University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, March 26
Indianapolis, IN
9:00 AM/5:00 PM
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at
NCAA Championships
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Diving
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Breaststroke/Freestyle
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
McHugh Takes Home Gold on Day Three of NCAA Championships
3/26/2021 8:41:00 PM | Men's Swimming & Diving
MINNEAPOLIS - Between Big Ten Conference Championship titles, All-American performances, school records and a number of other notable nods, one achievement has alluded junior breaststroker Max McHugh throughout his time donning the Maroon and Gold: an NCAA title. As of Friday night's finals session at the 2021 NCAA Championships, McHugh has officially done it all after winning the 100 breaststroke 'A' final in a Minnesota school record time of 50.18.
Like he has been all season, McHugh was the clear leader of the event from the start of the preliminary session to standing atop the podium and hearing his name announced. The Sturgeon Bay, Wis. native easily out-touched the rest of the field during the morning's preliminary round in a time of 50.87, which, coincidentally, was his worst time in the event this season.
Where McHugh really shone the brightest was in the night's finals session, comfortably winning his first ever NCAA title in a personal best time of 50.18 seconds. His time stands as the fifth fastest in NCAA history, beating out the previous time of 50.19 which he himself held.
"I told Max before that swim how proud of him we all are, everyone who truly knows him," said head coach Kelly Kremer. "He seems so appreciative to be at this meet and to have this opportunity to compete. He's overcome so much, and he was a Champion long before he touched the wall first tonight."
Speaking to his season as a whole, the 100 breast has been McHugh's event through and through this season, as Friday's results marked his fifth and sixth times touching under 50.9 seconds this season in just as many attempts. Making this stat even more impressive is that he is the only student-athlete in the NCAA to record a time under that 50.9 second mark, consequently giving McHugh the top-six times in the event this season.
For the Minnesota men's swimming and diving program, this feat stands as much more than just another title in the history books, as McHugh's title marks the first NCAA title for the Gophers since diving legend PJ Bogart won his third career title on the one-meter springboard in 1996. From the swimming side of things, McHugh is the first NCAA Champion in the past 57 years for the Maroon and Gold men and the only Gopher man in history to take home the 100 breaststroke crown. The last Gopher male to secure the nation's top crown was in 1964, when Walt Richardson won the 100 butterfly in a time of 50.2 seconds, 0.02 seconds slower than McHugh's 2021 title time.
Historic as McHugh's title was, he was not the only member of the Maroon and Gold to compete during Friday's full day of competition. Sophomore diver Jake Butler made his NCAA debut on the three-meter board, finishing 26th overall with a six-dive score of 334.95. Butler finished his flight with his best dive of the championships, scoring nearly straight 7.0s for a score of 71.20.
Though these championships marked his collegiate debut on the national stage, Butler had previously qualified in 2020 before they were ultimately canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Friday's three-meter denoted his first and last of this season's NCAAs, but the Seal Beach, Calif. native will have his sights set on putting his name atop the history books at next year's national championships.
McHugh will return tomorrow looking to win his second NCAA title of the season in the 200 breaststroke. After winning the event three weeks prior at the Big Ten Championships in a season-best time of 1:50.93, he will enter tomorrow's meet as the second overall seed.
Like he has been all season, McHugh was the clear leader of the event from the start of the preliminary session to standing atop the podium and hearing his name announced. The Sturgeon Bay, Wis. native easily out-touched the rest of the field during the morning's preliminary round in a time of 50.87, which, coincidentally, was his worst time in the event this season.
Where McHugh really shone the brightest was in the night's finals session, comfortably winning his first ever NCAA title in a personal best time of 50.18 seconds. His time stands as the fifth fastest in NCAA history, beating out the previous time of 50.19 which he himself held.
"I told Max before that swim how proud of him we all are, everyone who truly knows him," said head coach Kelly Kremer. "He seems so appreciative to be at this meet and to have this opportunity to compete. He's overcome so much, and he was a Champion long before he touched the wall first tonight."
Speaking to his season as a whole, the 100 breast has been McHugh's event through and through this season, as Friday's results marked his fifth and sixth times touching under 50.9 seconds this season in just as many attempts. Making this stat even more impressive is that he is the only student-athlete in the NCAA to record a time under that 50.9 second mark, consequently giving McHugh the top-six times in the event this season.
For the Minnesota men's swimming and diving program, this feat stands as much more than just another title in the history books, as McHugh's title marks the first NCAA title for the Gophers since diving legend PJ Bogart won his third career title on the one-meter springboard in 1996. From the swimming side of things, McHugh is the first NCAA Champion in the past 57 years for the Maroon and Gold men and the only Gopher man in history to take home the 100 breaststroke crown. The last Gopher male to secure the nation's top crown was in 1964, when Walt Richardson won the 100 butterfly in a time of 50.2 seconds, 0.02 seconds slower than McHugh's 2021 title time.
Historic as McHugh's title was, he was not the only member of the Maroon and Gold to compete during Friday's full day of competition. Sophomore diver Jake Butler made his NCAA debut on the three-meter board, finishing 26th overall with a six-dive score of 334.95. Butler finished his flight with his best dive of the championships, scoring nearly straight 7.0s for a score of 71.20.
Though these championships marked his collegiate debut on the national stage, Butler had previously qualified in 2020 before they were ultimately canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Friday's three-meter denoted his first and last of this season's NCAAs, but the Seal Beach, Calif. native will have his sights set on putting his name atop the history books at next year's national championships.
McHugh will return tomorrow looking to win his second NCAA title of the season in the 200 breaststroke. After winning the event three weeks prior at the Big Ten Championships in a season-best time of 1:50.93, he will enter tomorrow's meet as the second overall seed.
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