2020 Men’s Pac-12 Championships: Day 3 Prelims Live Recap

2020 MEN’S PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, March 4 – Saturday, March 7 (Diving Feb. 26-29)
• Federal Way, WA (Pacific Time Zone)
• Prelims 11 a.m./Finals 6 p.m. Pacific Time
• Defending Champion: Cal (2x) (results)
• Championship Central
• Estimated NCAA Invite Times
• Diving Recap
• NCAA ‘A’ Cuts
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Heat Sheets (prelims)

The 2020 men’s Pac-12 Championships continue this morning with prelims of the 400 IM, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breast, and 100 back. Cal’s Daniel Carr is seeking his 2nd win as he swims the 100 back, but ASU’s Zach Poti is the defending champion and tied his lifetime best on Wednesday night’s 400 medley relay (Poti’s time stands despite the relay DQ).

The 400 IM will feature Hugo Gonzalez of Cal. He could have a big swim in store after his lifetime best in the 200 breast in Wednesday time trials. We didn’t get to see him swim last night, as he was DQed in prelims of the 200 IM. Grant Shoults of Stanford will step up for the 200 free after winning another 500 free title last night. USC’s Alexei Sancov is the top seed there. Read on for a recap of all day 3 prelims events.

MEN’S 400 IM

• Pac-12 Record: Abrahm DeVine (Stanford), 2017, 3:35.29
• Meet Record: Andrew Seliskar (Cal), 2017, 3:38.65
• NCAA Record: Chase Kalisz (Georgia), 2017, 3:33.42
• 2019 NCAA Invited: 3:43.42
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 3:39.16
• 2019 Champion: Mike Thomas (Cal), 3:39.83

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS

1. Jason Louser, Cal, 3:40.44
2. Hugo Gonzalez, Cal, 3:41.31
3. Chris Jhong, Cal, 3:41.41
4. Sean Grieshop, Cal, 3:43.86
5. Alex Liang, Stanford, 3:44.38
6. Etay Gurevich, Arizona, 3:46.43
7. Ben Olszewski, ASU, 3:46.77
8. Jackson Cunningham, Utah, 3:48.43

After his big drop in the 200 IM yesterday, Cal freshman Jason Louser knocked 5 seconds off his best to lead prelims in 3:40.44. The Bears got 4 in the final. Hugo Gonzalez (3:41.31) was a tenth ahead of teammate Chris Jhong (3:41.41), who dropped nearly 3 seconds. Sean Grieshop (3:43.86).

Stanford’s Alex Liang (3:44.38) was the only other man under 3:45 to take 5th, followed by Etay Gurevich (3:46.43) of Arizona, Ben Olszewski (3:46.77) of ASU, and Jackson Cunningham (3:48.43) of Utah. Cunningham dropped a second from his best. Arizona’s Sam Iida (3:48.90) narrowly missed the final in 9th. ASU freshman Jack Edgemond clipped his best for 10th in 3:48.90, tying Iida for 9th.

MEN’S 100 FLY

• Pac-12 Record: Austin Staab (Stanford), 2009, 44.18
• Meet Record: Austin Staab (Stanford), 2011, 44.66
• NCAA Record: Caeleb Dressel (Florida), 2018, 42.80
• 2019 NCAA Invited: 45.90
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 45.05
• 2019 Champion: Zheng Quah (Cal), 45.13

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS

1. Cody Bybee, ASU, 45.48
2. Ryan Hoffer, Cal, 45.54
3. Zheng Quah, Cal, 45.83
4. Pawel Sendyk, Cal, 45.87
5. Ben Waterman, Utah, 46.23
6. Noah Reid, Arizona, 46.29
7. Evan Carlson, ASU, 46.51
8. Nikola Miljenic, USC, 46.61

ASU’s Cody Bybee dropped half a second this morning, racing to a 45.48 to lead the heats. Behind him, Cal got a trio of 45s from Ryan Hoffer (45.54), reigning champion Zheng Quah (45.83), and Pawel Sendyk (45.87). ASU will have 2 in the final as Evan Carlson clipped his lifetime best for 7th in 46.51.

Utah’s Ben Waterman dropped over a second, touching 5th in 46.23. Arizona’s Noah Reid (46.29) and USC’s Nikola Miljenic (46.61) will also swim in the final. Utah’s Cooper Deryk was hundredths shy of making the final with a personal best 46.66. Arizona freshman Brooks Taner broke 47 for the first time to qualify 10th in 46.88. Cal’s Jarod Hatch also broke that mark with a 46.92 for 12th behind teammate Michael Jensen (46.91).

