Ilya Karun Blasts 43.35 100 Fly Relay Split, Personal-Best 18.93 50 Free at NC State Invite

2023 NC STATE/GAC INVITATIONAL

Arizon State freshman Ilya Kharun posted some eye-popping times to kick off the 2023 NC State Invitational on Thursday night, firing off one of the fastest 50-yard butterfly splits of all time to go along with a huge personal best in the 50 free.

The 18-year-old Canadian began his evening with an 18.51 split on the Sun Devils’ 200 free relay team that broke the meet record, pool record, and program record with a time of 1:14.64. Jack Dolan (18.90 leadoff), Cam Peel (18.96), and Jonny Kulow (18.27) joined Kharun on the relay.

Kharun then placed 2nd individually in the 50 free with a personal-best 18.93, dropping more than a second off his previous-best 20.16 from December of 2020. The Sandpipers of Nevada product was just about a tenth of a second behind NC State redshirt freshman Quintin McCarty, outdueling Virginia Tech star Youssef Ramadan (18.97) and ASU teammates Jack Dolan (18.99) and Jonny Kulow (19.00) in a fast final.

Kharun saved his best for last with a blazing 43.35 100 fly split on the Sun Devils’ 400 medley relay that demolished the meet (3:04.02) and pool (3:02.80) records with a time of 3:01.60. That split appears to be the third-fastest ever behind only Joseph Schooling (43.34) and Josh Liendo (42.91). Kharun was out in 19.72 and back in 23.63.

Splits Comparison

JOSH LIENDO, 2023 NCAAS JOSEPH SCHOOLING, 2016 NCAAS ILYA KHARUN, 2023 NC STATE INVITE
50 Fly 19.54 19.83 19.72
100 Fly Split 42.91 (23.37) 43.34 (23.51) 43.35 (23.63)

Kharun’s best flat-start 100 fly (44.88) ranks 3rd in the NCAA this season behind ASU teammate Leon Marchand (44.66) and NC State senior Luke Miller (44.17).

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jablo
1 year ago

still funny to me that the fastest flying start 100 fly is still slower than the fastest flat start 100 fly

200flyissuperior
1 year ago

That’s crazy!!

Last edited 1 year ago by 200flyissuperior
Alex Wilson
1 year ago

And he is only a freshman!

Robby
1 year ago

Has anyone else ever skipped 19 seconds all together? Best of 20.16 then going 18.93?

Admin
Reply to  Robby
1 year ago

Ooooh. That would be a tough one to research, but I doubt it.

tea rex
Reply to  Robby
1 year ago

I really doubt it. At the risk of being annoying, he went 19.2 in prelims.

Robby
Reply to  tea rex
1 year ago

Stat ruined 😣

Tea rex
1 year ago

Has anyone else come anywhere close to bests of 15:05 mile and 18.9 50 free?
I’m sure his 200 fly will be special, but I almost wish he’d do the mile to see where his endurance is at.

Drewbrewsbeer
Reply to  Tea rex
1 year ago

Lochte was 19.9 and 14:55

Andrew
Reply to  Drewbrewsbeer
1 year ago

People disrespect Lochte but dude was just different

I believe his 2011 200 IM WR was one of the first post supersuit ones to go down and it’s now one of the longest standing and my personal favorite swim of all time (other than sexy God Flo 50 free)

Willswim
Reply to  Tea rex
1 year ago

Maybe Townley Haas?

Drewbrewsbeer
Reply to  Willswim
1 year ago

I was having difficulty finding a best 50 for Townley

Drewbrewsbeer
Reply to  Drewbrewsbeer
1 year ago

20.06?

ArtVanDeLegh10
Reply to  Drewbrewsbeer
1 year ago

Townley couldn’t go 18 in the 50. He and Luke Hobson started off more distance oriented then switched their focus towards the 200 more. So even though both went sub 15:00 and could go 41 in the 100, I don’t think they could go a best time in both the 100 and the 1650 at the same time. It seemed like they were better at the 1650 their 1st eyear or two and better at the 100 their last 2 years in college.

bobthebuilderrocks
Reply to  ArtVanDeLegh10
1 year ago

You clearly haven’t seen Texas Class Relays before.

Drewbrewsbeer
Reply to  Tea rex
1 year ago

Luke Hobson 19.98 and 14:40

Willswim
Reply to  Drewbrewsbeer
1 year ago

What about Jake Magahey?

Drewbrewsbeer
Reply to  Willswim
1 year ago

19.95 14:24

Grant Drukker
Reply to  Tea rex
1 year ago

Christian Quintero 19.65 flat start, I believe sub 19 in a relay, and 14:45 mile

Admin
Reply to  Grant Drukker
1 year ago

Matias Koski is always the guy that jumps into my head. 19.62 and 14:32.

I wanna see Karun do the mile on a rest and go sub-14:40. Then I’d be ready to officially declare him the king of the range.

Willswim
Reply to  Braden Keith
1 year ago

You’d be correct that the current NCAA “king of the range” is a freshman former Sandpiper, but she’s actually in Florida right now.

Reply to  Willswim
1 year ago

I think that would be “Queen of the Range”

96Swim
Reply to  Tea rex
1 year ago

I want to say Drew Kibler, but couldn’t find a mile time for him. 18.6 for the 50. Anyone with a 408 500 probably could do a mile in the 15 min range.

Pescatarian
Reply to  Tea rex
1 year ago

Rex Maurer. 19.7/ 14:54.

zThomas
Reply to  Tea rex
1 year ago

Ryk invented this.

Pescatarian
Reply to  zThomas
1 year ago

Showing your age with that reference.

Foreign Embassy
Reply to  zThomas
1 year ago

Yes! Good call👏🏽

Pescatarian
Reply to  Tea rex
1 year ago

I’m thinking Troy Dalbey might have been the first person to go sub-15 and sub-20. I remember he finaled at SCY nationals in the 50 and mile in HS and that blew my mind.

NornIron Swim
1 year ago

Reckon given the apparent distance the Sandpipers were/are doing, that he’s just constantly tapering?

mds
1 year ago

One of the best ever 100 Butterfly relay splits, not 50 Fly splits, which will hopefully still come along later in the meet.

mds
1 year ago

The Canadian from Las Vegas ….

About Riley Overend

Riley is an associate editor interested in the stories taking place outside of the pool just as much as the drama between the lane lines. A 2019 graduate of Boston College, he arrived at SwimSwam in April of 2022 after three years as a sports reporter and sports editor at newspapers …

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