Shaine Casas is a soft spoken and polite teenager. He turns 20 on Christmas Day.
In the water, he is a fierce competitor with the ferocious hunger of a starving shark, always wanting more.
Casas, the former McAllen High swimming standout and current sophomore for the Texas A& M Aggies Swim and Dive team, was once again breaking records and setting high standards while he and his 10th ranked Aggies rolled through the competition to win their third straight Art Adamson Invitational at the Rec Center Natatorium in College Station. The Aggies tallied 1,322 points, more than second place USC and third place Hawaii combined. They also set eight school records.
Casas set five of those records, as well as three pool records. He also became the national leader in three events.
For some, that would be a lifetime achievement. For Casas, it’s another day working to continuously better himself.
“I think everybody around the country saw him last year and really noticed his summer,” A& M men’s swimming head coach Jay Holmes said. “Right now every time he swims he’s doing something pretty exciting. Everybody knows who Shaine Casas is, and he is for sure coming.”
During the three-day event, the sophomore speedster broke school records and earned first place in each of his individual races. He set the school’s 100 back record, he also set the 200 back with an NCAA A-cut time of 1:38.21 and is tied as the eighth fastest performer in the event.
Casas also become the fastest teen ever in the 200 IM. His time of 1 minute, 40.16 seconds also placed him 10th all time in the event among swimmers of any age.
In the prelims, Casas earned the best time in the world in the 2020 competition year and set a new pool record with a time of 53.14 in the 100 back in long course meters. In the 100 back finals, Casas set a pool record, A& M record and top time in the country at 44.48. His time ranks him as the seventh fastest performer in the 100 back of all time in the world, according to a Texas A& M news release.
Casas erased the oldest school record, dating back to 2009, and leads the nation with his time of 45.26 in the 100 fly.
Of course, Casas said he wasn’t completely satisfied and he has more work and goals ahead of him.
“I’m honored to be doing so well in front of all of these fans,” he said in the release. “It’s still just a stepping stone in the process. There’s still a lot to go. I’m not really content. I’m happy with it, but I’m not satisfied with my whole season yet.”
Casas said he may be a little ahead of where he planned to be with his times at this point in the season. He also knows he’s no longer the unknown guy who won two national titles at the Phillips 66 National Championship over the summer.
“I have to work to maintain being on top with those performances,” Casas said Sunday night from A& M. “I guess I’m the one others are trying to beat now. It’s a little different than before.”
