North Carolina State University Athletics
Ress Wins National Championship in 50 Back
7/12/2017 9:35:00 AM | Swimming
Overcoming Previous Two Olympic Champions, Ress Triumphs at 2017 U.S. Nationals/World Championship Trials
RALEIGH, N.C. – On the heels of a highly successful 2016-17 season for NC State, rising junior Justin Ress recently took first place in the 50-meter backstroke at the 2017 U.S. Nationals/World Championship Trials held at the IU Natatorium on the campus of IUPUI in Indianapolis, Indiana.
His first-place finish in a time of 24.41 seconds secured him a spot on the U.S. World Championships roster, and also now sees him hold the current fastest time in the world in the 50-meter backstroke.
Ress triumphed over the previous two Olympic backstroke champions, Matt Grevers and Ryan Murphy, on the way to capturing the national championship in the race, while also breaking the former championship record in the event, (24.52) which was held by Olympic backstroke medalist David Plummer since 2013.
He was also less than a tenth of a second shy of the American Record and U.S. Open Record, which sit at 24.33 and 24.36 respectively.
The culture of the program at NC State has been one of the driving forces behind Ress' success on the national stage.
"The team support we have is just amazing," he proclaimed. "I've been in multiple different swim groups since joining the Pack and each one of them was different, but the support from each group was the same. It's crazy how much we put each other on our backs when we need it."
The result also came from Ress' dedication and blue-collar approach to practice.
"It was nice to see all the hard work I've been putting in finally pay off. I wasn't overly happy with my college season this year, so I know that all the hard work I've put in since coming to NC State is paying off the way I want it to." said Ress.
Despite feeling he could have performed better, Ress was a key contributor to the Pack's fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships in 2017, as he was an NCAA Champion in the 800-yard freestyle relay, and earned All-America Honors in the 200, 400 and 800-yard freestyle relays, along with the 200 and 400-yard medley relays, as well as the 100-yard freestyle.
More information on the World Championships can be found here.
His first-place finish in a time of 24.41 seconds secured him a spot on the U.S. World Championships roster, and also now sees him hold the current fastest time in the world in the 50-meter backstroke.
Ress triumphed over the previous two Olympic backstroke champions, Matt Grevers and Ryan Murphy, on the way to capturing the national championship in the race, while also breaking the former championship record in the event, (24.52) which was held by Olympic backstroke medalist David Plummer since 2013.
He was also less than a tenth of a second shy of the American Record and U.S. Open Record, which sit at 24.33 and 24.36 respectively.
The culture of the program at NC State has been one of the driving forces behind Ress' success on the national stage.
"The team support we have is just amazing," he proclaimed. "I've been in multiple different swim groups since joining the Pack and each one of them was different, but the support from each group was the same. It's crazy how much we put each other on our backs when we need it."
The result also came from Ress' dedication and blue-collar approach to practice.
"It was nice to see all the hard work I've been putting in finally pay off. I wasn't overly happy with my college season this year, so I know that all the hard work I've put in since coming to NC State is paying off the way I want it to." said Ress.
Despite feeling he could have performed better, Ress was a key contributor to the Pack's fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships in 2017, as he was an NCAA Champion in the 800-yard freestyle relay, and earned All-America Honors in the 200, 400 and 800-yard freestyle relays, along with the 200 and 400-yard medley relays, as well as the 100-yard freestyle.
More information on the World Championships can be found here.
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