25 Cheers for 25 Years: Caeleb Dressel’s Insane 2018 Season

Caeleb Dressel of Florida held his trophy after winning the 100 yard freestyle during the Division I Men's Swimming & Diving Championship held at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center on the University of Minnesota campus on March 24, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Carlos Gonzalez/NCAA Photos via Getty Images).

Florida swimming legend Caeleb Dressel delivered one of the best collegiate swimming performances in history at the 2018 NCAA Men’s Swimming & Diving Championships.

Then a senior, Dressel cemented his status as one of collegiate swimming’s all-time greats by winning three individual national titles – the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard butterfly, and 100-yard freestyle – in jaw-dropping record times.

Over the course of the meet, Dressel set multiple American, NCAA, and U.S. Open records, rewriting the record books in hours. His meet was a mind bending experience for swimming fans.

On the first day, he broke the American record in the 50 freestyle with an 18.11-second swim in prelims, beating his own previous mark of 18.20.

That night, he did even better – leading off a relay, Dressel became the first man ever to break 18 seconds in a 50-yard free, swimming a 17.81 split. He then won the individual 50 free final in 17.63 seconds, a ridiculously fast time.

In the 100 butterfly, Dressel again made history by becoming the first to break 43 seconds, clocking 42.80. He followed that with another barrier-breaking swim in the 100 freestyle, going 39.90 to become the first ever under 40 seconds in that event.

Each swim earned him an American record – three individual events, three wins, three records.

Those swims not only secured Dressel’s place in history, but also lifted the Gators on the team leaderboard. Florida finished third overall at the NCAA Championships, and Dressel’s points (along with relay contributions) were a huge factor in the program’s success.

To that end, Dressel’s leadership and skill helped Florida capture its first-ever NCAA title in the 200 freestyle relay that year as well.

His versatility and dominance were on full display; as a senior, he had also expanded his horizons by setting American records in the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke earlier in the season. But at NCAAs, he stuck to his core three events – and swept them for the second straight year.

Dressel was already a seven-time NCAA champion entering 2018, but he outdid himself yet again.

“We had a long course focus this whole year. I’m happy with the short course, but we’re still on track for some good long course swimming,” Dressel said, already looking beyond NCAAs to bigger stages.

Despite his dominance, Dressel remained focused on the opportunity for more.

“I feel like I’m just getting started in the sport,” he said after collecting his trophies.

His 2018 performance was the capstone of a college career that saw him capture a school-record 28 All-America honors and 10 NCAA titles. He became the first man ever to win the 50 free NCAA title four times (2015–2018), and left with five American records in his name.

Dressel’s success at Florida foreshadowed the international stardom to come. He would soon win multiple Olympic golds, but for many Gator fans, the 2018 NCAA meet is what they remember about the swimming legend.