MEN’S 200 FREE

• Pac-12 Record: Andrew Seliskar (Cal), 2019, 1:30.14
• Meet Record: Andrew Seliskar (Cal), 2019, 1:31.07
• NCAA Record: Dean Farris (Harvard), 2019, 1:29.15
• 2019 NCAA Invited: 1:34.21
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:32.05
• 2019 Champion: Andrew Seliskar (Cal), 1:31.07

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS

1. Jack Dolan, ASU, 1:33.55
2. Trenton Julian, Cal, 1:33.62
3. Jorge Iga, Arizona, 1:33.71
4. Carter Swift, ASU, 1:33.93
5. Daniel Namir, Arizona, 1:34.48
6. (Tie 6th) Julian Hill, ASU, 1:34.54
7. (Tie 6th) Mason Gonzalez, Stanford, 1:34.54
8. Andrew Gray, ASU, 1:34.60

ASU freshman Jack Dolan was just a couple of tenths shy of his bet from the 800 free relay leadoff to top the heats in 1:33.55. The Sun Devils will make up half of the final. Carter Swift dropped nearly a second with a 1:33.93 for 4th. Freshmen Julian Hill (1:34.54) and Andrew Gray (1:36.40) also posted lifetime bests, with Gray dropping almost 2 seconds. Liam Bresette broke 1:35 for the first time, just missing the final by a tenth in 1:34.77.

Cal’s Trenton Julian was 2nd this morning in 1:33.62. Freshmen teammates Michael Petrides (1:34.73) and Colby Mefford (1:35.09) put up lifetime bests to make the B final. Petrides was just a tenth away from the top 8. Also narrowly missing the final was USC’s Alexei Sancov, the top seed coming in, with a 1:34.70 for 9th.

Jorge Iga (1:33.71) and Daniel Namir (1:34.48) got 2 in for Arizona. Freshman teammate Hunter Ingram clipped his best for the Cats to make the B final in 1:34.90. Mason Gonzalez led the charge for Stanford, clipping his best to qualify 6th (in a tie with Hill) in 1:34.54. Teammates Will Macmillan (1:34.81), Jack LeVant (1:34.81), and Grant Shoults (1:34.86) will swim in the B final.

MEN’S 100 BREAST

• Pac-12 Record: Kevin Cordes (Arizona), 2014, 50.04
• Meet Record: Carsten Vissering (USC), 2019, 50.78
• NCAA Record: Ian Finnerty (Indiana), 2018. 49.69
• 2019 NCAA Invited: 52.52
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 51.67
• 2019 Champion: Carsten Vissering (USC), 50.78

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS

1. Reece Whitley, Cal, 51.26
2. Brennan Pastorek, Stanford, 51.98
3. Karl Arvidsson, Cal, 52.60
4. Hank Poppe, Stanford, 52.83
5. Andrew Britton, Utah, 53.17
6. Ty Wells, Arizona, 53.27
7. Jaek Horner, Utah, 53.50
8. Ryan Foote, Arizona, 53.59

Cal’s Reece Whitley held his top seed with a 51.26, just over a tenth shy of his best time from 2019 NCAAs. Teammate Karl Arvidsson was just a hundredth away from his best, qualifying 3rd for the Bears in 52.60. Stanford’s Brennan Pastorek broke 52 for the first time as he qualified 2nd in 51.98. Teammate Hank Poppe (52.83) will join him in the final as the 4th seed.

Arizona and Utah also got 2 men in the championship heat. The Wildcats’ Ty Wells (53.27) clipped his best for 6th, while Ryan Foote was 8th in 53.59. Utah’s Andrew Britton (53.17) clipped his best by a tenth, while teammate Jaek Horner (53.50) broke 54 for the first time.

MEN’S 100 BACK

• Pac-12 Record: Ryan Murphy (Cal), 2016, 43.49
• Meet Record: Ryan Murphy (Cal), 2017, 44.76
• NCAA Record: Ryan Murphy (Cal), 2016, 43.49
• 2019 NCAA Invited: 46.06
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 44.95
• 2019 Champion: Zach Poti (ASU), 44.93

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS

1. Zach Poti, ASU, 44.14
2. Daniel Carr, Cal, 45.09
3. Thomas Anderson, Arizona, 46.04
4. Bryce Mefford, Cal, 46.33
5. Benjamin Ho, Stanford, 46.36
6. Ethan Young, Cal, 46.57
7. Jack Kirby, USC, 46.79
8. Andy Song, Cal, 47.13

ASU’s Zach Poti, the reigning champion, took down the Meet Record with a lifetime best 44.14 this morning. Poti is now the 6th fastest man in history, dropping 8 tenths off his former best. The former record of 44.76 was set by Cal’s Olympic and NCAA Champion Ryan Murphy in 2017.

Cal’s Daniel Carr, the 200 IM champion, was the only other man under 46, a couple of tenths shy of his best in 45.09. The Bears have 4 men in the final again. Bryce Mefford (46.33), Ethan Young (46.57), and Andy Song (47.13) each made it in.

Arizona and USC each got one in. Thomas Anderson was 3rd for the Wildcats in 46.04. USC’s Jack Kirby, a freshman who set his lifetime best on the 400 medley relay leadoff, was 7th in 46.79. Kirby is USC’s 2nd championship finalist at this meet. Their only other swimmer in the top 8 has been Nikola Miljenic in the 50 free and 100 fly.