2023 MEN’S PAC-12 SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
TEAM SCORES THRU DAY 1
- USC – 198
- Utah – 146
- Arizona – 131
- ASU – 127
- Stanford – 117
- Cal – 72
ASU had a dominant show in right this moment’s prelims, placing 4 swimmers into the ‘A’ ultimate in every particular person occasion–the five hundred free, 200 IM, and 50 free. That consists of the highest seed within the 200 IM, NCAA report holder Leon Marchand. The Frenchman put up the quickest time of the morning with a 1:40.32, however had the slowest freestyle leg of the top-8 qualifiers, which indicators that he ought to have much more left within the tank for finals.
The Sun Devils flexed their depth, however Cal took the highest seed in each the five hundred and 50 freestyle. In the five hundred, grad pupil Lucas Henveaux, who joined the crew this semester, clocked the quickest prelims time in a private finest 4:11.06. His teammate Patrick Callan is seeded second, over two seconds again in 4:13.21.
The prime seed within the 50 freestyle belongs to Bjorn Seeliger, who was the one man to crack 18 seconds in prelims. He posted 18.87, simply seven-hundredths off the meet report, in order that’s one other report to keep watch over this session. Seeliger is the favourite heading into finals, however there’s a detailed race for second shaping up behind him as Jack Dolan, Jonny Kulow, and Andrei Minakov are separated by simply three-hundredths.
500 FREESTYLE – FINALS
- NCAA Record: 4:06.32, Kieran Smith (Florida) — 2020 SEC Championships
- Pac-12 Record: 4:07.81, Leon Marchand (Arizona State) — 2023 ASU vs. Arizona
- Championship Record: 4:09.49, Trenton Julian (Cal) — 2021 PAC-12 Championships
- 2022 Champion: Preston Forst (Stanford) – 4:12.06
- NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 4:11.40
- 2022 NCAA Invite: 4:14.96
Top 8:
- Gabriel Jett (Cal) – 4:09.66
- Lucas Henveaux (Cal) – 4:11.16
- Julian Hill (ASU) – 4:12.21
- Patrick Callan (Cal) – 4:12.45
- Andrew Gray (ASU) – 4:12.55
- Daniel Matheson (ASU) – 4:13.14
- Preston Forst (STAN) – 4:15.01
- Zalan Sarkany (ASU) – 4:16.48
Gabriel Jett continued his breakout 12 months right here on the PAC-12 Championships, incomes the convention title within the 500 freestyle. Jett swam a lifetime better of 4:09.66, scaring the meet report that Trenton Julian set at 4:09.49 in 2021. The swim is a finest time for the sophomore by 4.24 seconds, bettering on the 4:13.90 he swam on the 2021 Minnesota Invite.
At this meet final 12 months, Jett completed twentieth in prelims with a 4:23.09 earlier than electing to scratch finals. Additionally, this swim vaults him as much as second quickest within the NCAA this season, behind solely Leon Marchand, who will probably go for the 200 IM at NCAAs like he did right here. Many had Jett as darkish horse contender within the 200 fly, however he’s simply asserted himself as a contender on this occasion as properly.
Cal’s latest addition of Lucas Henveaux made it a 1-2 for Cal, clocking a 4:11.16, which is only a tenth slower than the time he posted in prelims.
ASU had 4 swimmers up on this ultimate, and Julian Hill was the quickest of the 4, taking third in 4:12.21, which is a brand new private finest for him.
Last 12 months’s champion Preston Forst completed seventh in 4:15.01. That’s properly off his private finest, however marks a brand new season finest.
ASU’s Jack Wadsworth, a switch from D3 Ithaca College, gained the ‘B’ ultimate in 4:17.87 to decrease his lifetime finest from the 4:19.33 that he swam in prelims. Prior to right this moment, his private finest was the 4:23.72 he posted on the NC State Invite. And earlier than arriving in Tempe? His finest was a 4:38.44. Before arriving at ASU, he didn’t swim the occasion that usually–he solely raced it as soon as whereas at Ithaca.
