MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The Florida men’s swimming & diving team closed out the 2017-18 season with a fifth place finish at NCAAs, garnering a total of 347 points over the four day meet.

Over the course of the week, Florida racked up five national titles (four individual, one relay) and 31 All-America honors. Caeleb Dressel, a Clay High graduate, earned his third CSCAA Swimmer of the Year award for his outstanding performance over the course the meet. This was the first time Dressel has not shared the honor with another swimmer.

“It’s been a long journey since freshman year,” said Dressel in a post meet interview on Swimswam.com. “At Florida, they have a Wall of Champions. I could probably cry about it, but me and my friends will be on it forever.”

Dressel once again became the fastest man in history, this time in the 100 free. He is now the first human to ever break 40 seconds, posting a time of 39.90 in the championship final to earn his third individual title of the meet and the ninth individual title of his career.

“It felt really good to break it. I thought I was going to be a little bit more under the mark, but it hurt – it hurt so bad,” said Dressel, who set the record in his 13th swim of the meet on the final day. “Honestly, it is kind of a good feeling when you reach that level of hurt; you just have to embrace it. I was a little tired after the swim, but, hey, I’m human.”

That time set a new American, NCAA, US Open and UF record, all of which he held from last year’s NCAA meet (40.00).

With his nine individual titles and one relay title, the senior great closes out his Gator career with 10 national championships, the most of any Florida man in school history. He surpassed Ryan Lochte’s seven titles with his 50 free championship earlier in the week and continued to build on that momentum.

The senior ended his week with seven All-America honors, bringing him to 28 over his four years at Florida. That is the most on the men’s side in program history, surpassing Shaune Fraser (2006-10), who had 27 over his career.

Dressel concluded his collegiate career with four American records, three of which he set this meet: 50 free, 100 free and 100 fly.

“I haven’t swum as many 50 frees as much this year as I have in my three previous years,” said Dressel, after his record setting 50 free performances with three sub 18 second finishes including an astounding record of 17.63 seconds. “I really did not what to expect. I could have went anywhere from 18.5 to 18.11. I just wanted to step up and have fun with it.”

No man in the history of Florida has ever won more than three titles (individual or relay) at one NCAA meet, Dressel has now won four over the course of this week: 50 free, 100 free, 100 fly, 200 free relay.

Dressel wasn’t the only one making waves in tonight’s final. Fellow classmates Jan Switkowski and Mark Szaranek each earned a top-3 finish during their final individual races of the meet. Switkowski placed second in the 200 fly with a career-best time of 1:39.55, good for the sixth fastest time in history.

The Gator men will say goodbye to 10 seniors, including the seven that competed this week at NCAAs. Six of the seniors (Dressel, Lawless, Manganiello, Enzo Martinez-Scarpe, Switkowski and Szaranek) combined for 24 of the 31 All-America honors throughout the week.

“They are my best friends and they are my brothers,” said Dressel. “All I can say is that I love them so much – what they have taught me as a man, as a student and as an athlete is unspeakable.”