2019 Pac-12 Men’s Championships: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

2019 MEN’S PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, March 6 – Saturday, March 9 (Diving Feb. 27-March 2)
• Federal Way, WA (Pacific Time Zone)
• Defending Champion: Cal (1x) (results)
• Live results
• Championship Central
• Psych Sheets

The 2019 Pac-12 Men’s Championships continue tonight with finals of the 500 free, 200 IM, 50 free, and 200 free relay. We’ll see a new face on top of the 500 free podium, with 6 of the 8 men in tonight’s final competing as a freshman or sophomore. U.S. National Teamer Abrahm DeVine (Stanford) and Andrew Seliskar (Cal) are among the men to watch in the 200 IM, as is Arizona’s David Schlicht, who had a big swim this morning. The 50 free will feature sprint standouts Pawel Sendyk (Cal), Ryan Hoffer (Cal), and Kyle Grissom (USC), among others.

MEN’S 500 FREE:

• Pac-12 Meet Record: 4:10.67, Grant Shoults, Stanford, 2017
• Pac-12 Conference Record: 4:08.92, Jean Basson, Arizona, 2009
• 2019 NCAA Estimated Qualifying Time: 4:15.44

1. GOLD: Victor Johansson, USC, 4:13.30
2. SILVER: Trenton Julian, Cal, 4:13.61
3. BRONZE: Sean Grieshop, Cal, 4:14.56

Cal’s Trenton Julian set the pace early on and was over 2 seconds ahead of the field at the halfway point. He still led by 2 seconds heading into the final 100, but fell off his pace as USC freshman Victor Johansson ran him down at the finish, 4:13.30 to 4:13.61. That knocked a second of Johansson’s best from prelims and was a lifetime best for Julian by 2 seconds.

A close race for bronze saw Cal’s Sean Grieshop (4:14.56) hold off Arizona’s Brooks Fail (4:14.91). However, neither of them matched Stanford freshman Jack LeVant, who won the B final in 4:14.21. That would have landed him on the podium had he made the championship heat out of prelims. LeVant had qualified 9th, missing out on the top 8 by just 2 tenths.

MEN’S 200 IM:

• Pac-12 Meet Record: 1:40.07, David Nolan, Stanford, 2015
• Pac-12 Conference Record: 1:39.38, David Nolan, Stanford, 2015
• 2019 NCAA Estimated Qualifying Time: 1:43.88

1. GOLD: Andrew Seliskar, Cal, 1:40.53
2. SILVER: David Schlicht, Arizona, 1:42.38
3. BRONZE: Abrahm DeVine, Stanford, 1:42.77

Cal’s Andrew Seliskar was just a tenth shy of his lifetime best tonight, clipping his season best by 2 hundredths as he dominated in 1:40.53. The only time he’s been faster was during the 2018 NCAA Championships, where he put up a 1:40.40. Seliskar was already ahead through the back leg, but really distanced himself from the field with a 28.81 breast split. Arizona freshman David Schlicht also put up a quick breast split (29.20), dropping nearly another second off his best to take 2nd in 1:42.38.

In a close 3-way battle for the final podium spot, Stanford’s Abrahm DeVine held on for the bronze in 1:42.77. Nearly running him down on the freestyle leg were ASU’s Grant House (1:42.83) and Cal’s Mike Thomas (1:42.86). The only other man under 1:44 tonight was Cal’s Daniel Carr (1:43.93).

MEN’S 50 FREE:

• Pac-12 Meet Record: 18.80, Brad Tandy, Arizona, 2014
• Pac-12 Conference Record: 18.63, Vlad Morozov, USC, 2013
• 2019 NCAA Estimated Qualifying Time: 19.35

1. GOLD: Pawel Sendyk, Cal, 18.83
2. SILVER: Ryan Hoffer, Cal, 19.12
3. BRONZE: Michael Jensen, Cal, 19.30

Cal’s Pawel Sendyk took a tenth off his lifetime best, winning in 18.83. Sendyk returns to the top of the podium, having won this event in 2017 and finished 3rd at the 2018 Pac-12 meet. The Bears swept the podium, with Ryan Hoffer notching a season-best 19.13 and Michael Jensen touching 3rd in a season-beat 19.30. USC’s Nikola Miljenic was less than a tenth shy of the podium in 19.35.

MEN’S 200 FREE RELAY:

• Pac-12 Meet Record: Stanford, 2009, 1:15.54
• Pac-12 Conference Record: Cal, 2018, 1:14.56

1. GOLD: Cal, 1:16.43
2. SILVER: Arizona, 1:17.05
3. BRONZE: Utah, 1:17.11

The Bears continued their streak of relay wins with a 1:16.43. Pawel Sendyk led them off in 19.11, handing off to Ryan Hoffer (18.81), Michael Jensen (19.03), and Zheng Quah (19.45). Arizona (1:17.05) clipped Utah (1:17.11) in a tight race for 2nd. Zona’s top split was a 19.07 from Thomas Anderson, while the Utes also got a 19.07 as their fastest split from Clay Stoddard.

TEAM SCORES THROUGH DAY 2:

1. Cal- 342
2. Stanford- 308
3. ASU- 248
4. Arizona- 223
5. USC- 176
6. Utah- 169