2023 MEN’S PAC-12 SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
The first prelims session of the 2023 Men’s Pac-12 Championships is underway in Federal Way, WA. It’s going to be a fast session, that includes heats of the five hundred free, 200 IM, and 50 free.
In a uncommon prevalence, all three champions from final 12 months return of their occasions this 12 months. Stanford’s Preston Forst, the five hundred free champion from final 12 months, gained the occasion in 4:12.06 final 12 months. He is available in because the fourth seed this morning. Notably, Leon Marchand is the highest seed within the 500 free, however we don’t but know if he’s going to swim the five hundred or the 200 IM this morning.
Marchand is the 200 IM defending champion, having gained the occasion in a meet report of 1:39.65 final 12 months. He’s already been sooner than that mark this season, coming into as the highest seed with a 1:38.89. Whether Marchand swims the five hundred or the 200 IM, he’ll be more likely to down the Pac-12 Record, and possibly even the NCAA Record, in both race.
Cal’s Bjorn Seeliger gained the 50 free in 18.84 final 12 months, narrowly lacking the meet report by 0.04 seconds. He comes into these championships as the highest seed, already having swum an 18.87 this season. ASU’s Jack Dolan has additionally been beneath 19 seconds within the occasion this season, coming in because the second seed with an 18.92.
500 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS
- NCAA Record: 4:06.32, Kieran Smith (2020)
- Pac-12 Record: 4:07.81, Leon Marchand (2023)
- Championship Record: 4:09.49, Trenton Julian (2021)
- 2022 Champion: Preston Forst (Stanford) – 4:12.06
- NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 4:11.40
- 2022 NCAA Invite: 4:14.96
TOP EIGHT QUALIFIERS:
- Lucas Henveaux (California) – 4:11.06
- Patrick Callan (California) – 4:13.21
- Gabriel Jett (California) – 4:13.43
- Julian Hill (Arizona State) – 4:14.38
- Daniel Matheson (Arizona State) – 4:15.47
- Preston Forst (Stanford) – 4:15.66
- Andrew Gray (Arizona State) – 4:16.18
- Zalan Sarkany (Arizona State) – 4:17.90
Cal grad college students Lucas Henveaux and Patrick Callan took over the ultimate warmth of the five hundred free prelims this morning, clocking the highest two instances of the morning. Henveaux, a local of Belgium who joined Cal this semester, posted a brand new private better of 4:11.06 to seize lane 4 finals tonight.
Callan took practically 5 seconds off his private finest, ending second within the warmth and total in 4:13.21. That swim is available in very near Callan’s lifetime finest, which sits at 4:12.53 from the 2019 Big Ten Championships.
Cal sophomore Gabriel Jett clocked a lifetime better of 4:13.43 to complete this morning. His earlier finest was a 4:13.90, set on the 2021 Minnesota Invite in November of 2021.
Defending champion Preston Forst made it into the ‘A’ ultimate tonight, clocking the Sixth-fastest time of the morning. Forst swam a 4:15.66 this morning, marking a season finest by just a little over a second, however coming in 3.60 seconds off his profitable time from final 12 months.
While Cal took the highest three spots for finals tonight, Arizona State had a large efficiency as nicely. The Sun Devils put 4 swimmers into the ‘A’ ultimate tonight, led by Julian Hill, who was fourth this morning in 4:14.38. Hill has been 4:13.69 already this season.
Other notable swims this morning embrace Cal sophomore Trent Frandson, who swam a 4:19.36. It was a large efficiency for Frandson, taking 11 seconds off his season finest. It was additionally a lifetime finest by a few second, marking Frandson’s first time beneath 4:20 within the occasion. He swam exhibition this morning, making him ineligible for finals tonight.
200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY – PRELIMS
TOP EIGHT QUALIFIERS:
- Leon Marchand (Arizona State) – 1:40.32
- Hugo Gonzalez (California) – 1:41.53
- Destin Lasco (California) – 1:41.83
- Grant House (Arizona State) – 1:42.32
- Owen McDonald (Arizona State) – 1:42.94
- David Schlicht (Arizona State) – 1:42.97
- Ron Polonsky (Stanford) – 1:43.16 (Tie)
- Jonny Affeld (Stanford) – 1:43.16 (Tie)
Arizona State has jumped out to an unimaginable begin this morning, placing one other 4 swimmers into the ‘A’ ultimate of the 200 IM after placing 4 into the ‘A’ ultimate of the five hundred free. The Sun Devils had been, in fact, led by NCAA Record holder Leon Marchand, who swam a 1:40.32. It was a stable morning swim for Marchand, who has already been 1:38 this season and has a lifetime better of 1:37.69. He actually jumped out to an early lead this morning, throwing down a blistering 45.57 on the primary 100 of the race.
Cal fifth-year Hugo Gonzalez seems to be again in type after rejoining the Golden Bears in January. Gonzalez was second this morning with a 1:41.53, taking just a little over a second off his season finest. Destin Lasco got here in third with a 1:41.83, and, like Marchand, we will count on a sooner swim tonight, the query is simply how briskly.
Arizona State freshman Owen McDonald had a large swim this morning, taking fifth total with a 1:42.94. McDonald’s private finest was a 1:45.43 which he swam earlier within the season. He was additionally out quick, splitting 46.87 on the primary 100 of the race. His 31.23 breast cut up from this morning might pose an issue for McDonald tonight, nonetheless, if he’s in a position to get out even sooner he could possibly stand up to having the slowest breast cut up within the area.
50 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS
- NCAA Record: 17.63, Caeleb Dressel (2018)
- Pac-12 Record: 18.33, Ryan Hoffer (2021)
- Championship Record: 18.80, Brad Tandy (2014)
- 2022 Champion: Bjorn Seeliger (Cal) – 18.84
- NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 18.88
- 2022 NCAA Invite: 19.28
TOP EIGHT QUALIFIERS:
- Bjorn Seeliger (California) – 18.87
- Jack Dolan (Arizona State) – 19.13
- Jonny Kulow (Arizona State) – 19.15
- Andrei Minakov (Stanford) – 19.16
- Jack Alexy (California) – 19.22
- Max McCusker (Arizona State) – 19.32
- Ryan Perham (Arizona) – 19.33 (Tie)
- Patrick Sammon (Arizona State) – 19.33 (Tie)
For the third occasion in a row, Arizona State has put 4 swimmers into the ‘A’ ultimate for tonight, bringing their complete for the day to 12 ‘A’ finalists. Jack Dolan got here in because the second seed and completed second total this morning, swimming a 19.13. Meanwhile, Sun Devil freshman Jonny Kulow had a large efficiency, throwing down an enormous lifetime better of 19.15 for third. On prime of that, Kulow’s time this morning will probably be quick sufficient to earn the freshman an invitation to NCAAs later this month.
ASU additionally put Max McCusker and Patrick Sammon into the highest eight this morning, incomes them lanes within the ‘A’ ultimate tonight.
Cal’s Bjorn Seeliger tied his season better of 18.87 to assert the highest seed for tonight’s ultimate. Seeliger’s 18.87 leads the convention this season as nicely. He gained the occasion final 12 months with an 18.84.
Cal additionally noticed sophomore Jack Alex make the ‘A’ ultimate with a 19.22.
Arizona additionally earned their first ‘A’ finalist of the day, seeing Ryan Perham tie for seventh this morning with a 19.33. The Wildcats had two swimmers simply on the skin of the highest eight, seeing freshman Tommy Palmer end ninth in 19.44 and junior Seth Miller contact tenth in 19.46.
