Ilya Kharun Swims 46.91, The Third Fastest 100 IM All-Time, As ASU Sweeps All-Arizona Quad

All-Arizona Quad Meet

Arizona State dominated the first quad meet between the four Arizona Division I swimming programs. The men went 2-0 on the day and the women went 3-0 to stay unbeaten through the beginning of the 2024-25 season.

Men’s Meet

  • Note: results show a 39.67 split in the 100 free for Jonny Kulow. While we can’t definitively say it didn’t happen, all the context around it indicates that it probably is a timing error, but was still a very good split for October. The meet had a number of timing issues.

Ilya Kharun continues to be on fire this season. After stellar performances in the Sun Devils dual against UNLV—including a 1:39.47 200 fly—the sophomore had another strong performance at this untraditional meet, which featured the 600 freestyle and the 100 IM, along with the 50s and 150s of stroke.

Already this season we’ve seen Hubert Kos add his name to the all-time top 10 list in the 100 IM and Kharun didn’t waste his chance in the event, speeding to a 46.91. Per our records, that’s the third-fastest 100 IM in history and makes Kharun just the third man to break 47 seconds along with Shaine Casas (46.33) and Leon Marchand (46.63).

Kharun was also impressive at home in his butterfly events. He swam a 19.94 50 butterfly, which seems to be the second-fastest flat start 50-yard fly. For reference, the fastest we’ve found is Josh Liendo’s 19.90 to open his 100 fly at the 2024 NCAAs (Caeleb Dressel was out in 19.99 on his NCAA-record swim). Kharun opened his individual events with the 150 fly, winning in 1:12.29. That’s faster than his first 150 yards on his 200 fly PB from last season; there, he was a 1:12.86 on the first 150 yards.

The Sun Devil men had no shortage of event winners on Saturday. Kharun led the group with three but senior Patrick Sammon and freshman Lucien Vergnes each picked up two wins. Sammon won the 150 freestyle in 1:07.24 in a 1-2 finish with Jonny Kulow. Sammon then won the 300 freestyle, outdueling Wildcat freshman Tomas Lukminas (2:30.76).

Verges, a freshman from France, led a 1-2-3-4 Sun Devil finish in the 50 backstroke, swimming 21.75. He’s primarily a breaststroke specialist and picked up the win in the 150 breaststroke, swimming 1:24.07.

Reece Grady (600 free, 5:22.73), Tommy Palmer (50 free, 19.83), and Jono Adam (150 back, 1:14.64) also contributed event wins for the Sun Devils.

It wasn’t all Sun Devils though—the Arizona Wildcats were able to swipe three event wins of their own to lead them to a split meet, losing to ASU but triumphing over GCU. Arizona won both the men’s and women’s 1-meter, with Gage DuBois earning 330.45 points to lead the men. Back in the pool, junior Bryan Wong won the 300 IM in 2:52.48 and senior Daniel Young took the 50 breaststroke with a 24.10.

Women’s Meet

To open the meet, the Sun Devils sent out their school record holders in the 200 medley relay—Miriam Sheehan, Iza Adame, Julia Ulmann, and Caroline Bentz—to take on the 400 medley relay. The quartet swam a 3:34.09, with Sheehan once again nearing the 100 back school record with a 52.64 opening leg. The time is 1.23 seconds off the Sun Devils’ fastest time from last season (3:32.86), which had four different swimmers.

Like the men’s squad, the women had a plethora of event winners, as eight different women touched the wall first for the Sun Devils. Alexa Reyna and Deniz Ertan each had two wins. The sophomore, Reyna, got her first win by beating Ertain in the 600 freestyle, swimming 5:43.08. Ertan won the 150 fly (1:25.84), then the two tied for the win in the 300 freestyle with a 2:46.40. There, Charli Brown clocked 2:46.74, finishing just behind the winning duo.

After winning the opening medley relay, Sheehan won the 50 backstroke in 24.29, leading a 1-2 finish with Bentz, her fellow ACC transfer who won the 150 back for her part (1:22.78). Then, she finished second in the 50 fly behind the freshman Ulmann, 24.18 to 24.29.

