2020 Men’s Pac-12 Championships: Day 4 Prelims Live Recap

2020 MEN’S PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIPS

The final prelims session of the 2020 men’s Pac-12 Championships take place on Saturday morning, with swimmers set to compete in the 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, and 200 fly. The mile will be swum as timed finals in the afternoon, with the fastest 8 seeds swimming at the beginning of finals.

Arizona distance star Brooks Fail is set to swim a double today. Fail will swim the 200 fly in prelims. Assuming he qualifies for finals, he’ll swim in the championship heat of the mile and then the 200 fly again tonight. The defending champion, Zheng Quah of Cal, headlines the 200 fly.

Cal’s Ryan Hoffer is 2-for-2 individually and is seeking a 3rd title in the 100 free. Teammate Reece Whitley headlines the 200 breast after becoming the 10th fastest man ever in the 100 breast last night. Arizona State’s Zach Poti, who set the Meet Record in the 100 back prelims before winning gold last night, will battle again with Cal’s Daniel Carr in the 200 back.

MEN’S 200 BACK

  • Pac-12 Record: Ryan Murphy (Cal), 2016, 1:35.73
  • Meet Record: Ryan Murphy (Cal), 2017, 1:38.07
  • NCAA Record: Ryan Murphy (Cal), 2016, 1:35.73
  • 2019 NCAA Invited: 1:41.31
  • NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:39.16
  • 2019 Champion: Bryce Mefford (Cal), 1:39.13

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS

  1. Daniel Carr, Cal, 1:39.65
  2. Bryce Mefford, Cal, 1:40.74
  3. Hugo Gonzalez, Cal, 1:40.78
  4. Thomas Anderson, Arizona, 1:41.74
  5. (Tie 5th) Zach Poti, ASU, 1:41.79
  6. (Tie 5th) Colby Mefford, Cal, 1:41.79
  7. Andy Song, Cal, 1:41.91
  8. Johannes Calloni, Stanford, 1:41.98

Cal’s Daniel Carr took the top spot this morning in 1:39.65, posting the only sub-1:40. The Bears have 5 of the top 8 men in this race. Bryce Mefford (1:40.74), the 2019 champion in this race, and Hugo Gonzalez (1:40.78), last night’s 400 IM champ, rounded out the top 3. Freshman Colby Mefford broke 1:42 for the first time to tie for 5th in 1:41.79. Teammate Any Song broke 1:42 for the first time as well with a 1:41.91 for 7th.

Arizona’s Thomas Anderson was 4th, matching his seed time exactly in 1:41.74. ASU’s Zach Poti, who broke the 100 back Meet Record yesterday, tied for 5th seed in 1:41.79. Stanford got one in with Johannes Calloni touching 8th in 1:41.98. USC freshman Jack Kirby, a 100 back finalist, was just shy of the top 8 in a lifetime best 1:42.02.

MEN’S 100 FREE

  • Pac-12 Record: Vlad Morozov (USC), 2013, 40.76
  • Meet Record: Vlad Morozov (USC), 2013, 41.38
  • NCAA Record: Caeleb Dressel (Florida), 2018, 39.90
  • 2019 NCAA Invited: 42.53
  • NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 41.71
  • 2019 Champion: Pawel Sendyk (Cal), 41.95

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS

  1. Carter Swift, ASU, 42.04
  2. Ryan Hoffer, Cal, 42.13
  3. Marin Ercegovic, Arizona, 42.37
  4. Michael Jensen, Cal, 42.50
  5. (Tie 5th) Cody Bybee, ASU, 42.64
  6. (Tie 5th) Liam O’Haimhirgin, Utah, 42.64
  7. Jack Dolan, ASU, 42.71
  8. Evan Carlson, ASU, 42.77

ASU’s Carter Swift dropped nearly half a second to lead the heats for the Sun Devils in 42.04. ASU will make up half of the final. Freshman Jack Dolan continued to crush his best times, breaking 43 for the first time in 42.71. Cody Bybee (42.64) tied for 5th and Evan Carlson (42.77) was 8th as both went best times.

Cal’s Ryan Hoffer, the 50 free and 100 fly champion, was a close 2nd to Swift in 42.13. Teammate Michael Jensen posted a 42.50 for 4th, likely qualifying him for NCAAs. Cal’s Pawel Sendyk, the 2019 champion, missed the final by hundredths with a 42.84 for 9th place. Arizona’s Marin Ercegovic clipped his best in 42.37 for 3rd. Utah got one in as well with Liam O’Haimhirgin (42.64) tying for 5th.

