2024 Men’s NCAA Champs: Day 3 Prelims Preview

2024 MEN’S NCAA SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• March 27-30, 2024
• IUPUI Natatorium, Indianapolis, Indiana
• Short Course Yards (25 yards)
• Meet Central
• Official Psych Sheets
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• SwimSwam Pick ‘Ems Contest
• How to Watch
• Live Results
• Day 1 Finals Live Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Live Recap | Day 2 Finals Live Recap

The morning will kick off with the 400 IM. Leon Marchand leads the way and already broke the NCAA record in the 500 free in a 4:02.31 on night 1 breaking his own record. He is now the fastest 500 freestyler ever by over four seconds. He comes in as the top seed in the 400 IM and already holds that NCAA record and will look to go two for two.

ASU teammate David Schlicht dropped on day 1 in both prelims and finals of his 200 IM and he is the #2 seed behind Marchand in the 400 IM. His drops bode well for the 400 IM. Texas A&M’s Baylor Nelson is the #3 seed and opted for the 400 IM over the 200 free. Nelson has already been faster this season then he was last year in the event.

Josh Liendo of Florida has already been lights-out at the meet. On night 1. he helped the Gators to an NCAA record in the 200 medley as he became the #2 50 fly performer of all-time. On night 2, he won the 50 free and then helped Florida to another NCAA title. Liendo enters as the #1 seed in the 100 fly. Last year’s NCAA Champion in the event Youssef Ramadan of Virginia Tech will look to defend his title and is the #2 seed. He won the B final last night of the 50 free. Two years ago, Andrei Minakov of Stanford won the 100 fly and he is the #3 seed.

Florida’s Macguire McDuff scratched the 50 free to let him do all five relays and enters as the top seed in the 200 free. He led off in a 1:31.82 for the team’s 800 free relay on night 1 but has also been key to their success in the 200 medley and 200 free relays as well. Last year’s champion Luke Hobson of Texas is the #8 seed but missed Big 12s and moved up from being outside of the circle seeded heats to finishing 2nd behind Marchand in the 500 free last night.

The only tie for the top seed comes in the 100 breast. Cal’s Liam Bell and Virginia’s Noah Nichols are entered as a 50.89. Bell swam the fastest flying start 50 breast split of all-time on night 1 for Cal’s 200 medley relay. Virginia Tech’s Carles Coll Marti is the only seed under the 51-second mark and will look to bounce back after being DQed in prelims of the 200 IM yesterday for a false start.

The morning will conclude with the 100 back. Hubert Kos of Arizona State is the top seed and has been the only swimmer under the 44 second mark this season. Destin Lasco of Cal won the battle between the two on night 2 as he won the 200 IM in an American Record, finishing over a second and a half ahead of Kos who was 3rd. The last two champions in the event are also in the top 8 seeds as Brendan Burns of Indiana is #7 while NC State’s Kacper Stokowski is #4.