2025 M. NCAA Previews: A Medley of Relays: A Clash of SEC Foes-Will the Gators Be Victorious?

2025 Men’s NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships

• March 26-29, 2025
• Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatics Center, Federal Way, Washington
• Short Course Yards (25 yards)
• SwimSwam Pick’Em Contest
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• Psych Sheet
• Eligible Relays

MEN’S 200 Medley Relay – BY THE NUMBERS

• NCAA Record: 1:20.15 – Florida (Chaney, Smith, Liendo, McDuff) 2024
• American Record: 1:20.98 – NC State (Hayes, Hoover, Miller, McCarty) 2024
• U.S. Open Record: 1:20.15 – Florida (Chaney, Smith, Liendo, McDuff) 2024
• 2024 NCAA Champion: Florida (Chaney, Smith, Liendo, McDuff) -1:20.15

Last year is going to be very tough to beat.

I’m not talking time-wise, as our top-seeded team, Tennessee, sits just .07 away from tying the NCAA record, but rather just excitement and interesting storylines.

As a reminder:

NC State’s Aiden Hayes led off his team’s relay with the fastest 50 back ever, nearly cracking the 20.00 barrier, recording a mark of 20.07. His split fired up his team as they broke the American record, lowering the bar to 1:20.98.

California’s Liam Bell dropped the fastest 50 breaststroke split of all time, undercutting Leon Marchand‘s old mark by .02, as Bell hit the wall in 22.25.

Yet neither of their teams would go on to win the title as Florida, helped by Josh Liendo‘s 18.97 fly split (2nd fastest ever), would go to break the NCAA record, taking the win in 1:20.15, crushing the old mark of 1:20.55.

However, saying all of that, this go-around could easily live up to last year or perhaps even surpass it.

“Power resides where men believe it resides”

Jordan Crooks (photo: Jack Spitser)

Every team would love to capture the first event of the meet. It serves as a catalyst and boosts the spirits and hopes of the whole team. And yet we know that it’s not everything. ASU was the top seed last year in both the 200 Medley and 800 Free and failed to capture either of the titles.

In looking at this year’s psych sheets, the University of Tennessee takes over the mantle of being the top seed. (As an aside, with Tennessee not having an 800 free relay, determining who will likely swim this relay is very easy). Last season, Tennessee added a few hundredths to their time and slipped from 4th to 5th, recording a mark of 1:21.91.

This year, much would have to go wrong for the Volunteers to wind up 5th again, as their seed time this year is over 1.5 seconds faster. Tennessee returns stars Jordan Crooks and Gui Santos from last year.  Crooks had an off-50 fly at NCAAs in 2024, splitting 19.70, and at SECs, swapped roles with Santos taking over the anchor leg. The move appears to have paid off as Santos was 19.17 and Crooks was 17.42, a time that ranks as the 3rd fastest performance. On the front end, Northwestern transfer Kevin Houseman will help close the gap on Florida, as his 22.87 split from SECs will help keep the Volunteers’ powerful backhalf in contact.

Tennessee’s time of 1:20.22 stands out as the clear favorite, sitting nearly half a second ahead of their closet competition, but one should be wary of crowning them quite yet as Florida relay make-up is shrouded in secrecy.

Last season, Liendo swam the 800 free relay at SECs and skipped the 200 Medley. Florida did well without him, winning the title in 1:21.66, and was the 2nd seed entering NCAAs. However, Liendo’s inclusion, as well as drops from the front half of Adam Chaney and Julian Smith, saw the Gators storm their way to a new NCAA and US Open Record of 1:20.15, highlighted by Liendo’s 18.97.

This season at SECs, only Julian Smith remained on the relay as Scotty Buff took on the fly, and Jonny Marshall and Ed Fullum-Huot took on the back and free roles. The quartet went 1:20.66, which, while second to Tennessee, would be the school’s second-fastest performance ever. Much of that can be attributed to Smith’s 22.15, fastest 50 breaststroke split ever, but Fullum Huot’s 18.50 isn’t a far cry from Macguire McDuff‘s 18.34 anchor at NCAAs.

