2024 Men’s Division I NCAA Championships: Day 2 Prelims Live Recap

2024 MEN’S NCAA SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• March 27-30, 2024
• IUPUI Natatorium, Indianapolis, Indiana
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Day 2 Prelims Heat Sheet

Day 2 Prelims Scratches 

Bonjour mes amis!! Notre première matinée de natation commence… I’m sorry I jumped the boat. Seeing Leon Marchand, Hubert Kos, and Jordan Crooks‘s names atop the heat sheet, I just assumed it was July, and this was the Olympics. Last night’s lack of national anthems should have given it away, but I digress.

Speaking of last night, has everyone’s blood pressure returned to within normal levels? The fastest two splits ever in the 50 back and 50 breast and yet neither of their relays set the NCAA record, an honor that falls to Josh Liendo‘s Florida Gators. Meanwhile, the 800 Free also saw two new NCAA lead-off records, albeit one stood for about eight or so minutes, and like in the Medley, neither team would win the relay. Luke Hobson‘s 1:29.13 stands as a new American record and should speak well of his likelihood of improving upon his #37 seed in the 500 free (4:15.56). It would be the NCAA record if not for Leon Marchand and his casual 1:28.97 from last night’s 200 free lead-0ff, but top honors go to Cal’s 6:02.26.

ASU’s Leon Marchand finds himself atop the rankings in an unfamiliar event. Last year, the Frenchman set a new NCAA and US Open record but sets his sights on the 500 free. Marchand shocked the world, at least the swimming world, by swimming an NCAA and US Open Record of 4:06.18 at PAC-12s. (Props to Anya Pelshaw for the MARCHand Madness pun). Placing 2nd to his teammate at that meet and the second seed this morning is Zalan Sarkany, whose PB of 4:09.19 places him just ahead of Georgia’s Jake Magahey. Magahey, who won the event back in 2021 in 4:07.97 will look to improve upon his 3rd seed and entry time of 4:09.38. The aforementioned three are the only ones seed sub 4:10, but Cal’s Gabe Jett eschewed PAC-12s in favor of the Pro Swim Series and dangerously ranks 4th with his entry of 4:10.43 and should be buoyed by a 200 free PB on Cal’s winning 800 Free Relay.

If you’re experiencing double vision in seeing ASU seeded in the top two spots in the next event, there is no need to call a doctor. At least not for this. Showing why they are the heavy favorites (on paper), Hubert Kos and Owen McDonald will look to lock down the middle two lanes tonight for the Sun Devils. The pair entered with times of 1:38.77 and 1:39.35 are the only two swimmers under 1:40 but will be looked to be joined by Cal’s Destin Lasco (1:40.16), Michigan’s Gal Cohen Groumi (1:40.48) and a host of others, all looking for a top eight spot.

Finally an event without an ASU swimmer in the top position, but based upon how Jonny Kulow swam the event last night (17.94 flying split), I may be regretting this statement. Butterfliers last night on the relay, the pair of Crooks and Josh Liendo will look to duke it out for the middle lanes tonight. Crooks, the Tennessee sprint star, enters with the only time under 18.00 (17.99) and appears to have a healthy margin upon Liendo and his 18.55, but the Canadian last night just casually threw down an 18.97 fly split, the second fastest ever. One need not go far to find an ASU swimmer as Jack Dolan is the #4 seed (18.61), with teammates Ilya Kharun (#10 – 18.82) and Kulow (#15 – 18.92) lurking not far behind. It would be remiss of me not to mention that Cal has a pair of dangerously under-seeded swimmers in the form of Bjorn Seeliger (#12 – 18.85) and Jack Alexy (#17 – 18.92). However, all these swimmers will need to climb over the #3 seed Chris Guiliano who is entered with his ACC prelim’s time of 18.57. The Fighting Irish swimmer casually went a PB by almost a second last night in the 200 free last night, leading off Notre Dame in 1:30.36.

500 YARD FREESTYLE — Prelims

• NCAA Record: 4:06.18— Leon Marchand, ASU (2023)
• Meet Record: 4:06.61 — Matthew Sates, Georgia (2022)
• American Record: 4:06.32 — Kieran Smith, Florida (2020)
• U.S. Open Record: 4:06.18— Leon Marchand, ASU (2023)
• Pool Record: 4:08.42 — Clark Smith, Texas (2017)
• 2023 Champion: 4:07.37 – Luke Hobson, Texas

Top 16:

