TCU junior Edgar Crespo placed 20th in the 100-breaststroke Friday afternoon at the NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championship inside the University of Minnesota’s University Aquatics Center.

The Panama City, Panama, native clocked a 53.50 in preliminary competition to narrowly miss out on a trip to the finals and All-America laurels. The top 16 swimmers in the prelims advanced to the evening finals.

“He got out fast,” TCU coach Richard Sybesma said. “He just took a short stroke into the finish instead of pushing in to the wall.”

A year ago, Crespo placed 27th in the 100-breast at the national meet, when he touched the wall in 54.00. He is the TCU record holder in the event with his 53.32 at the 2010 Mountain West Conference Swimming and Diving Championships.

Crespo was the 100-breast MWC champion in 2010 and placed second in 2011 to UNLV’s Andrew Morrell, who placed 28th in the 100-breast prelims at the NCAAs.

Individually this season, Crespo led TCU in wins during dual events with nine and was undefeated in the 100-breaststroke with five wins. In the 200-breaststroke, he notched four individual wins.

Crespo continues action at the NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championship on Saturday when he suits up in the 200-breaststroke. Saturday’s prelims begin at noon.