If Liendo swims this relay and he can replicate his sub-19 fly split, Florida would drop about .4 off their time from SEC’s and be right in line with Tennessee.

Last year, there was only one team, ASU, seeded under 1:21, but Texas’s 1:20.75 makes a third. Texas’s time, like Tennesssee’s and Florida’s, came from the SEC championships, where they unsurprisingly finished 3rd.

Last year, Texas had a patchwork relay order and finished off the podium in 9th with a time of 1:22.61. Luke Hobson anchored in 18.82, breaststroker Nate Germonprez took on the fly duties, splitting 20.08, and Jake Foster, in a surprising return to the NCAA, was 23.15 on the breaststroke.

This season, a few key transfers, Hubert Kos and Chris Guiliano, have shorn up their back half and allowed Germonprez to slide to the breaststroke. Backstroker Will Modglin‘s 20.34 at SEC gave Texas the lead, but the Longhorns will need to drop a few tenths across both the breast and fly legs if they wish to be in the race at the end.

“The lone wolf dies, but the pack survives.”

NC State won the 2023 NCAA title in this event, and while they placed 3rd behind Florida and ASU last year, they set a new American Record of 1:20.98. What makes this even more impressive is that it was an entirely new lineup; no swimmer carried over from one year to the next. Teams that have this ability to refill roster spots and plug and play will continue to find themselves in contention for the podium, and NC State is no exception.

Losing Hayes and his 20.07 is a massive blow and shows as NC State was just 3rd at ACCs behind Cal and Florida State. Hudson Williams‘ 21.02 is a good fill-in, and Sam Hoover going from 23.40 at NCAAs to 22.88 this season is a strong sign, but NC State will need their backhalf to be lights-out if they wish to finish ahead of the likes of Cal and Indiana.

In their debut at ACCs, Cal took the title in 1:21.54, faster than they had been the previous season before NCAAs, despite losing Liam Bell on the breaststroke leg. Japanese first-year Yamato Okadome‘s 22.91 isn’t a bad start, but lead-off Bjorn Seeliger will need to be much closer to 20.00 than 21.00 if Jack Alexy is to have a chance to keep Cal in the top 8.

Courtesy: Indiana Athletics

Indiana, too, will be looking to remain on the podium after finishing 6th last year in a time of 1:22.10. Of the two schools, Indiana seems to be in the better position entering as the 5th seed .15 ahead of Cal courtesy of their 1:21.39 winning time from Big 10s. They lost Brendan Burns on the front half, but Luke Barr‘s 20.64 is an improvement upon Burn’s opening leg from NCAAs. Finn Brooks is their fastest 50 breaststroker, but it is also their fastest fly leg, and with both Casper Corbeau and Brian Benzing having transferred in, Indiana has their choice of who to use. Benzing got the nod at Big Ten’s, but Corbeau has a faster 50 flat start time. Talking about transfers, it would be remiss not to mention Matt King, who has found his way to Bloomington via Alabama and Virginia. King recently went sub-19 for the first time since 2021, so he could pop off something anchoring.

Losing both their backstroker and breaststroker, one of them being Leon Marchand, was a massive blow to ASU, and seemingly, their chances to defend their runner-up position from 2024 are greatly diminished. And yet the Sun Devils return to the NCAAs right in the thick of it as the 4th seed. Entering the meet with their 1:21.16 from Big 12s, ASU’s strength lies in their back half pair of Ilya Kharun and Jonny Kulow, with Kharun’s 19.21 50 fly split being faster than he was last year (19.47). Andy Dobrzanski‘s 23.10 is a strong split on the breaststroke leg, considering his PB (flat start) is 24.15, but Kulow will need to certainly dip back under 18.00 is ASU wants to stay near the front of the pack.

“Winter is Coming.”