200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY – FINALS
- NCAA Record: 1:37.69, Leon Marchand (Arizona State) — 2022 NCAA Championships
- Pac-12 Record: 1:37.69, Leon Marchand (Arizona State) — 2022 NCAA Championships
Championship Record: 1:39.65, Leon Marchand (Arizona State) — 2022 PAC-12 Championships- 2022 Champion: Leon Marchand (Arizona State) – 1:39.65
- NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:41.22
- 2022 NCAA Invite: 1:43.36
Top 8:
- Leon Marchand (ASU) – 1:37.81 (Meet Record)
- Hugo Gonzalez (CAL) – 1:38.72
- Ron Polonsky (STAN) – 1:40.42
- Destin Lasco (CAL) – 1:40.60
- Owen McDonald (ASU) – 1:41.60
- Grant House (ASU) – 1:41.62
- David Schlicht (ASU) – 1:42.33
- Jonny Affeld (STAN) – 1:43.38
Leon Marchand took down his personal championship report within the 200 IM to defend his title, blasting a 1:37.81. That’s the second-fastest swim of all-time within the occasion, trailing solely his 1:37.69 that he swam at 2022 NCAAs. Marchand cut up 21.52/24.34/28.17/23.78.
In his post-race interview, Marchand mentioned that he’s not performed a full taper for this meet, and that it’s his enhancements in his breaststroke and freestyle which have allowed him to swim as quick as he was final 12 months with out totally tapering.
After a sluggish begin when he rejoined Cal earlier this semester, Hugo Gonzalez is again on type. He pushed Marchand via nearly all of the race–although Marchand used highly effective underwaters to tug away from him on the freestyle leg. Gonzalez swam 1:38.72, which is a private finest by 1.1 seconds.
Rounding out the rostrum was Stanford’s Ron Polonsky, who took third for the second straight 12 months. His time of 1:40.42 is quicker than the 1:40.71 he swam at this meet final 12 months. The sophomore used a robust again half (28.76/24.29) to overhaul Destin Lasco, who repeated his fourth place end from final 12 months with a 1:40.60.
After clocking a lifetime finest 1:42.94 in prelims, ASU freshman Owen McDonald continued to drop time right here in finals. He completed fifth in 1:41.60, edging out teammate Grant House by two-hundredths of a second.
In the ‘B’ ultimate, Hubert Kos completed second behind Jason Louser (1:41.82) in a brand new private better of 1:42.37. That takes .73 seconds off his earlier finest, a 1:43.10.
50 FREESTYLE – FINALS
- NCAA Record: 17.63, Caeleb Dressel (Florida) — 2018 NCAA Championships
- Pac-12 Record: 18.27, Bjorn Seeliger (Cal) — 2022 NCAA Championships
- Championship Record: 18.80, Brad Tandy (Arizona) — 2014 PAC-12 Championships
- 2022 Champion: Bjorn Seeliger (Cal) – 18.84
- NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 18.88
- 2022 NCAA Invite: 19.28
Top 8:
- Jack Dolan (ASU) – 18.86
- Bjorn Seeliger (CAL) – 18.91
- Andrei Minakov (STAN) – 19.07
- Jonny Kulow (ASU) – 19.09
- Jack Alexy (CAL) – 19.13
- Max McCusker (ASU) – 19.14
- Ryan Perham (ARIZ) – 19.32
- Patrick Sammon (ASU) – 19.47
ASU gained their second straight occasion as Jack Dolan gained the 50 freestyle in a private better of 18.86. That undercuts his earlier better of 18.92, which he swam at midseason. With the advance, he additionally strikes as much as seventh within the NCAA this season–and the race there for a spot within the NCAA ‘A’ ultimate will get occasion tighter. Dolan was six-hundredths off the meet report, which has stood at 18.80 since 2014.
Last 12 months’s champion Bjorn Seeliger took second in 18.91, including four-hundredths from his prelims time. Seeliger was first on the flip–the one man out beneath 9 seconds with an 8.96–however Dolan used a quick flip to energy a robust second 25 and get his hand on the wall forward of Seeliger.
