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2024 PAC-12 MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
The final session of the 2024 Pac-12 Men’s Championship will begin soon here in Federal Way. Even without a full Cal team, this has been a phenomenal week of racing. We’ve seen NCAA records, Pac-12 records, and quite a few Pac-12 championship records. It looks like a few more championship records could be erased tonight, so this should be a great final session.
TEAM SCORES (AFTER DAY THREE)
- State of Arizona – 725
- Stanford – 505.5
- California – 406
- Arizona – 372
- USC – 288.5
- Utah – 167
ASU has the competition almost closed. Assuming they don’t get DQ’d in every race tonight, they will win their second straight title and last Pac-12 title. Stanford is firmly sitting in second place and based on this morning’s performances, it looks like Cal should be safe from Arizona in third place.
Tonight’s session will begin with the fastest heat of the 1650 free, then we’ll look at the finals of the 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, and 200 fly. The session will conclude with the 400 free relay.
The 200 backstroke should be a great race tonight. It features ASU’s Hubert Kos, who has the fastest time in the NCAA this season at 1:36.54. He only clocked 1:39.05 this morning, however Kos has been swimming extremely well this week so he should be able to get back to his time tonight, which means he should also try for the Pac-12 Championship record of 1 : 36.94. His ASU teammate Owen McDonald swam very well this morning and finished first overall in 1:38.49.
The 200 breast should also be a great race. from the state of Arizona Leon Marchand He was third this morning with a time of 1:52.22, but we’ve seen him fall a lot from prelims to finals in all of his races this week, so we have no reason to doubt he’ll win tonight. Marchand is the NCAA record holder in the event with a time of 1:46.91. Last night he ran a very fast time of 49.87 in the breaststroke leg of the 400 medley relay, so we’ll see what he can do in the 200 breaststroke tonight. This morning, it was ASU teammates David Schlicht (1:51.45) and Cale Martter (1:52.19) who finished 1st and 2nd respectively.
Sun Devil freshman Ilya Kharun led the 200 fly prelims by a large margin this morning, swimming 1:39.52. Kharun has the best time in the NCAA this season, with a time of 1:37.93. The Pac-12 Championship record stands at 1:38.53, so Kharun has a great chance of breaking it.
50 free champion Jack Dolan posted the fastest time in the 100 free this morning, swimming 41.38. His teammate Jonny Kulow was not far behind, swimming 41.53.
1650 MEN’S FREESTYLE – TIMED FINALS
- NCAA Record: 14:12.08 – Bobby Finke, Florida (2020)
Pac-12 record: 14:24.35 – Chad La Tourrette, Stanford (2012)Pac-12 Championship Record: 14:33.69 – Zach Yeadon – Cal (2021)- NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 14:37.31
The 8 best:
- Zalan Sarkany (Arizona State) – 14:23.01 (CONFERENCE RECORD)
- Krzysztof Chmielewski (USC) – 14:39.64
- Daniel Matheson (Arizona State) – 14:44.85
- Liam Custer (Stanford) – 14:46.22
- Gabe Machado (Stanford) – 14:55.52
- Reece Grady (Arizona State) – 14:56.90
- Jack Meehan (California) – 14:58.38
- Tyler Kopp (California) – 15:05.36
Well, this session is off to a great start. Arizona State sophomore Zalan Sarkany has been swimming incredibly well all week, but he saved the best for last. Sarkany broke his career best of 14:23.01 to win the mile by a wide margin. Additionally, that swim broke the Pac-12 Championship record that Zach Yeadon set in 2021 by a whopping 10.68 seconds. Additionally, Sarkany became the person to break former Stanford star Chad La Tourrette’s Pac-12 conference record of 14:24.35, which had stood since 2012.
Sarkany was out like a bullet tonight, running an impressive 4:17.43 in the first 500 yards. His second 500 came in 4:22.67, and he ran 4:25.08 in the third 500. Sarkany then slowed down again and came home in a lightning-quick 1:17.83 in the final 150.
In the first swim of his very difficult 1650 free/200 butterfly double tonight, the USC freshman Krzysztof Chmielewski recorded 14:39.64 for second. Chmielewski has been a little faster this season, with a time of 14:37.74.
ASU freshman Reece Grady made it to the podium from this afternoon’s slowest heat, swimming 14:56.90, taking 50 seconds off his season-best time of 15:47.63.
MEN’S 200 BACK – FINAL
NCAA Record: 1:35.73 – Ryan Murphy, Cal (2016)Pac-12 Record: 1:35.73 – Ryan Murphy, Cal (2016)Pac-12 Championship Record: 1:36.94 – Destin Lasco, Cal (2023)- NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:39.13
The 8 best:
- Hubert Kos (Arizona State) – 1:35.69 (NCAA RECORD)
- Owen McDonald (Arizona State) – 1:37.70
- Rex Maurer (Stanford) – 1:39.83
- Sebastian Somerset (California) – 1:39.84
- Aarón Sequeira (Stanford) – 1:40.55
- Ziyad Saleem (California) – 1:40.64
- Josh Zuchowski (Stanford) – 1:40.71
- Kai Crews (California) – 1:41.33
ASU sophomore Hubert Kos just made history, breaking Ryan Murphy’s legendary 200 backstroke NCAA record of 1:35.73, which has stood since 2016. Kos clocked 1:35.69 tonight, cutting the Murphy’s record by 0.04 seconds. He also erased the Pac-12 Championship record of 1:36.94, which Cal’s Destin Lasco set in last year’s meet.