Okay, a bit of stretch. It’s been a while, and I’m running out of quotes. 

There has been a certain stagnation at the top of the field in the medley relays; Florida, Tennessee, California, and NC State seemingly are always near the top of the pack. However, a change may be in the air as FSU looks to break into the top pack. Last season, the Seminoles placed 12th, with a time of 1:23.49. This season, they entered the ACCs with a time of 1:23.60 and left with the silver medal, beating the likes of NC State and Stanford as they recorded a time of 1:21.98, a time that earned them a lane in the final heat. Michel Arkhangelskiy‘s 19.10 fly split and reaction time of 0.00 pulled them ahead of Cal at the 150-yard mark. Anchor Sam Bork tried his best but his 18.77 couldn’t hold off Jack Alexy‘s 18.10 anchor. That said, Bork split 18.64 on the free relay, so he could still drop some time, especially considering he went a PB of 19.06 at ACCs.

Looking to be swept up to the podium and much more fitting with the sub-heading, the 9th seed Michigan will have the middle lane in the penultimate heat as they are the 9th seed, sitting just .02 back of NC State. Michigan, like FSU, finished off the podium last year, recording a time of 1:23.54, which was good for 13th. This year, the Wolverines found themselves entering much faster than they had last season, courtesy of their 1:22.08 runner-up finish at Big Tens. Ozan Kalafat taking over the breaststroke duties is a big improvement for the team as they go from 23.95 to 23.24.

It would be remiss not to mention the illusion caused by DQs. Auburn and Virginia Tech both DQed their 200 medley relays at their Conference Champs, so they sit dangerously low in the psych sheets, but each team had been fast enough in the season not only to qualify but to find themselves amongst the top 16. While Louisville didn’t DQ at ACCs, they were disqualified last year. Had Charlie Crush not jumped early, their time of 1:22.54 would have pushed Auburn off the podium for the 8th spot. Louisville was just 1:23.02 at ACCs but was 1:22.59 at mid-season and sits very dangerously at 10th.

The Verdict

If Liendo swims or doesn’t swim, it’s going to be a tight race regardless. His inclusion certainly tightens it up, as the math using his split last year (18.97) puts the Gators at a spicy 1:20.23 (trusting Barry on this math).  Even if he does though, Florida will need Smith to be near 22.15 again. That said, Tennessee will need to have Crooks be 17 mid again, and he was off last year on this relay, albeit swimming fly.So your guess is just nearly as good as ours, and if you disagree, do so in your Pick’em.

If  Cal is the wildcard in this race. The loss of Bell really stings, but they, as usual, have been keeping their cards close to the chest, and their other legs have been far from on form, but they could explode and easily break into the top three.

SwimSwam Picks

Dark Horse: Stanford (11th – 1:22.74) – After finishing 8th last season, Stanford looked to be in a good position to retain a spot on the podium, but the loss of their backstroker, Rex Maurer, to Texas put a damper on things. However, this season, Stanford’s Aaron Sequeira has stepped up, going a PB in the 100 back at ACCs and went a 21.16 in the 50 at the SMU Invite earlier this season. If Andrei Minakov can continue to improve his sprint fly, then The Cardinal could see themselves back on the podium. 

Men’s 400 Medley Relay – BY THE NUMBERS

• NCAA Record: 2:55.66 – Florida (Marshall, Smith, Liendo, Painter) 2025
• American Record: 3:01.51 – Cal (Murphy, Hoppe, Josa, Jensen) 2017
• U.S. Open Record: 2:55.66 – Florida (Marshall, Smith, Liendo, Painter) 2025
• 2024 Champion: Arizona State (Kos, Marchand, Kharun, Kulow) – 2:57.32

“The Gator Doesn’t Concern Himself With the Opinion of…”

Some might say that going so fast early in the season, is setting themselves up for disaster. But I don’t think Anthony Nesty and his Florida Gators care. If you’ve got it then flaunt it, no use hiding it.