1. Jake Magahey (Georgia) – 4:09.36
2. Leon Marchand (ASU) – 4:09.54
3. Luke Hobson (Texas) – 4:10.28
4. Gabriel Jett (Cal) – 4:10.61
5. Coby Carrozza (Texas) – 4:10.74
6. Mason Mathias (AUB) – 4′:10.82
7. Charlie Hawke (BAMA) – 4:11.02
8. Jack Hoagland (SMU) – 4:11.11
9. Bar Soloveychik (MINN) – 4:11.33
10. Zalan Sarkany (ASU) – 4:11.38
11. Jake Mitchell (FLOR) – 4:11.50
12. Rafael Miroslaw (IU) – 4:11.84
13. Gio Linscheer (FLOR) – 4:11.97
14. Alex Axon (OSU) – 4:12.64
15. James Plage (NC State) – 4:12.97
16. Daniel Matheson (ASU) – 4:13.00

Heat 2 saw 2023 USA Worlds swimmer and Stanford Freshman Henry McFadden enter the water, but the heat went to NC State’s Lance Norris in a time of 4:15.51, dropping 1.49 from his seed. Touching 2nd in the heat and perhaps buoyed by his teammates’ performances from last night was Cal’s Trent Frandson in 4:15.91.

Making sure that you didn’t forget them in your pick ’em (and making you pay if you did) was heat three’s Luke Hobson and Jack Hoagland. Hobson, the recently minted American record holder in the 200 free, was out fast, splitting 1:36.19 at the 200 mark. Hobson, the recent bronze medalist in the 200 free at the 2024 Worlds, posted a time of 4:10.28, dropping over 5 seconds off his seed to post a time faster than his prelims swim from last year (4:10.51). Hoagland, a transfer from Notre Dame to SMU, has overcome a string of injuries closed on the Longhorn to touch in 4:11.11 , overtaking his best time dating back to 2021. Both of their time’s clip under the 4:11.81 it took to qualify for the A-final last year.

Hobson and Hoagland remained at the top of the ranking until Heat 5 rolled around. In the first of the circle-seeded heats, the 2021 Champion in the event, Jake Magahey, stomped his authority across the heat, posting a time of 4:09.36. Much like with Hobson, this prelims swim is nearly half a second faster than his swim last year, proving that no one this morning is sitting around and hoping to get in. Alabama’s Charlie Hawke, fresh off of a school record in the 200 free last night, copied the feat, posting a new PB and school record of 4:11.02 to sit 3rd with two heats remaining.

Heat 6 was a slower affair, but ladies and gents, was it exciting. Texas has decided to show up as Longhorn Coby Carrozza, a B-finalist last year, posted the fastest time in the heat of 4:10.74 battling it with Auburn’s Mason Mathias over the last 100. Mathias, a junior, would edge out both Bar Soloveychik and the #2 overall seed, Zalan Sarkany, hitting the wall in 4:10.82 to rank 4th with one heat remaining.

The last heat was all Leon Marchand, but whether it was strategy or tiredness, his nearest competitors, Gabriel Jett and Jake Mitchell, seemed to close on the ASU Sun Devil over the last 100. Marchand’s 4:09.54 is much slower than his NCAA record from Pac-12s but does enough to qualify into tonight’s final in 2nd. Jett and Mitchell finished a little behind at 4:10.61 and 4:11.50.

Note: It took 4:11.81 to make the A-final in 2023 and 4:13.59 to make the B-final, with each final getting over .5 faster.

200 YARD IM — Prelims

• NCAA Record: 1:36.34 Leon Marchand, ASU (2023)
• Meet Record: 1:36.34 Leon Marchand, ASU (2023)
• American Record: 1:38.10 — Destin Lasco, Cal (2023)
• U.S. Open Record: 1:36.34 — Leon Marchand, ASU (2023)
• Pool Record: 1:40.50 — Will Licon, Texas (2017)
• 2023 Champion: 1:36.34 Leon Marchand, ASU

Top 16:

1. Destin Lasco (CAL) – 1:39.34 ***NEW POOL RECORD***
2. Hubert Kos (ASU) – 1:40.40
3. Gal Cohen Groumi (MICH) – 1:40.54
4. David Schlicht (ASU)/ Arsenio Bustos (NCS) – 1:40.82
6. Baylor Nelson (TAMU) – 1:41.23
7. Owen McDonald (ASU) – 1:41.24
8. Nate Germonprez (TEX) – 1:41.35
9. Ron Polonsky (STAN) – 1:41.44
10. Eitan Ben-Shitrit (MICH) – 1:41.66
11. Tim Connery (UVA) – 1:41.70
12. Daniel Diehl (NCS) – 1:41.84
13. Julian Smith (FLOR) – 1:41.87
14. Luke Barr (IU) – 1:41.97
15. Danny Kovac (SMU) – 1:42.03
16. Jordan Tiffany (BYU) – 1:42.07

Heat 1 saw some massive drops from swimmers swimming in the first heat. Pouncing on the momentum created by his teammate, SMU’s Danny Kovac dropped 3.48 seconds from his seed to a 1:42.03. The former Mizzou Tiger has a best time of 1:41.35, but was much faster than his 25th place time of 1:43.17 from last year. Also dropping a large chunk of time was Texas’s surprise returner, Jake Foster. Foster touched in 1:42.73, dropping 2.73 from seed, but is unlikely to replicate his A-final appearance from last year; he qualified in 8th in 1:41.52.

