INDIANAPOLIS, IN - For the first time in program history, the Arizona State Sun Devils took home the Men’s Swimming & Diving NCAA Championship title. The Sun Devils are now the sixth Pac-12 team to secure a title and the 3rd consecutive.
Thanks to seven first place finishes and 15 overall podium finishes, the Sun Devils saw 523.5 points, giving them a 79 point lead over reigning National Champion California (444.5), who took home second.
For the first time in Arizona State history, the Sun Devil’s topped the podium in an NCAA relay event. With Hubert Kos, Leon Marchand, Ilya Kharun and Jonny Kulow swimming an NCAA record time of 2:57.32, with the country's fastest 100 breast split (48.73 - Marchand), to clinch their first ever relay win in the 400 Medley. The quad of Marchand, Dolan, Patrick Sammon and Kulow went on to close out the Championship meet with their second ever relay win in the 400 Free with an NCAA record time of 2:43.40.
HISTORIC 🏆@ASUSwimDive wins its first relay title in NCAA RECORD time with a 2:57.32 400 medley relay!
pic.twitter.com/yfZzLtA6Dq— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) March 30, 2024
Standout Sun Devil Leon Marchand went 3-for-3 in the individual competition, the only conference swimmer to sweep their events, with two new individual NCAA records.
AND HE DOES IT AGAIN.@leon_marchand DEMOLISHES the NCAA record he set a few weeks ago at the Pac-12 Championships as he wins the 500 free NCAA championship! 😈
📺 @espn | #NCAASwimDive pic.twitter.com/hvK5GXz0rV
— Sun Devil Swim/Dive (@ASUSwimDive) March 28, 2024
After setting the NCAA record in the 500 Free at the Pac-12 Championships, Marchand captured his first NCAA title in the event, setting a new record in the process. Swimming a 4:02.31, the junior shaved four seconds off his previous record to take home the first place spot.
NCAA TITLE NO. 8 ➕ BREAKING HIS OWN NCAA RECORD ➕ 3PEAT IN 200 BREAST = MARCHAND MADNESS@leon_marchand wins the 200 breast title for the third time in as many years as a Sun Devil! 😈
📺 @espn | #ForksUp pic.twitter.com/5fFfhqCiZE
— Sun Devil Swim/Dive (@ASUSwimDive) March 30, 2024
Marchand became a back-to-back Champion in the 400 IM on Friday, swimming a 3:32.12 pool record. Completing his undefeated NCAA Championship run in the individual events, Marchand broke his NCAA 200 Breast record to take home his third win in the event, and 8th overall Championship title.
Continuing on the theme of firsts, Sun Devil’s Zalan Sarkany and Ilya Kharun won their first NCAA titles.
ILYA KHARUN. IS. A. NATIONAL. CHAMP. 😈
The freshman caps off the individual events at the NCAA Championships as he wins the 200 fly!
📺 @espn | #ForksUp pic.twitter.com/dDDJsfKc0r
— Sun Devil Swim/Dive (@ASUSwimDive) March 30, 2024
Sophomore Sarkany topped the NCAA podium, swimming a 14:30.57 in the 1650 Free to finish a whole six seconds ahead of his nearest competitor, while Kharun, who swam as the only newcomer in the 200 Fly finals, beat all upperclassmen with a first place time of 1:38.26.
All-in-all, Pac-12 swimmers earned 26 podium finishes, 11 first-place finishes and 53 top-8 All-Americans. The league had All-Americans in every event and at least one podium finisher in 16 of the 18 swimming events.
Finishing in a close second was the Golden Bears who won three individual and one relay event.
Jett Gabriel, Destin Lasco, Jack Alexy and Robin Hanson kicked off the 2024 NCAA Championships 800 Free relay time that bested the NCAA, meet, US Open, pool and program records. The quad swam a 6:02.26 that gave them their first win in the event since 1986.
NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!
The Bears take first in the 800 free relay with an NCAA record time of 6:02.2#GoBears pic.twitter.com/kbH3VVjcAI
— Cal Men's Swim & Dive (@calmenswim) March 27, 2024
California’s Liam Bell came away victorious in the 100 Breast, crushing the NCAA, American, US Open, meet and program records in the process. In the Conference’s first 100 Breast victory since 2015, Bell swam a 49.53 to crush a six-year old record and bring home the win.
IN NCAA RECORD TIME 49.53 🔥@CalMenSwim's Liam Bell takes down a six year NCAA record in the 100 breast!
📺 ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/41IvlQQtUM
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) March 30, 2024
After finishing just shy of first in the last three NCAAs, California’s Lasco swam a 1:37.91 in the 200 IM to come away with a new American record and the 1st place title. However, in a three-peat fashion, Lasco went onto take home an NCAA record, first place finish in the 200 back for the third year in a row (1:35.37).
Yeah, dude, you can smile - that's a new American Record.#GoBears pic.twitter.com/iwpQT2ZOCO
— Cal Men's Swim & Dive (@calmenswim) March 28, 2024
Second-Place Finishers:
- For the second year in a row, the Sun Devils started the Championships with major runner-up finishes in the 200 Medley Relay and 800 Free Relay. Jack Dolan, Leon Marchand, Ilya Kharun and Jonny Kulow matched their program record of 1:20.55 to capture second in the 200 Medley. In the 800 Free, Marchand, Hubert Kos, Patrick Sammon and Julian Hill smashed their program record, swimming a 6:04.95 with Marchand’s 200 free split (1:28.97) setting a new NCAA record.
