The men’s Pac-12 Swimming & Diving Championships psych sheets have been released, and though there’s still plenty of scratching left to be done before the meet begins Wednesday night, we’ve got up to three match-ups slated between Cal star Ryan Murphy and his Stanford counterpart Dave Nolan.
Nolan is entered in the 200 IM and both backstrokes, so his lineup is all but set, unless he scratches one to swim all 5 relays for the Cardinal. Murphy, on the other hand, left his options open by entering 6 different races. He’ll have to scratch down to just 3, but can check out the psych sheets to see where he’s most needed.
Murphy seems a very good bet to swim the 100 and 200 backs, where he should tangle with Nolan, who, like Murphy, was a former high school standout and subsequent NCAA champion.
Murphy’s other options include the 200 IM (which he swam at NCAAs last year), the 100 fly, the 50 free and the 100 free. The IM or 50 freestyle would make the most sense, given they’d keep him from doubling up on any one day of the meet.
Cal’s versatile Josh Prenot also has some options, entering the 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 breast and 200 fly. It’s probably a decision between the 200 breast and 200 fly on day 3. The intrigue there might come down to how Arizona’s breaststroke star Kevin Cordes fares earlier in the meet. Cordes, the American record-holder in both breaststrokes, hasn’t wowed this season like he usually does, and if Cordes looks human enough the first two days, Prenot could have a shot to nip him for the title.
USC’s Cristian Quintero will swim the 100, 200 and 500 frees for USC. Quintero’s eligibility this season was a never-ending roller-coaster. The NCAA 500 free champ was set to run out of eligibility after last season, per the USC Athletic Department, but was then granted one more year of eligibility. But Quintero was then mysteriously absent all of the fall semester before returning in early 2015. He looks set to make his final Pac-12 appearance this weekend.
Full psych sheets are here. Below, we’ve pulled out event schedules for a few of the biggest names:
- Ryan Murphy, Cal: 200 IM, 50 free, 100 fly, 100 back, 200 back, 100 free
- David Nolan, Stanford: 200 IM, 100 back, 200 back
- Josh Prenot, Cal: 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 breast, 200 fly
- Kevin Cordes, Arizona: 50 free, 100 breast, 200 breast
- Cristian Quintero, USC: 500 free, 200 free, 100 free
- Brad Tandy, Arizona: 50 free, 100 breast, 100 free
- Nick Soedel, Utah: 50 free, 100 free, 200 free
- Tyler Messerschmidt, Cal: 50 free, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 back, 100 free
- Seth Stubblefield, Cal: 50 free, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 free
- Dylan Carter, USC: 50 free, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 free
- Michael Meyer, Arizona: 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 fly
Cal fans, a word or 2 about Tyler Messerschmidt?
Like Matt Ellis I mentioned a few days ago, Messerschmidt is on my US sprinters watching list for 3 or 4 years now. But like Ellis he hasn’t still reached that new level.
I expected to see both of them quickly swim 41 something in yards and 48 something in long course. But it didn’t happen. Unfortunately it looks like they stagnate.
I continue to think they have a great potential, especially in long course, so I have not lost hope of seeing them one day shine at the highest US sprint level.
Your thoughts?
I haven’t still found anything in terms of race videos from the women’s meet last week.
Hopefully someone can film a few finals of the men’s meet this week and post them on youtube.
I would especially like to watch Murphy’s 100 and 200 back and Cordes’ breaststroke performances.
No Maclin Davis?
hes out with season ending injury.
http://swimswam.com/usc-star-maclin-davis-out-of-championship-season-with-injury/
interested to see how the Cal freshmen class does – I believe it was the #1 class but they haven’t dropped amazing times outside of Lynch
Although unlikely, I would love to see a Ryan Murphy – Santo Condorelli showdown in the 100 freestyle. They were both highschool teammates and Santo is having a MUCH better season than last year. They are the top two seeds and I don’t think either would want the other one winning.
I’d love to see that too, though the 2IM makes the most sense for Ryan for Pac 12’s (though not necessarily at NC2A). The 50’s a crapshoot.
As far as I can tell, Cordes’ best 50 freestyle is 20.22. If he breaks 20 seconds, would he be the first person ever to go sub-20 in the 50 free and sub-53 in the 100 breast (and sub-51 too, but let’s be reasonable here)?
If I recall correctly, Vlad Morozov was a pretty quick breaststroker and went 52-something in the 100 breast while doing his crazy Vlad Morozov things in the 50 free.
Just at SECs this year Michael Duderstadt went 19.63 and 51.93/1:54.68 in the breaststrokes, and threw in a 42.70 relay split.
There have been a few sprint breaststroke / freestyle combos, and sub-20 is quickly becoming a pedestrian achievement.
Anthony Robinson from Stanford had best times in the 50 free of 19.15 and 100 breast in 52.76 back in 2001, so he’s one that has done it. Can’t think of anyone else but will see if I can find any others.
Brad Tandy (I think) has gone a sub-53 100 breast, and a sub 19 50 free.
Nic Fink also has been 19.88/ 51.25.
Sam Tierney 19.84/ 51.64.
Bruno Ortiz 19.27 / 51.77.
Jacob Molacek 19.44 / 52.45
etc…
Molacek even did it in high school, 19.8/52.9
Bruno Ortiz from Michigan has been 19.2 in the 50 free and 51 mid in the 100 breast. Vlad Morozov went 18.6 and was 51 in the 100 breast. I imagine there are a few others as well.
That’s a lot of names.
1. I am rightfully ashamed for asking this question, given how many people were listed.
2. Someone should organize a Swimswam trivia competition. You guys are amazing.
Looking back to the 80s, I believe Steve Lundquist got under 20.0 in 50 free while also doing a 52.48 100 breast, though I doubt they were swum at the same meet.
Yep. Looks like he got under 20 in the 50 before he went 52:
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/03/28/sports/lundquist-captures-breast-stroke-final.html
I’d like to add my buddy Jeremy McDonnell to this list (Tennessee Vol & now Crossfit Extraodinaire), but I don’t think he ever broke 53 in the 100 breast. He was pretty damn close though, and he was definitely 19 in the 50.
Michael Andrew will be there soon: 19.76 for 50FR, and 53.88 for 100BR!!!!! A month shy of 16 years old, no less!
At last year’s (2014) NCAA Division II Championships, University of Bridgeport Junior, Ruben Gimenez led off the 200 Free Relay in prelims with a 19.96 (he had to scratch the individual 50 Free due to stomach flu the first day of the meet…he won the 100 Free in 43.49, so he was capable of going MUCH faster in the 50!) and won the 100 Breaststroke in 52.73 (would have been 14th at D I), so even a “lowly” D II swimmer has accomplished the sub 20.00 50 Free/sub 53.00 100 Breast feat!
I’d add Seth Stubblefield to the big names list. He always has a giant taper and is on the USA National Team.
Good, I see you’ve added him now.