Heat 5, the last before the circle-seeded heat, saw Like Maurer and Danny Schmidt add to the growing list of swimmers in the mid-1:42 range. Maurer closed in 24.06 to pass the Auburn swimmer on the last 50 to touch in 1:42.38 vs 1:42.61. It should be noted that Kovac still holds the top time at 1:42.03.

With ASU faltering slightly, Cal’s Destin Lasco, fueled by last night’s relay win went at it hard. The Cal Bear finally overtook the top time this morning, posting a speedy 1:39.34. Last year, Lasco had the top time from the morning (1:38.32) but was overtaken by Marchand in the final.

Heat 7 brought a dog fight, but it was NC State’s Arsenio Bustos and ASU’s David Schlicht tying in 1:40.82 ahead of the #2 seed, Owen McDonald. The pair were sitting behind only Lasco, but ASU’s Hubert Kos and the #1 seed had other plans as in the last heat, he jumped into the #2 spot in 1:40.40. Kos was trailed much of the way by Michigan’s Gal Cohen Groumi at 1:40.54.

Last year, 8th place out of prelims was 1:41.52, and 16th was 1:42.33, continuing the trend that this meet is getting faster.

50 YARD FREESTYLE — Prelims

• NCAA Record: 17.63 — Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
• Meet Record: 17.63 — Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
• American Record: 17.63 — Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
• U.S. Open Record: 17.63 — Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
• Pool Record: 18.23 — Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2017)
• 2023 Champion: 18.32 – Jordan Crooks, Tennessee

Top 16:

1. Josh Liendo (FLOR) – 18.33
2. Chris Guiliano (ND) – 18.43
3. Jack Alexy (CAL) – 18.44
4. Jordan Crooks (TENN) – 18.49
5. Bjorn Seeliger (CAL) – 18.57
6. Jack Dolan (ASU) – 18.62
7. Jonny Kulow (ASU) – 18.64
8. Guilherme Santos (TENN) – 18.76
9. Taiko Torepe-Ormsby (WISC) – 18.78
10. Jere Hribar (LSU) – 18.81
11. Youssef Ramadan (VT) – 18.82
12. Quintin McCarty (NCS) – 18.92
13. Ilya Kharun (ASU) – 18.94
14. Adam Chaney (FLOR) – 18.99
15. Dillon Downing (UGA) – 19.03
16. Ed Fullum-Huot (FLOR) – 19.04

Sorry folks, these guys are too fast to do every heat. Up through the circle-seeded heats, NC State’s Noah Henderson, out of heat 5, posted the fastest time at 19.05, trailed by his teammate Jerry Fox at 19.09.

Heat 6 saw the sub-19 coming swift and fast as Notre Dame’s Chris Guiliano‘s stomped down a speedy 18.43. Joining him under that mark was the Cal senior Bjorn Seeliger (18.57) and NC state freshman Quintin McCarty (18.92).

Guiliano’s time atop the rankings was short-lived as Josh Liendo dropped an 18.33 in the very next heat. The Florida Gator, fresh off an NCAA record in the Medley last night, will be your top seed tonight as the last heat saw top-seeded and defending champ Jordan Crooks touch the wall in 18.49, which safely slots him in as the #4 seed tonight. It should be noted that last year, Liendo was 18.54 in the morning, and Crooks was 18.25, perhaps signifying a reversal of fortunes for the SEC foes.

It took 18.87 last year to make the A-final, and Liam Bell’s 19.04 qualified for the B-Final in 16th. Six of the eight A-finalists return from last year, but the remaining two spots will be filled by swimmers who didn’t make the top 16 last year as Guiliano ranks 2nd (he was 23rd last year with 19.17) and Jonny Kulow, a Wyoming swimmer, and ASU Sophomore currently ranks 7th in 18.64 (he was 17th last year with 19.05). Kulow shouldn’t come as much of a surprise as last night he casually dropped a 17.94 anchor leg.

While it seems unlikely that Dressel’s records will be touched or that anyone will get under 18.oo, with Liendo being only .01 away from last year’s winning time, we could see the IUPUI record of 18.23 fall.