Elli Straume (150 free, 1:18.73), Sonia Vaishnani (300 IM, 3:05.24), and Zoe Summar (150 breast, 1:36.22) picked up the other event wins for the Sun Devils as the women went 3-0 on the day.

Arizona won the women’s and men’s 1-meter boards and 50 breaststroke. In the women’s 50 breast, Eleni Gewalt took the win for the Wildcats (28.09). Brooke Earley earned 307.80 points to take first on 1-meter as Arizona lost to ASU, but won against Grand Canyon and NAU. NAU did not win any events, but their depth gave the 11x defending WAC champions the room to beat GCU, 144-137.

Grand Canyon picked up two event wins. Elisa Corradi won the 100 IM, and senior Maria Brunlehner picked up Grand Canyon’s lone event win of the day, swimming 22.57 to win the 50 freestyle ahead of Arizona’s Lexi Duchsherer.

Update 10/14 1:55 pm ET: The timing system at the meet malfunctioned at several points during the meet (no Kulow did not split a 39-point 100 freestyle). One such malfunction was during the women’s 100 IM; it was ASU’s Brown not Corradi who won the 100 IM. Thanks to Greg in the comments also correcting that Arizona’s Columbo earned 231.60 points and not 23.60 on the 1-meter. 

Full Scores

Women:

  • ASU, 201 – Arizona, 80
  • ASU, 218 – NAU, 63
  • ASU, 211 – Grand Canyon, 70
  • Arizona, 201 – NAU, 79
  • Arizona, 184 – Grand Canyon, 97
  • NAU, 144 – Grand Canyon, 137

Men:

  • ASU, 202 – Arizona, 79
  • ASU, 230 – Grand Canyon, 51
  • Arizona, 197.5 – Grand Canyon, 82.5

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Marmot
1 month ago

I thought I recalled Townsend swimming a ludicrous 100IM at Masters Nationals.

Admin
Reply to  Marmot
1 month ago

He swam 47.77 in 2014.

snailSpace
1 month ago

Somebody asked in early September whether it was Herbie or Bob leading the charge on ASU swimming exceptionally fast all season, and this could answer that question, because while Texas is decently fast, ASU is comparatively faster right now.

On the other hand, specifically Kharun’s fastest swim in his main event came from a dual meet last season, so his yards swimming doesn’t appear to benefit greatly from a taper.

mds
1 month ago

Among particularly notable swims not recognized in the article(ASU unless otherwise noted):

The listing of Corradi as winner of 100 IM was in error (3.88 last 25); actual winner was Charli Brown at :54.89.

Sheehan win in 50 Back noted, but ASU record not recognized; old record :24.30, Jonsdottir, 2017
Kulow 150 free 1:07.75 – May suggest potential for 4×200
Vergnes 100 IM :47.99
Kharun 100 Back :45.33(:21.74) LO
Dobrzanski 100 Breast :51.77R
Senc-Samardzic100 Fly :45.73R
Seider 100 Free :43.06R
Lukminas (UofA)100 Free :42.06R
Adam 100 Back :46.75LO
Behar 100 Free :43.00R
Roden 100 Free :43.11R
Daleiden (UofA) 150 free 1:08.13
Lukminas(UofA) 150 free 1:08.55
Behar 150… Read more »

Greg
Reply to  mds
1 month ago

MDS is correct – two errors were identified and updated in the results.

Women’s 100 IM – GCU’s Corradi touched at 59.19 not 49.19.
Women’s 1 Mtr Diving – Arizona’s Columbo earned a 231.60 and not 23.60.

A lot of timing system issues that made the splits / results wonky in a couple of lanes. Sorry swimming fans – we’ll be better next time.

DLswim
1 month ago

ASU women are swimming great!

Doctor A.I. (Aquatic Integrity)
1 month ago

Nice job, Ilya.

