WHO IS
THIS GUY?
[PHOTO BY CONNOR TRIMBLE ]
Before the summer of 2019, Texas A&M’s Shaine Casas wasn’t exactly impressing anyone with his swimming. But if his performances since then are any indication, the end results could be spectacular. His coaches see his potential as basically unlimited, and recent history makes it tough to disagree. As for Casas, he has similarly lofty expectations for himself. BY DAVID RIEDER
I
n the spring of 2019, Shaine Casas was showing promising ability, but nothing that indicated that the then-19-year-old would win a national title in a few months. Certainly, no one— at least no one outside of his inner circle—imagined that Casas would soon become the country’s best collegiate swimmer. The last time the United States held a major selection meet, the 2018 summer nationals, Casas was a total non-factor. He swam five events and qualified for two B-finals, one C-final and two D-finals. At his first NCAA Championships eight months later, Casas finished as high as 11th in the 200 fly in two consolation finals appearances. Now, the 21-year-old McAllen, Texas, native and Texas A&M junior enters the college championship season with the top time in the country in four events while threatening American records. He has never competed internationally, but he has become a contender, if not a favorite, to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. And the person least surprised by all that success? Shaine Casas. ALL HE NEEDED WAS A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD “I definitely believed I was talented, and I was very ambitious,” Casas said. “I just felt like I didn’t have the same resources or opportunities as other swimmers. I felt like I had to wait to get my chance. I had to move for a summer just to get a chance to train with a really good club program doing doubles and a somewhat thought-out and methodical weight program with Nitro. I always felt like I was at a disadvantage until I got to the level that everybody was at, and I felt once the playing field was even, I could really explode and put distance on people.” Since the summer of 2019, Casas has been on a hot streak, seemingly surpassing every expectation in sight, and he oozes confidence in his abilities. He’s flown somewhat under the radar 26
MARCH 2021
SWIMMINGWORLD.COM
since not a single national-level meet has been held since U.S. nationals in August 2019, but it was at that meet when Casas made his career breakthrough, posting massive time drops to win the 100 meter back and finish second in the 200 back (behind Austin Katz) and the 200 IM (behind Ryan Lochte). In his sophomore season swimming for the Aggies (2019-20), Casas was masterful. He won SEC titles in the 200 yard back and 200 IM and finished second in the 100 back to reigning 50 meter back World champion Zane Waddell. He led off four A&M relays, including a victorious effort in the 200 medley, and the team finished in an impressive second place. He was set up to star at NCAAs, seeded first in the 200 back and 200 IM and second in the 400 IM. But when the NCAA meet was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Casas lost his big chance. Soon after, he lost another opportunity when the Olympic Trials and Olympics were postponed to 2021. Carrying so much momentum and knowing he had such a huge chance to prove himself on a significant stage, the cancellations were a severe bummer. “I felt like I didn’t have any closure, really,” Casas said. “I was pretty frustrated, and I was upset for a while because I felt like I was robbed. Going into a meet seeded first, there was a good possibility I could have won. I could have lost, also, but I felt like I had a lot to prove that season.” SOMETHING SPECIAL When Texas A&M men’s head coach Jay Holmes and associate head coach Jason Calanog were interviewed together, they recalled their first impression of Casas upon his arrival in College Station in the summer of 2018...and both men laughed. “He broke his ankle at U.S. junior camp, so he was on crutches for six to eight weeks when he got here, so he wasn’t
