Cal vs Stanford (Men)
- Berkeley, CA
- January 31, 2025
- SCY (25 Yards)
- Meet Results Available on Meet Mobile: “Cal vs Stanford (Men)”
- Team Scores:
- #3 Cal 175 – #9 Stanford 125
The #3 Cal men hosted #9 Stanford today for a rainy last regular season meet before the ACC Championships next month, and the Bears came out on top, improving their dual meet record to 5-1.
The highlight of the meet was Lucas Henveaux’s nation-leading time in the first event of the meet, the men’s 1650 where he swam 14:29.74
Henveaux just made his return to Cal for their last home meet, after competing with them for the 2022-2023 season, helping the Golden Bears to an NCAA title. His time today was faster than the 14:44.14 he went at the 2023 NCAA Championships to place 9th, and it replaces Texas swimmer Rex Maurer’s 14:30.47 at the top of the DI rankings.
The updated 1650 rankings:
- Lucas Henveaux (Cal)- 14:29.74
- Rex Maurer (Texas)- 14:30.47
- Noah Millard (Yale)- 14:33.47
- David Johnston (Texas)- 14:35.42
- Owen Lloyd (NC State)- 14:37.23
He swam almost the opposite race of previous leader Maurer, getting out fast and holding on tight, rather than descending to drop a blistering final 100 (as Maurer did). With less than a second separating the two, it is looking like it will be an exciting and close race in the men’s 1650 at the NCAA Championships in March, which doesn’t happen very often.
His time was also a new team record for the Golden Bears, taking down Nick Norman’s 2018 record of 14:30.82.
Henveaux also won the 500 freestyle, finishing eight seconds ahead of the rest of the field, stopping the clock at 4:10.82. This is the 3rd fastest time in the NCAA this season.
The meet started with a victory in the 200 medley relay for Cal, coming in about half-a-second ahead of the Stanford ‘A’. Destin Lasco (21.28) Yamato Okadome (23.06), Dare Rose (19.68), and Jack Alexy (18.80) came together to go 1:22.82, beating Stanford’s 1:23.25 set by their team of Aaron Sequeira (21.34), Ron Polonsky (23.24), Andrei Minakov (19.95), and Ethan Harrington (18.72).
Destin Lasco went on to also win both of his individual events. He started with the top spot in the 200 freestyle, coming in at 1:31.85, which is tied for 9th in the NCAA this season. His 2nd win came in the 200 IM, where he went 1:41.68 to take the event by two seconds and move himself to 8th in the rankings.
Bjorn Seeliger won the 100 back in 45.55, and came 2nd in the 100 free in 42.37 behind teammate Jack Alexy’s 41.61. Alexy’s time was one one-hundredth faster than his season best of 41.62, ranking him 5th in the NCAA.
Alexy also won the 50 free in a new season best time of 19.00, which will tie him for 12th in the DI rankings.
Stanford’s first event of the day went to senior Ron Polonsky in the 100 breast in 51.40. This was an add from the 51.21 he swam at the SMU Invite, which currently ranks him 10th in the NCAA. He also finished 2nd in the 200 breast at 1:52.53.
The Cardinals kept the good times rolling with a win in the very next event, the 200 fly. Andrei Minakov went 1:40.54 in the event, just off his season best of 1:40.30. Minakov also won the 100 fly in 44.83, which was a huge season best for him, dropping from the 45.57 he went at Cal’s meet against ASU and Stanford. His time today moves him up to 9th in the country.
Cal came back with an event win, sweeping the top two spots in the men’s 200 backstroke. Mewen Tomac took the event in 1:40.30 and Keaton Jones came in 2nd in 1:41.80.
Yamato Okadome won the 200 breast for Cal in 1:52.31, off his season best of 1:51.65 that ranks him 6th in the country.
The final event of the meet also went to Cal, with their ‘A’ relay coming in just over a second ahead of Stanford’s ‘A’. Nans Mazellier (43.02), Gabriel Jett (41.95), Bjorn Seeliger (41.54), Jack Alexy (41.04) went 2:47.55 in the event. This is the 5th fastest time in the NCAA this season, coming in ahead of Stanford’s season best time. The Stanford ‘A’ at this meet went 2:48.71 with their team of Henry McFadden (42.72), Rafael Gu (42.64), Andres Dupont Cabrera (41.70), and Andrei Minakov (41.65).
Both men’s teams will be back in action at the 2025 ACC Championships next month. The women’s teams are racing tomorrow for their version of the Battle of the Bay.
This guy has been an NCAA athlete since 2018 make it make sense
The Durden rule……………
Great split from Dare Rose in the medley. I think that’s his best, 3 tenths faster than NCAAs last year.
If the Cal Bjackstroke lead off at NCAAs is in the low 20 point range, this relay has a legit shot at the US Open record.
If Brooks Curry is able to swim does that make Cal the favorites?
Henveaux’s athletic journey since leaving Cal has produced an objectively improved athlete. His impact may equal or even exceed the Giuliano and Corbeau effects.
In any event, these, and other, additions to the contending teams adds another spice to this year’s NCAA.
Notice how all of his improvement comes when he’s not at Cal😂
On brand as usual
He is literally right though (I’m not pro-Andrew usually btw).
Freddy Klein also went 14:48 for a top 16 time in the country in the mile. Looks like Cal has 3 swimmers with NCAA scoring potential in the mile, it bodes well for their chances in March.
Cal distance revolution??
is it just me or are the stanford men showing signs of life this year?
tbh theyre kinda similar to the uva men — much maligned but w a couple promising developments here and there (ofc tho the latter dont rly have the same level of depth atm)…
Except Stanford is a much better run program than the UVA men and they’re consistently in the top 10-12 hunt even on bad years. Not on the same level as UVA.
Stanford really hasn’t been bad for a few years, their bigger issue has been the NCAA Championship slide.
It’s not that they’re a bad team, they usually perform very well during the year and look like a challenger before NCAAs, then majorly flop at NCAAs. If they can hit their taper they’ll be fighting for at minimum top 8. They did not hit their taper at all last year and were still 8th.
all fair — i dont think theyre a bad team. just commenting on how a couple guys who stalled out in years past now appear to have turned a corner & all of their freshmen are hitting pbs (something that did not occur last year)
Can someone please explain how this guy has eligibility still?
Nope, just deal with it
– cal fans
No Matthew Chai today?
Matthew chai hasn’t been swimming well (when he’s been swimming, which is almost never)
Don’t ever count on a cal distance swimmer
8:45 two weeks ago is objectively a good swim lol
Agreed. Freshman Freddy Klein’s 14 second drop in the mile today to be in NCAA scoring position is more proof that they don’t know what they’re doing (oh wait?).
Andrew. You are a disgrace.
Interesting bc he swam an 8:45 2 weeks ago and 14:49 last month.Hope we’ll see him shine at ACCs.
Maybe sick….that time of the year