In an almost Virginia Women-esque relay (yeah, that’s an adjective now), the team of Jonny Marshall, Julian Smith, Josh Liendo, and Alex Painter combined for a record-setting time of 2:55.66, slicing 1.6 seconds off the old record set by ASU at the 2024 NCAAs, a relay squad that would go on to have three swimmers claim medals in Paris.

The splits speak for themselves, but if they need any backing up, Marshall is the top seed in the 100 back (and is seeded faster), Smith tops the 100 breast field, Liendo reigns supreme in the individual 100 fly, and it seems somewhat dismissive in comparison but Painter sits just 13th in the 100 free.

While the gap to the record of 1.6 is impressive, it isn’t the differential we are interested in. Rather, it is the 3.57-second gap to the #2 seed, Texas, that’s all the more astonishing.

“Chaos Isn’t A Pit. Chaos Is A Ladder”

The 3.57 lead that Florida holds over Texas is nigh insurmountable, but anything can happen, as Florida knows all too well, as they were DQed in this event last year after having initially claimed 2nd place just .20 back of ASU. However, barring that, it appears Florida will fly away with this title.

But that certainly doesn’t mean the race won’t be interesting. Last season, only eventual champions ASU entered the event with a seed time under 3:00.00. This season, Florida obviously is, but they are joined there by three other teams. Texas, Tennessee, and Indiana are all nipped under the barrier, and if the race goes as expected, there will be a lot of jockeying for positions behind Florida, but only one team can climb their way up to the 2nd rung of the podium.

Texas appears in the entries list with a time of 2:59.23, but I could only find 3:00.97 as their season best. Modglin is entered in the individual 100 with a 43.91, so that could account for some of the differential.

Will Modglin (photo: Jack Spitser)

In looking at the splits, we can see it will be a very tight race. If Modglin is back under 44, then Texas should lead the trio and may even be in front of Florida. Florida and Indiana start to open the gap in the breaststroke as Smith’s sub-49 and Brooks’ sub-50 split (to be fair, Brooks’s flat start time in 49.94, so he could gain even more ground on Texas and Tennessee) easily outpace their rivals. Tennessee surges on the backhalf and gains ground on both Indiana and Texas, leading to what could be the most thrilling race for 2nd in a relay.

Any result in the top 4 would be an improvement from last year, with the exception of Indiana if they finish 4th, as Texas, like in the 200 medley, had a kitbashed relay that finished 8th (3:02.44). Tennesse added .7 to their seed time and finished 5th in 3:01.97, but they left Crooks off the relay, so his addition easily accounts for the difference. Indiana was 4th last year, recording a result of 3:00.20, but only Frankel returns. Burns was 44.43 on the backstroke leg, but like Modglin, McDonald has been faster this season in the individual 100 (44.38), so Indiana could have been seeded even faster.

“When you  Swim the 400 Medley…”

With such movement up the rankings from last year, the top three finishers from 2024 have found themselves pushed down the psych sheet, and if they wish to return to the top, they’ll need to minimize their weakness and try their best to exploit those of their opponents.

ASU claimed victory last year in a new NCAA record time of 2:57.30, but have lost Hubert Kos to Texas (where he swims the fly leg) and Leon Marchand to the pros. Whereas in the 200 medley, ASU can hide its weakness, the 100s of stroke don’t allow for it. The backhalf of Kharun and Kulow, 43.15 and 41.07 at Big 12s, is powerful, but a lead-off in the 45s followed by a breaststroke split in the mid-50s won’t cut it. The Sun Devils were 3:00.55 at conference champs and come in as the 5th seed, but may run out of room to catch the likes of the three above.