MEN’S 200 BREAST

  • Pac-12 Record: Kevin Cordes (Arizona), 2014, 1:48.66
  • Meet Record: Andrew Seliskar (Cal), 2019, 1:49.80
  • NCAA Record: Will Licon (Texas), 2017, 1:47.91
  • 2019 NCAA Invited: 1:54.04
  • NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:52.61
  • 2019 Champion: Andrew Seliskar (Cal), 1:49.80

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS

  1. Reece Whitley, Cal, 1:52.52
  2. Daniel Roy, Stanford, 1:53.76
  3. Brennan Pastorek, Stanford, 1:53.80
  4. Hank Poppe, Stanford, 1:53.99
  5. Karl Arvidsson, Cal, 1:54.14
  6. Jason Louser, Cal, 1:54.20
  7. Sam Iida, Arizona, 1:54.72
  8. Jonathan Cook, Stanford, 1:56.25

Cal’s Reece Whitley (1:52.52) and Stanford’s Daniel Roy (1:53.76) have been battling in the 200 breast since they were on the junior national stage and will meet again as the top 2 seeds for tonight’s final. The Cardinal will have 4 up with Roy, Brennan Pastorek (1:53.80), Hank Poppe (1:53.99), and Jonathan Cook (1:56.25). That was Cook’s first swim under 1:57.

Whitley will be joined in the final by teammates Karl Arvidsson (1:54.14) and Jason Louser (1:54.20). Louser, a freshman, dropped nearly 3 seconds from his former best. The only swimmer to qualify for the final outside of Cal and Stanford was Arizona’s Sam Iida (1:54.72) in 7th.

MEN’S 200 FLY

  • Pac-12 Record: Zheng Quah (Cal), 2017, 1:38.83
  • Meet Record: Zheng Quah (Cal), 2019, 1:39.86
  • NCAA Record: Jack Conger (Texas), 2017, 1:37.35
  • 2019 NCAA Invited: 1:42.35
  • NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:40.76
  • 2019 Champion: Zheng Quah (Cal), 1:39.86

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS

  1. Trenton Julian, Cal, 1:41.56
  2. Zheng Quah, Cal, 1:41.58
  3. Brooks Fail, Arizona, 1:43.32
  4. Brooks Taner, Arizona, 1:43.62
  5. Etay Gurevich, Arizona, 1:43.71
  6. Brendan Meyer, Arizona, 1:43.94
  7. Alex Liang, Stanford, 1:44.19
  8. Alexander Colson, ASU, 1:44.25

Cal’s Trenton Julian, the 200 free champion, led the heats by just 2 hundredths over teammate and defending champion Zheng Quah. Arizona’s Brooks Fail, who will also swim the mile tonight, qualified 3rd. The Wildcats got 4 men in the top 8 here. Freshman Brooks Taner (1:43.62) broke 1:44 for the first time. Etay Gurevich (1:43.71) and Brendan Meyer (1:43.94) will join them in the final.

Stanford’s Alex Liang qualified 7th in 1:44.19. ASU freshman Alexander Colson will represent the Sun Devils as the 8th seed. Colson shaved a few tenths off his best this morning in 1:44.25. Just missing the final was ASU freshman Jack Edgemond, who clipped his best in 1:44.33. USC’s Alexei Sancov (1:44.95) will join him in the B final.

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joe
4 years ago

Hirschberger made it in with his 1650 this afternoon

Swimminisgood
Reply to  joe
4 years ago

Do you happen to have the top times from the early heats! I can’t find them on meet mobile. Thx much!

Bear
4 years ago

Ready for Daniel Roy to crush Reece Whitley in the 2 breast tonight 😩😤

RTR
4 years ago

Who will drop more time tonight in the 200 breaststroke, Whitley or Roy? This will be fun to watch!

Jay ryan
4 years ago

Nice 200 fly by Leisl and Ugur’s kid

Lane 8
4 years ago

What an interesting coincidence. Each event a different team put 4 in the final.

DRUKSTOP
4 years ago

ASU is looking really good. They’re gonna be good in the years to come. So many of there swimmers are underclassmen.

taa
Reply to  DRUKSTOP
4 years ago

They have stumbled at the big meet the last couple years. I’m looking to see them get some high relay finishes this year and then start getting their guys scoring individually. They look ready to compete for a top 10 finish and to go higher in the future.

Sccoach
Reply to  taa
4 years ago

They stumble at NCAA’s because they are usually fully tapered for pac12’s. Regardless, both the ASU men and women are putting up fast times

taa
Reply to  Sccoach
4 years ago

yes so the question is have they done anything different this year? Doesnt look like it.

JCO
4 years ago

And Jensen is now in for NCAAs

Joel Lin
Reply to  JCO
4 years ago

He took care of biz this morning. He’s too valuable on relays & too valuable as a senior teammate to risk having at home for NCAAs. He will be faster in a few weeks.

Cal is on fire.

#BRRRNOCAPPP
4 years ago

With Murphy Cal backstroke group is nuts

gator
Reply to  #BRRRNOCAPPP
4 years ago

looks like their IM group is decent as well !

About Lauren Neidigh

Lauren Neidigh

Lauren Neidigh is a former NCAA swimmer at the University of Arizona (2013-2015) and the University of Florida (2011-2013). While her college swimming career left a bit to be desired, her Snapchat chin selfies and hot takes on Twitter do not disappoint. She's also a high school graduate of The …

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