- Sun Devil Owen McDonald took home second in the 200 IM (1:39.23) after finishing seventh in the Thursday morning prelims.
- ASU’s David Schlicht came away with a runner-up finish in the 400 IM (3:35.27) behind his fellow Sun Devil, swimming a new personal best in the event.
- Setting a program record in the 200 Free, and blazing past his career-best by three seconds, was California’s Jack Alexy who swam a second place 1:29.75.
- Golden Bear relay quad, Destin Lasco, Liam Bell, Dare Rose and Bjorn Seeliger, swam a 2:58.30 in the 400 medley relay for the fastest time in program history and a runner-up finish.
- Arizona State’s Hubert Kos broke the IUPUI pool record after swimming a 1:35.90 in the 200 Back to secure second, just milliseconds behind his top time.
Third-Place Finishers
- Hubert Kos rounded out the podium in the 200 IM taking home third (1:39.66), behind his fellow Sun Devil teammate.
- With the third fastest time in program history, and a new personal best, California’s Jack Alexy finished third in the 50 free (18.38), going on to secure a third place finish in the 100 free (10.59)
- Despite taking third, the Devil relay team of Dolan, Kharun, Peel and Kulow crushed the Arizona State program record in the 200 free relay, swimming a 1:13.95 to land in third.
- In the Conference’s only podium finish of the men’s diving competition, Stanford’s Jack Ryan placed third in the 3 Meter competition for his highest finish in the event (444.20).
- With the second fastest time in program history, and new career best, California’s Dare Rose finished third in the 200 Fly to finish out the week’s individual events.
2024 NCAA Men's Swimming & Diving Championships
March 27-30, 2024 | IU Natatorium at Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN
Final Team Point Totals (Pac-12 & podium):
1. ARIZONA STATE - 523.5
2. CALIFORNIA - 444.5
3. Florida - 378
8. STANFORD - 177
22. USC - 31
27. ARIZONA - 19
36. UTAH
Pac-12 Men’s Swimming All-Americans (top 8 finishes)
50 Freestyle
Jack Alexy (CAL), 3rd
Bjorn Seelinger (CAL), 5th
Jack Dolan (ASU), 7th
Jonny Kulow (ASU), 8th
100 Freestyle
Jack Alexy (CAL), 3rd
Jack Dolan (ASU), 6th
Bjorn Seeliger (CAL), 8th
200 Freestyle
Jack Alexy (CAL), 2nd
Gabriel Jett (CAL), 7th
500 Freestyle
Leon Marchand (ASU), 1st
Gabriel Jett (CAL), 4th
1650 Freestyle
Zalan Sarkany (ASU), 1st
Krzysztof Chmielewski (USC), 4th
100 Backstroke
Hubert Kos (ASU), 4th
Destin Lasco (CAL), 5th
Owen McDonald (ASU), 6th
200 Backstroke
Destin Lasco (CAL), 1st
Hubert Kos (ASU), 2nd
Owen McDonald (ASU), 3rd
100 Breastroke
Liam Bell (CAL), 1st
Ron Polonsky (STAN), 8th
200 Breastroke
Leon Marchand (ASU), 1st
Liam Bell (CAL), 4th
David Schlicht, (ASU), 5th
100 Butterfly
Ilya Kharun (ASU), 5th
Dare Rose (CAL), 7th
200 Butterfly
Ilya Kharun (ASU), 1st
Dare Rose (CAL), 2nd
Gabriel Jett (CAL), 5th
200 Individual Medley
Destin Lasco (CAL), 1st
Owen McDonald (ASU), 2nd
Hubert Kos (ASU), 3rd
David Schlicht (ASU), 6th
400 Individual Medley
Leon Marchand (ASU), 1st
David Schlicht (ASU), 2nd
200 Free Relay
California, 2nd (Alexy, Seelinger, Bell, Lasco)
ASU, 3rd (Dolan, Kharun, Peel, Kulow)
400 Free Relay
ASU, 1st (Marchand, Dolan, Sammon, Kulow)
California, 3rd (Alexy, Lasco, Jensen, Seeliger)
Stanford, 7th (Minakov, Gu, Dupont Cabrera, McFadden)
800 Free Relay
California, 1st (Jett, Lasco, Alexy, Hanson)
Arizona State, 2nd (Marchand, Kos, Sammon, Hill)
Stanford, 8th (Polonsky, Minakov, Maurer, McFadden)
200 Medley Relay
Arizona State, 2nd (Dolan, Marchand, Kharun, Kulow)
California, 4th (Seelinger, Bell, Rose, Alexy)
Stanford, 7th (Maurer, Polonsky, Minakov, Gu)
400 Medley Relay
Arizona State, 1st (Kos, Marchand, Kharun, Kulow)
California, 2nd (Lasco, Bell, Rose, Seeliger)
Stanford, 5th (Sequeira, Polonsky, Minakov, Gu)
Pac-12 Women’s Diving All-Americans (top 8 finishes)
1 Meter
Jack Ryan (STAN), 4th
Gage Dubois (ARIZ), 6th
3 Meter
Jack Ryan (STAN), 3rd
Platform
Geoffrey Vavitsas (CAL), 5th