Dare Rose (photo: Jack Spitser)

Sitting behind ASU by over a second are NC State and California. Of the three schools, NC State is the only one that has entered with a time faster than last year, as last year they went from 3:02.20 to 2:59.71, and this year, they appear on the psych sheets with a 3:01.62. From that alone, it may appear as if they are in line for another big drop, but the Wolfpack is severely hampered by the loss of Kacper Stokowski, who opened up NCAAs last year with a blistering 43.57 (which would have won the individual event). NC State has slid last year’s freestyler, Quintin McCarty, to the lead-off, but his 45.19 on the relay leaves much to be desired.

Cal finished 2nd last year with a time of 2:58.30, behind a 49.70 breaststroke split by Liam Bell. Like NC State, the loss of the 5th year, really hampers the team, as Okadome was just 50.71 at ACCs. Cal finished behind NC State in February, going 3:01.92, but unlike NC State, they, on paper, can go much faster. While McCarty has a PB of 44.99, Jett, who was 45.95 at ACC, has a PB of 44.54. Cal also opted to use Nans Mazellier on anchor, but he ranks just 4th on their 100 free flat start depth chart behind the likes of Seeliger and Alexy. We also have yet to mention their flyer, Dare Rose. Rose was 44.17 last year at NCAAs but 44.01 at ACCs. If he continues his form, and if Jett get backs down to the 44 mids, or they tap Lasco with his PB of 43.93 or if Mewen Tomac goes off, Cal could sneak their way back up the podium.

“Break the Wheel”

After the top seven, spots eight through 10 are bunched tightly together. Just .29 separates the three, and in fact, less than half a second separates 7th through 10th. The trio, all from the ACC, will be looking to break the NC State and Cal stranglehold, as the two schools sit just ahead of them.

Stanford leads the pack with an entry time of 3:02.04 but is quickly followed by Virginia Tech (3:02.25) and Florida State (3:02.33). Both Stanford and VTech will be looking to return to the podium, as the Cardinal finished tied for 5th last year (3:01.97), and the Hookies were 7th (3:02.34). Like in the 200 medley FSU was off the podium, finishing in 12th (3:03.82).

Both FSU and Virginia Tech have been faster this season than they were last year. Like in the 200, FSU skyrocketing can be attributed to Arkhangelskiy and his 43.33 100 fly split. VTech, too, owes much of its improvement to its flyer, Mario Molla Yanes, as he was 44.45 at ACCs compared to last year’s 45.12 at NCAAs. Whereas FSU relies much on their star’s ability, if Virginia Tech can get Youssef Ramadan (swimming back) and Carles Coll Marti (swimming breast) back to form, then the Hookies could jump ahead of Stanford for that 8th spot.

Stanford finished behind both of these schools at ACCs, going 3:03.31 (like Texas, Stanford seems to be entered with a composite time). Stanford kept Minakov off this relay at ACCs, but as the senior is only entered in two individual events, his 43.92 from last year will easily make this relay better, as their flyer at ACCs was just 45.37.

The Verdict

There are no doubts or hedging on this one; it’s Gator Chomp all day. The fight for second isn’t so clear. A. Of the trio, in the battle for 2nd, Indiana gets our pick. Brooks’s breaststroke leg on the relay at Big 10s was slower than his flat start, and McDonald’s backstroke leg was slower as well, so if they are on form, they could break into the 2:58 club. Again, Cal could be up to their usual tricks and be dangerously under-seeded, and with the possibility of Alexy or Seeliger taking over the free leg, Cal gets a bump up in the rankings.

SwimSwam Picks 

Dark Horse: UNC (12th – 3:03.36) – UNC finished outside of the scoring last season at NCAAs, hitting the wall in 3:06.14, which was good for 19th. They return three legs from that relay, but first-year Patrick Foy‘s 44.47 fly split is over half a second faster than the split from last year. Foy swam that time at ACCs, where the team placed 6th, just .05 back of Stanford, with a time of 3:03.36. Backstroker Walker Davis‘s drop from 46.75 at NCAAs to 45.61 at ACCs will certainly keep them in contention, especially if Ben Delmar can be at his best. He was just 51.46 on the relay with a flying start but has a PB in the 100 breast of 51.44.