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Sergio de Celis Montalban, a Spanish record holder and 2024 Paris Olympian in the individual 100 free, has committed to swim for Arizona State beginning in the fall of 2026.
He will be 26 years old when he arrives in Tempe, having been born in January 2000. While it is not currently clear how many years of eligibility he has in the NCAA, he may be in a similar boat to recent international recruits such as Nathan Wiffen and Mewen Tomac who only competed for a single season.
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Montalban is originally from Palma on the Island of Mallorca, and currently trains with Club Natacio Sabadell, based just outside of Barcelona. He is part of a strong training group there including national record holder and European Short Course champion Carles Coll Marti, who swam for Virginia Tech in the NCAA.
Montalban made his first international team at the 2022 World Championships, placing 32nd in the 100 free and 36th in the 200 free. He set his first Spanish record just weeks later however, leading off the men’s 4×100 free relay in a huge best of 48.41.
He just missed the finals at the World Short Course Championships in Budapest that December, clocking 46.60 in the 100 free semi-finals for a new national record and an 11th place finish. He did help the 4×100 free relay, 4×50 free relay, and 4×200 free relay make their respective finals.
He was 39th in the 50 free at the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka, clocking three 100 free relay lead-offs between 48.77 and 48.88. Montalban did make his first world semi-final a few months later at the 2024 World Championships, clocking a Spanish record of 48.39 to place 10th overall in the 100 free. His 100 free splits this time were much faster, at 48.07, 48.11, and 48.13.
At the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, Montalban just missed the semi-finals in the 100 free, clocking 48.49 for 19th, just 0.03 seconds away from a spot in the semi-finals. He led off the national record-setting 4×100 free relay in 48.84, as Spain finished 9th by just 0.04 seconds in 3:13.19.
He then swam at the World Championships in Singapore last summer, clocking 22.06 for 22nd in the 50 free and setting a short-lived Spanish record of 48.24 while leading off the 4×100 free relay. That lowered his previous best by a tenth of a second, and was his fourth time breaking the national record in the long course 100 free. He was also part of the 7th-place mixed 4×100 free relay team at those championships, leading off in 48.72.
He had more success at the European Short Course Championships in Lublin in December, again setting the Spanish record in the 100 free at 46.19, which converts to an NCAA-worthy 41.61 in yards. He also won bronze as part of the men’s 4×50 free relay, with his 20.28 anchor leg proving crucial as Spain moved from 8th to 3rd in the final 50 meters.
Montalban owns one individual Spanish record in the short course 100 free, and owns a share of nine Spanish relay records – six in short course and three in long course. He also previously held the long course 100 free national record now held by Luka Hoek le Guenedal, breaking it on four occasions between 2022 and 2025.
His lifetime best of 48.24 in the long course 100 free is more than half a second faster than ASU’s European sensation this season, Luxembourg’s Rémi Fabiani. Just like Fabiani has this past season, Montalban has proven himself a serious relay swimmer with Spain recently. In addition to the numerous national records he has been part of, he threw down four sub-21 50 free splits at the 2025 European Short Course Championships, including a 20.28 in the 4×50 medley relay.
Best LCM Times (SCY Conversion)
- 50 Free: 22.06 (19.15)
- 100 Free: 48.24 (42.01)
- 200 Free: 1:47.91 (1:34.33)
Best SCM Times (SCY Conversion)
- 50 Free: 21.16 (19.06)
- 100 Free: 46.19 *Spanish record* (41.61)
- 200 Free: 1:43.92 (1:33.62)
With his converted times he figures to be a huge recruit for the Sun Devils. His 50 free would have ranked 7th on the roster last season, but four of those above him have since graduated. The story is similar in the 100 free, where two of the three ASU swimmers ahead of him will not return next season.
He would have scored ‘A’ final points in all three sprint freestyle distances last year, and qualified for NCAAs in the 100 free. It took a 41.56 to score this season, just ahead of his 41.61 converted time.
An area in which Montalban will have a big impact will be the relays. With Jonny Kulow, Rémi Fabiani, Tommy Palmer, and Adam Chaney all graduating, only four of the 12 freestyle relay legs return. He figures to be on all three of the 200 free relay, 400 free relay, and 800 free relay, slotting in as a high-impact addition.
Montalban will be part of a huge incoming class for the Sun Devils. He is joined by Kristupas Trepocka, Max Smirnov, Parker Deshayes, Day Chambers, Ethan Linville, Oliver Munn, Jake Lloyd, Tyler Porter, Ian Disosway, Dillon Albertyn, Onur Oksuz, London Rising, Brennen Oneil, Jack Culberson, Henry Lyness, Kuba Shaw, Daniel Marinov and Ali Sayed, who should amply restock the ranks after they lost several top swimmers to graduation this summer.
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Ageism is an ugly form of disdain.
Give this young man some support.
He is doing the best he can to get a great education and swimming enhancement at ASU.
Coach Herbie does not make the rules BUT follows them to a T.
Remember that age is just a number!
To all the Xenophobes, Ageism. supporters and haters – Try some niceness.
Go Coach Herbie, go Sergio, go ASU and go to all sportsmen who love swimming and liberty.
VFE.
Nothing like a 26-year old freshman!
Get. A. Job. Bro.
ridiculous
Why does the NCAA even allow 26 year olds to come in for their first year? Would love to know what his eligibility is.
Because the NCAA currently allows 26 yo to come for their first year AND his eligibility is fine if he enrolls, qualifies and competes for Coach Herbie. If you have any other questions, you can file a complaint with the NCAA, ASU, Coach Herbie Behm, ASPCA, FBI, ICE or NACL.
a month younger than Shaine Casas and Shaine’s final year should have been 2021-2022 if he didn’t go pro earlier
Incoming recruiting class of 19?!?
The NCAA is a joke now. Severe the ties between Academics and Athletics