansdale

AUSTIN, Texas — Junior Will Licon, the 2015 Big 12 Swimmer of the Year, defended his conference championship in the 200-yard individual medley Thursday to help the No. 1-ranked Texas Longhorns win all four events contested on the second day of the Big 12 Championships in Austin.

Licon won the event in[s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level1)] 1:42.85, the sixth-fastest time in the country this year. UT freshmen John Shebat and Ryan Harty finished second and third in 1:44.13 and 1:44.91, respectively.

The Longhorns also swept the 50-yard freestyle. Freshman Tate Jackson won the event to claim his first conference crown, touching the wall in a personal-best 19.25, while UT sophomore Brett Ringgold finished second in 19.46 and senior John Murray came in third in 19.55.

Jackson said his victory was made more special because of the support he has gotten from his teammates and coaches, and because of the admiration he had for Murray before he even decided to attend Texas.

“I can’t even really describe it,” Jackson said. “It has been unreal coming here to Texas. I have raced against Brett (Ringgold) and looked up to John (Murray) a few years before I was even considering Texas as a school. I didn’t even know I was going to be that good.

“All of the guys have been so supportive and the coaches have helped immensely. I can’t even describe how I feel right now. It is the happiest I think I have ever been.”

UT also swept the 500-yard freestyle. Freshman Townley Haas won the event in 4:12.63, the fifth-fastest time ever posted by a UT swimmer, while fellow freshman Jeff Newkirk finished second (4:19.94) and sophomore Jonathan Roberts placed third (4:21.71).

If the individual titles weren’t enough, Texas capped off the meet’s second day by setting a new meet record when Shebat, Licon, sophomore Joseph Schooling and junior Jack Conger won the 400-yard medley relay in 3:04.64.

After two days of the conference’s championship, Texas leads the field with 363 points. West Virginia is in second with 281, while TCU is third with 227.

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