Stanford’s Andrei Minakov earned third with a 19.07. That’s a private finest for him, knocking a hundredth off the 19.08 he swam to get second at this meet final 12 months. Minakov didn’t race this occasion at 2022 NCAAs, as a substitute opting to be on all 5 relays. It’s a optimistic signal for Minakov, who didn’t compete for Stanford within the fall semester.
Freshman Jonny Kulow got here into the meet with a private better of 19.46, which he lowered to 19.15 in prelims. He dropped once more right here in finals to seize fourth in 19.09. That places him in a six manner tie for seventeenth within the NCAA.
200 FREESTYLE RELAY — TIMED FINAL
- NCAA Record: 1:14.08, Auburn – 2009 NCAA Championships
- PAC-12 Record: 1:14.36, Cal — 2021 NCAA Championships
- PAC-12 Championship Record: 1:15.00, Cal — 2022 PAC-12 Championships
- 2022 Champion: Cal — 1:15.00
- NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:16.80
Top 6:
- Cal (Seeliger, Alexy, Lasco, Jett) – 1:15.40
- ASU (Dolan, Kulow, McCusker, House) – 1:15.75
- Arizona (Palmer, Ercegovic, Miller, Perham) – 1:15.97
- Stanford – 1:16.24
- Utah – 1:18.02
DQ: USC
Cal earned their second occasion win of the session with their win right here within the 200 free relay, and defended their occasion title from final 12 months. Seeliger led off in 18.87, which ties what he swam within the 50 free prelims earlier right this moment. While that point nonetheless would have been second to Dolan within the particular person ultimate, it was sufficient to present Cal the lead, as Dolan led off for the Sun Devils in 19.15.
The Golden Bears led from wire-to-wire on this race. Jack Alexy cut up 18.54, which is about what he cut up on the DQed 200 medley relay. Destin Lasco swam the third leg, clocking 18.81. Newly topped 500 freestyle champion Gabriel Jett anchored in 19.18. For a second, it appeared like ASU’s anchor Grant House was going to catch Jett, however the sophomore had a monster underwater off his flip to place distance between himself and House.
ASU touched second in 1:15.75. After Dolan, Kulow cut up 18.86, .46 slower than his 200 medley relay anchor on Night 1. The necessary context there was that was his first swim of the night, whereas tonight he swam the 50 free lower than an hour earlier than. Max McCusker swam 18.97, earlier than handing issues off to House who anchored in 18.95. They mixed for a time of 1:15.75. Their 1:15.30 from midseason stays their quickest time of the season.
Finishing third was the Arizona Wildcats, who’ve been placing collectively sturdy relays to date at this meet. They turned their ‘B’ lower from midseason into an ‘A’ lower–their third of the meet–with a 1:15.97. Freshman Tommy Palmer opened for them with a 19.31, three-hundredths sooner than the time he swam to win the ‘B’ ultimate. Then, Marin Ercegovic and Seth Miller cut up 18.99 and 19.12, respectively. Ryan Perham introduced them dwelling in 18.55, surging previous Stanford to seize the ultimate spot on the rostrum.
While they completed off the rostrum, Stanford nonetheless earned an NCAA ‘A’ lower in 1:16.24, which is significant as they hadn’t but hit a ‘B’ lower within the occasion.
Team Scores Thru Day 2
- ASU – 357.5
- Cal – 251
- Stanford – 238
- USC – 202.5
- Arizona – 197
- Utah – 174
ASU has taken a commanding lead after two days of racing. That’s because of the foremost depth they confirmed within the three particular person occasions right this moment, the place they’d 12 ‘A’ finalists–two of whom gained their occasions. The groups are starting to kind themselves out right into a extra recognizable order as extra racing occurs. Not solely has ASU taken over first, however Cal has leaped from sixth to second, and Stanford has pulled into third. The crew that had the roughest day was USC: they solely had one finalist after which they disqualified their relay, that means that they earned simply 4.5 factors on the day.