Speaking of ASU, anyone know what happened to this swimmer who was loosely affiliated with the Sun Devils?

https://images.app.goo.gl/8UAhZnXHQyXzi4f16

Tony Hawk Tuah
Reply to  Doctor A.I. (Aquatic Integrity)
1 month ago

he’s the next guest on the Talk Tuah podcast

Oldmanswimmer
1 month ago

Is that Kulow split of 39.67 real? Holy cow!

Dirtswimmer
Reply to  Oldmanswimmer
1 month ago

Think it’s a timing glitch. It has his 25 split as 6.8 which is impossibly fast. Plus I don’t see anyone freaking out about it on twitter

Admin
Reply to  Oldmanswimmer
1 month ago

Nobody will come out and say it, but sounds like probably not.

bobthebuilderrocks
1 month ago

Also, Vergnes being a breaststroke who can go 21 point in the 50 back, I wonder what that 2 IM will look like eventually

mds
Reply to  bobthebuilderrocks
1 month ago

His IM skills were disclosed a bit in the 100 IM, :47.99.

bobthebuilderrocks
1 month ago

I said this in a previous article, but I am VERY curious to see what Ilya could do if he focused in on the sprints. I’m almost thinking he’s better at the sprint events than he is at the 200’s (yes I know he’s the NCAA champ in the 2 fly)

The 46.9 100 IM makes me wonder what was up with the 1:44 200 IM he swam a week or so ago.

Also, 45.3 in the 100 back, him swimming back in the medleys is a possibility.

MigBike
Reply to  bobthebuilderrocks
1 month ago

Ilya could break NCAA records in the 50 and 100 Fr IF he focused on sprinting. HOWEVER with the “Behmster” effect he will break still those and other NCAA records by focusing on his current training. While ASU took a hit when Coach Bowman went to TEXAS, Coach Herbie will rebuild and coach em up to where IU, CAL and TEXAS currently sit. As a fan of great coaches; Looze, Durden/Marsh, Bowman/Capitani and Behm/Salo when the roster limits in 2025 take effect, it will be a great rumble in the jungle!

Justin Pollard
Reply to  MigBike
1 month ago

That’s a pretty big longshot. He’s not even close right now.

MigBike
Reply to  Justin Pollard
1 month ago

Perhaps you caught me speeding! However Coach Behm is a great guy and the swimming community needs to stand behind him.

bobthebuilderrocks
Reply to  MigBike
1 month ago

Work works, eh?

snailSpace
Reply to  bobthebuilderrocks
1 month ago

His UWs are very strong, and that’s where his strength lies in SCY sprinting. His LCM sprinting is okay, but he swims the 100 fly LCM like Milak does, not like, say, Dressel, and both his 50 and 100 frees LCM are decent but not that outrageously fast.

Last edited 1 month ago by snailSpace
bobthebuilderrocks
Reply to  snailSpace
1 month ago

Just looked it up, he was 7th at the wall in the 100 fly final. But is a 19 low 50 yard flyer. Kind of reminds me of Marchand with this.

Your point also highlights how interesting underwaters in SCY are. Backstroke is supposedly his weak stroke and here he is going 45.3 in the 100yd back.

mds
Reply to  bobthebuilderrocks
1 month ago

As to “what was up” with Ilya with the 1:44, it’s a good question. He was out in :46.81 at the 100 and appeared to be on his way to at least 1:42 low. It seemed the piano – a baby grand, not a full-size — arrived about then. This was his 4th swim of the meet (:19.30 MR Fly, 1:39.47 2Fly, :44.57 1Fly, with the 1Fly and 2IM being consecutive events, separated only by the short dive break. He is human, after all, in the first meet of the year.

Can’t necessarily give up on Ilya in the 200s. Not only is the 200 Fly his best SCY event, but it may be necessary to have him double the… Read more »

About Sophie Kaufman

Sophie Kaufman

Sophie grew up in Boston, Massachusetts, which means yes, she does root for the Bruins, but try not to hold that against her. At 9, she joined her local club team because her best friend convinced her it would be fun. Shoulder surgery ended her competitive swimming days long ago, …

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