He came out surprisingly fast, splitting 22.20 in the first 50 and 24.46 in the second for a 46.66 in the first 100. Kos then kept his pace extremely well, adding splits of 24.46 and 24.57 in the last pair of 50s, for a 49.03 in the second 100. Kos’ previous record of 1:36.54 was set at the NC State Invite in November.
ASU also saw fellow sophomore Owen McDonald run a massive new career best of 1:37.70 for second place tonight. Before his 1:38.49 in this morning’s prelims, McDonald’s career-best time was the 1:39.01 he swam at last year’s Pac-12 Championships. With her swim tonight, McDonald now ranks No. 11 all-time in the event.
Stanford freshman Rex Maurer clocked 1:39.84 to place third tonight. That performance is just shy of Maurer’s career best of 1:39.75, which he swam at the Texas Invite in the fall.
Cal freshman Keaton Jones won the ‘B’ final in 1:39.18, which is the best time of his career and would have been fast enough for third place in the ‘A’ final. Jones had never been under 1:40 in the event before.
MEN’S 100 FREESTYLE – FINALS
- NCAA Record: 39.90 – Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
- Pac-12 Record: 40.75 – Bjorn Seeliger, Cal (2022)
- Pac-12 Championship Record: 40.90 – Bjorn Seeliger, Cal (2023)
- NCAA Court ‘A’: 41.50
The 8 best:
- Matt Jensen (California) – 41.63
- Jack Dolan (Arizona State) – 41.66
- Patrick Sammon (Arizona State) – 41.77
- Jonny Kulow (Arizona State) – 41.80
- Liam Bell (California) – 41.98
- Ralph Daleiden (Arizona) – 42.22
- Rafael Gu (Stanford) – 42.45
- Lucas Maurer (Stanford) – 42.61
All but 2 of the men in tonight’s ‘A’ final of the 100 free added their preliminary results, including winner Matt Jensen (Cal), who scored 41.63 tonight after recording 41.57 in the morning. Jensen was third in the 50, with a time of 19.87, but was great in the second 50, where he ran 21.76.
Arizona State’s Jack Dolan was second with a 41.66, although his 41.38 from the prelims remains the fastest time of the day. Dolan also had the initial speed, posting a very fast 19.58 in the first 50.
Sun Devil junior Patrick Sammon was one of the swimmers who fell tonight, placing third in 41.77. He was just shy of his 41.85 from the prelims. Both of Sammon’s swims today marked the best results of his career.
Cal’s Liam Bell was the other swimmer to advance from prelims to finals, and like Sammon, both of his swims today were personal bests. Bell took fifth place tonight in 41.98, which is his first time under 42 seconds in the event. We are used to seeing Bell in the 200 breast at championship meets, however, it seems that following this path has been worth it. Bell started the day with a career best of 42.81, then swam a 42.17 in the prelims before taking his 41.98 tonight.
200 MALE BRIDLE – FINAL
- NCAA record: 1:46.91 – Leon MarchandASU (2023)
- Pac-12 record: 1:46.91 – Leon MarchandASU (2023)
- Pac-12 Championship Record: 1:47.67 – Leon MarchandASU (2023)
- NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:51.09
The 8 best:
- Leon Marchand (Arizona State) – 1:48.60
- David Schlicht (Arizona State) – 1:51.62
- Cale Martter (Arizona State) – 1:52.19
- Ron Polonsky (Stanford) – 1:52.27
- Andy Dobrzanski (Arizona State) – 1:53.48
- Zhier Fan (Stanford) – 1:53.62
- Hank Rivers (California) – 1:53.91
- Sean Swift (California) – 1:54.09
Leon Marchand He earned his third individual victory of the week, decisively taking the 200 breaststroke with a time of 1:48.60. While that time is about a second off his Pac-12 Championship record of 1:47.67 from last year, it marks a season-best time for Marchand, as well as the best time in the NCAA this season by more than a second. . Marchand also holds the NCAA record in the event with a career-best time of 1:46.91 at last year’s NCAAs.
Marchand opened up a big lead tonight, splitting 51.89 in the first 100, which would have tied for sixth in last night’s 100 breast final. She then split 28.19 in the third 50 and 28.52 in the fourth, resulting in an impressive 56.71 in the second 100.
It was a 1-2-3 blow for ASU, as David Schlicht took second in 1:51.62. That time came in just behind the 1:51.41 he swam in the prelims, which is his career-best time in the event. Sun Devil sophomore Cale Martter tied his 1:52.19 this morning, which is also a career-best of his.
Stanford’s Ron Polonsky clocked a season-best time of 1:52.27, earning him fourth place tonight. Polonsky has a personal best of 1:51.73, a time he swam at the 2022 Pac-12 Championships.
MEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY – FINALS
- NCAA record: 1:37.35 – Jack CongerTexas (2017)
- Pac-12 record: 1:37.93 – Ilya Kharun, ASU (2024)
- Pac-12 Championship Record: 1:38.53 – Trenton Julian, Cal (2021)
- NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:40.16
The 8 best:
MEN’S 400 FREESTYLE RELAY – FINALS
- NCAA record: 2:44.07 – Florida (2023)
- Pac-12 record: 2:44.08 – Cal (2023)
- Pac-12 Championship Record: 2:45.67 – Cal (2023)
- NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 2:50.44
Results: