2025 College Swimming Previews: #2 Cal Men Aiming To Get Back On Top

It’s that time of the year again. SwimSwam will be previewing the top 12 men’s and women’s teams (and then some) from the 2024 NCAA Championships. Follow along with the College Swimming Preview Channel and the 2025 College Swimming Preview Compendium. Want to read even more? Check out the latest edition of the SwimSwam magazine. 

#2 California Golden Bears

Key Losses: Liam Bell (35 2024 NCAA points, 3 NCAA relays), Colby Mefford (3 2024 NCAA points),

Key Additions: Lucca Battaglini (NC — free/fly/back), August Vetsch (AZ — free/fly), Lars Anntoniak (Estonia – breast/IM), Frank Applebaum (CMS grad transfer — fly), Freddy Klein (NC — free/IM), Thackston McMullan (OH — free/fly), Yamato Okadome (PLACE — breast), Zachary Tan (Singapore — breast/IM), Carter Lancaster (FL — IM), Nans Mazellier (France — free/fly), Trey Hesser (AZ — free), Eddy Huang (CA — back)

Returning Fifth Years: Destin Lasco (54 2024 NCAA points, 4 NCAA relays), Dare Rose (28.5 2024 NCAA points, 2 NCAA relays), Bjorn Seeliger (29 NCAA points, 4 NCAA relays), Matthew Jensen (2 2024 NCAA points, 1 NCAA relay)

GRADING CRITERIA

Over the years, we’ve gone back and forth on how to project points, ranging from largely subjective rankings to more data-based grading criteria based on ‘projected returning points.’ We like being as objective as possible, but we’re going to stick with the approach we’ve adopted post-Covid. The “stars” will rely heavily on what swimmers actually did last year, but we’ll also give credit to returning swimmers or freshmen who have posted times that would have scored last year.

Since we only profile the top 12 teams in this format, our grades are designed with that range in mind. In the grand scheme of college swimming and compared to all other college programs, top 12 NCAA programs would pretty much all grade well across the board. But in the interest of making these previews informative, our grading scale is tough – designed to show the tiers between the good stroke groups, the great ones, and the 2015 Texas fly group types.

• 5 star (★★★★★) – a rare, elite NCAA group projected to score 25+ points per event
• 4 star (★★★★) – a very, very good NCAA group projected to score 15-24 points per event
• 3 star (★★★) – a good NCAA group projected to score 5-14 points per event
• 2 star (★★) – a solid NCAA group projected to score 1-4 points per event
• 1 star (★) –  an NCAA group that is projected to score no points per event, though that doesn’t mean it’s without potential scorers – they’ll just need to leapfrog some swimmers ahead of them to do it

We’ll grade each event discipline: sprint free (which we define to include all the relay-distance freestyle events, so 50, 100 and 200), distance free, IM, breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly and diving. Use these grades as a jumping-off point for discussion, rather than a reason to be angry.

Also, keep in mind that we are publishing many of these previews before teams have posted finalized rosters. We’re making our assessments based on the best information we have available at the time of publication, but we reserve the right to make changes after publication based on any new information that may emerge regarding rosters. If that does happen, we’ll make certain to note the change.

2023-24 LOOKBACK:

The Cal Golden Bears were in typical form last year, which is to say they were incredibly strong. After a regular season where the only lost one scored dual meet and tied in a thrilling meet with the eventual NCAA champions Arizona State, the Golden Bears geared up for the postseason.

Cal punted on the final PAC-12 championships, sending many of their best swimmers to race in long-course at the Westmont Pro Series. There, they finished 3rd but they were back at full power for the 2024 NCAA Championships in Indianapolis. Arizona State’s depth quickly separated them from the competition, and while there was a moment in the middle of the meet where it looked like Florida might stun Cal for second overall, by the final day the Golden Bears were in full control and locked up their 14th consecutive top-two finish with 444.5 points.

SPRINT FREE: ★★★★★

Cal’s sprint group is a staple of their program and it shone at 2024 NCAAs. They were one of two schools, the other being Tennessee, to have two swimmers in both the 50 and 100 free ‘A’ final. Bjorn Seeliger and Jack Alexy—fresh off a breakout summer at the 2023 World Championships—combined for 30 points in the 50 free (3rd and 5th) and 27 in the 100 free (3rd and 8th).

The big improvements that Alexy made in long course during 2023 carried over to the yards pool as well. He was a force for the Golden Bears in his junior season, scoring 49 points from three ‘A’ finals and setting lifetime bests of 18.38/40.59/1:29.75 in the 50/100/200 freestyle. Seeliger does the 100 back as his third event, Gabriel Jett drops down to the 200 free, and though Destin Lasco is a key piece of Cal’s sprint relays, he’s otherwise occupied for the individual events so it’s Alexy who was their pure sprint freestyler last season, a role he’ll fill again coming off his debut Olympics.

Seeliger’s lifetime bests in yards are from the 2022 NCAA Championships, but he’s shown over the past two seasons that even if he’s not right on his best times, he still knows how to grab a lane in finals and put points on the board.

Alexy and Seeliger held down the 50/100 freestyle, with Matthew Jensen adding points from a 15th-place finish after swimming a best of 41.57 at Pac-12s. Then, it was Alexy and Jett in the ‘A’ final of the 200 freestyle, with Robin Hanson and Keaton Jones adding points from 15th and 16th place finishes from the ‘B’ final.

In a stacked 200 free ‘A’ final of all juniors, Alexy—who only raced the event once the previous season—finished a surprising 2nd place and became the seventh swimmer to break the 1:30 barrier. Jett finished 7th in 1:31.16 after swimming a lifetime best 1:30.32 leading off Cal’s NCAA record-setting 800 freestyle relay.

Hanson and Jett both swam lifetime bests last year in addition to scoring NCAA points as Hanson logged 1:31.95 at 2024 Pac-12s and Jones swam 1:32.13 at 2024 NCAAs, giving Cal four men with lifetime bests of 1:32-low or better. Hanson also swam 19.49 in the 50 free last season, scoring points for Cal at Pac-12s along with Kai Crews (19.57) and Colby Hatton (19.61).

Understandably, Cal’s sprint group is a big draw for recruits and they’ve taken full advantage, loading. #3 Lucca Battaglini, the fastest 50 freestyler in his class (19.04) adds his talents to the Golden Bears sprint group this season. So too does August Vetsch (19.71/43/21), Matthew Elliott (19.89/44.39), and Thackston McMullen (20.20/43.67). They’re also bringing in Nans Mazellier from France, who projects as a sprint freestyler/butterflier to load up the sprint crew.

DISTANCE FREE: ★★

Jett’s a classic 200/500 freestyler. He’s made the NCAA ‘A’ final for the last two seasons in the 500 freestyle, improving from 6th in 2023 to 4th in 2024. However, his lifetime best is from 2023 Pac-12s, where he swam a 4:09.66. He’ll be aiming not only to move higher up on the podium but to get back sub-4:10 this season.

Jett was Cal’s lone NCAA scorer in the 500 free last season and their fastest performer by over three seconds. Jones—who made his first Olympic team this summer in the 200-meter backstroke—was the Bears’ second-fastest 500 freestyler, swimming 4:13.73 at 2024 Pac-12s. Tyler Kopp and Trent Frandson are both back this season after swimming 4:14.94 and 4:15.91 for 22nd at 28th at NCAAs.

Diving is no longer a weak point for Cal at NCAAs; instead, last season, it was the 1650 freestyle as they scored no points at the 2024 NCAA Championships. Kopp was the only Cal swimmer to race the event in Indianapolis, finishing 29th in 15:03.14. They’ve got some work to do filling the ranks of the distance group, as Jack Meehan, their lone man sub-15 last season, does not return.

But, they’ve made a start by bringing BOTR Freddy Klein and Trey Hesser. They’ve got similar lifetime bests in the 500 freestyle with Hesser’s 4:19.37 slightly ahead of Klein’s 4:19.68. But Klein’s been as fast as 15:02.12 in the 1650 freestyle. One needs to be well under 15 minutes to score at NCAAs, but bringing in a freshman with Klein’s best is a big get for Cal as they try to strengthen this group.

It’s also big for Cal if Matthew Chai is racing for them this season. Chai, who owns a lifetime best of 14:45.37 and went 14:55.68 during the 2022-23 season, did not compete for the Golden Bears last season but is on the roster and raced at last month’s King of The Pool.

BACKSTROKE: ★★★★★

The legend of Cal backstroke grew this summer, as all four of the U.S. men’s Olympic roster spots went to swimmers who trained at Cal—Ryan Murphy, Hunter Armstrong, and Jones.

Back in yards, Cal has everything it needs to extend their storied history in this discipline once again.

A lot of that has to do with Lasco, whose return for a fifth year is enormous. Lasco scored 54 points at 2024 NCAAs; in addition to winning the 200 IM, he won the 200 backstroke for the third time and finally broke the NCAA record he’d been chasing for four years, swimming 1:35.37. He also took 5th in the 100 back (44.22) though he was 44.00 in the morning. His lifetime best of 43.93 puts him in the hunt for the event title regardless of what lane he swims in for the final.

With a lifetime best of 44.58, Seeliger is also a reliable points scorer for the Bears in the 100 backstroke. Last year, he finished 13th with a 44.81, earning points in the ‘B’ final for the second-straight season after an ‘A’ final appearance in 2022. Crews was the third Cal backstroker sub-46 last season, popping a 45.60 to lead off the Pac-12 400 medley relay.

It will be exciting to see what Jones brings to the yards pool after making the 200-meter backstroke Olympic finals. Jones was improving in yards prior to his long-course breakout, swimming 1:38.46 to finish 10th. Jones raced the 500 free/200 free/200 back at 2024 NCAAs and it will be interesting to see whether mid-distance remains the primary focus this season for him. Cal enjoyed years of Lasco and Gonzalez excelling in the 200 back ‘A’ final and getting a second swimmer in the ‘A’ final again is important for them.

Cal graduated fifth-years Colby Mefford and Sebastian Somerset in May, but they return senior Ziyad Saleem, who swam a best of 1:40.64 at Pac-12s. Even without losing their backstroker fifth-years from last season, getting French Olympian Mewen Tomac on the roster would be incredible for them. The last news SwimSwam heard on that front is that they were still working on Tomac’s NCAA eligibility and he currently does not appear on their season roster. Securing Tomac, who’s capable of at least 40 individual points, would make Cal the clear favorite for the NCAA title, though they are very much in the hunt without him.

Tomac would be their star backstroke recruit if they can sort his eligibility and without him, their backstroke recruiting group is a bit light. Edward Huang is a versatile recruit who brings in a 100-back PB of 47.47.

BREASTSTROKE: ★

Liam Bell has used up his NCAA eligibility, which is a huge loss for the Golden Bears. Bell had arguably the swim of his life in the 100 breaststroke at 2024 NCAAs, ripping a new NCAA record of 49.53. Additionally, he finished 4th in the 200 breaststroke (1:50.15), and swam historic breaststroke splits on their medley relays (more on those later). It’s unfair to expect a single Cal breaststroker to replicate those performances, but they’ll still be hoping that someone can step up and start to fill those gaps.

Bell was Cal’s only breaststroke finalist at 2024 NCAAs, but Matthew Jensen’s lifetime best 51.42 would score, and his season-best 51.98 would put him a few hundredths off a second swim rather than 25th. Jensen made big improvements in multiple events last season, now it’s just a matter of pushing it one step further to get into scoring range.

Cal had multiple swimmers in the 51-high range last season, many of whom return including Jensen, Jacob Soderlund, and Hank Rivers. A big swim from one of them at the right moment would go a long way in helping Cal reclaim the NCAA title.

Bigger jumps are needed in the 200 breaststroke. Without Bell, it’s Soderlund (1:53.11), Rivers (1:53.13), and Swift (1:54.09) who are the fastest returning Golden Bears. Last season, it took 1:52.71 to make finals.

The Golden Bears have some promising breaststroke recruits, though. After being diagnosed with an incurable virus in March, Nick Mahabir, the Singaporean Record holder in all three breaststroke events and multi-time U.S. Junior Championship gold medalist, is not on Cal’s roster for the 2024-25 season. However, international recruits Lars Antoniak and Yamato Okadome arrived in Berkeley this season.

BUTTERFLY: ★★★★

Dare Rose headlines the Golden Bears’ butterfly group. He swam lifetime bests in both the 100 and 200 butterfly at 2024 NCAAs, collecting seventh in the 100 fly (44.46) and second in the 200 fly (1:38.61). Rose doesn’t really have a third event but it doesn’t matter because of how much he shines in the events he does swim.

Rose was Cal’s only representative in the NCAA 100 fly finals, but Matthew Jensen was right on the cusp of scoring, swimming a lifetime best 45.05 to finish 17th, six hundredths away from 16th.

Cal is known for their day four surge at championship meets due to their strength in the 200s of stroke. So, it makes sense that in their butterfly group, it’s the 200 where they really find their groove. Last season, Rose and Jett gave the Golden Bears a 2-5 finish in the event, with Jett clocking 1:39.72 for 5th. Jett’s been faster than that; he swam 1:39.27 in 2023, so he’s capable of moving up.

In terms of who they are bringing in, Mazellier will likely develop the 100 fly as his third event in addition to the 50/100 freestyle as he adjusts to yards racing. Huang is a versatile swimmer so it’s difficult to predict where he’ll choose to put his focus, but he could add more depth to the 100 fly for the Golden Bears.

Additionally, multi-time DIII champion Frank Applebaum is using his fifth year of eligibility in Berkeley. Applebaum’s specialty is the 200 fly (1:43.39) though he will also add depth to the IM group.

IM: ★★★

Lasco also leads the charge for the Bears in the IMs. He owns the American record in the 200-yard IM, which he lowered to 1:37.91 last season as he claimed his first NCAA title in the event after a third place and a pair of runner-up finishes.

Behind Lasco, Sean Swift and Matt Jensen were Cal’s next fastest IMers. Both swam lifetime bests at Pac-12s, hitting 1:43.74 and 1:44.44. Kopp joined them under 1:45 with a 1:44.95 and the Cal vs. Stanford dual meet.

Kopp was their fastest 400 IMer courtesy of the lifetime best 3:40.90 that he swam in prelims of 2024 NCAAs, qualifying for the ‘B’ final and finishing 15th. He was Cal’s only swimmer in the 400 IM last season as well as the mile as they managed the loss of Hugo Gonzalez.

Jones focused on other events during his freshman season with the Bears, but in addition to his backstroke/mid-distance freestyle prowess, he owns lifetime bests of 1:45.51/3:47.55 in the IMs, which it’s easy to see him lowering given the improvements he’s made in his other events. Then, there’s sophomore Humberto Najera, who has been 1:46.03/3:46.13 in the IMs, the latter of which he posted during his freshman year at Cal.

Zachary Tan (1:46.77/3:48.84) neared his lifetime bests in multiple events as he won the 2024 King of The Pool pentathlon. Tan’s versatility could mean that we see him in only one IM event rather than both, but early signs point to him being someone capable of bringing real energy to this group. BOTR recruit Carter Lancaster joins the IM group this season with lifetime bests of 1:45.02/3:46.55, adding much-needed firepower to this group.

Overall, this is a weaker IM crew than we’ve seen Cal field at NCAAs in recent seasons as they rebuild after the departures of Gonzalez and Jason Louser, but Lasco’s return boosts them. It’s still a group capable of scoring at NCAAs and one that probably suffers from being compared directly with the multiple five-star disciplines Cal boasts.

DIVING: ★★

While they don’t have the most formidable diving crew in the NCAA, this discipline is no longer Cal’s weak link.

As a freshman in 2023, Joshua Thai scored Cal’s first NCAA championship diving points since 2008, earning three points with a 14th-place finish on platform. Last year, Thai improved to 10th place, and he got company from freshman Geoffrey Vavitsas, who made it two NCAA diving-scorers for Cal with a 5th place finish on platform.

Diving may be Cal’s area of weakness, but it’s an area they’ve improved on every season under diving head coach Pei Lin, who is entering her third season in Berkeley.

RELAYS: ★★★★★

Note that the grading system doesn’t align perfectly for relays as double points.

Relay grading system:

• 5 star (★★★★★) – 31+ points per relay event
• 4 star (★★★★) – 22-30 relay points per event
• 3 star (★★★) – 12-21 relay points per event
• 2 star (★★) – 5-11 relay points per event
• 1 star (★) – 0-4 relay points per event

Cal was excellent in the relays last year as all five relays earned top-four finishes and they are well-positioned to equal that success this season. In 2023, they missed out on winning a relay title, which seemed to sting even as they went back-to-back as national champions. They rectified that on night one in 2024 by surprising for the win in the 800 freestyle relay and charging to an NCAA record of 6:02.26.

All four members of that relay—Jett (1:30.32), Lasco (1:29.60), Alexy (1:30.50), and Hanson (1:31.84)—return this season to defend their crown. Their 3rd place 400 freestyle relay (2:44.46) where Lasco and Alexy teamed with Seeliger and Jensen are all back in Cal caps this season too.

Bell is the only piece that Cal has to replace on their relays. In 2024, he swam breaststroke on the medley relays, posting the fastest 50 breaststroke split in history (22.25) and the fifth-fastest 100 breast (49.70). That’s a tough act to follow, but Cal’s got blazing speed on the rest of the medley relay legs that will keep them in the heart of the action even if they aren’t getting historic times from their breaststroker. Bell also split 18.46 on the Golden Bears’ 200 freestyle relay.

Replacing Bell, particularly for the breaststroke, is the most important thing for Cal to do. Otherwise, their relays are in fantastic shape. After Macguire McDuff’s departure from Florida, Cal is arguably the school that’s in the best shape when it comes to performing well across all five relays, which could be the deciding factor against the other top four teams in the league for the NCAA title.

Total Stars: 27/40

2024-25 OUTLOOK:

This won’t be a surprise, but Cal’s outlook for the 2024-25 season is very good. Yes, there is still an outstanding question about Tomac’s eligibility, but even without the French backstroke star, Cal will be right in the middle of the fight for the NCAA championship come March.

Reloading with Lasco, Alexy, Seeliger, Jett, and Rose brings the Golden Bears a ton of individual points and forms the basis of the strongest relay crews in the nation. Plus, they’ve brought in another strong recruiting class.

The quest for the NCAA title in March is perhaps more open than it’s been on the men’s side in several seasons. Amidst all the teams trying to rebuild, find that missing piece, or put it all together for the first time in decades, Cal is the proven contender, the program that has shown over and over again it knows how to get it done.

MEN’S 2024-25 COLLEGE PREVIEW INDEX: