4x individual NCAA Champion Destin Lasco will return to Cal for his COVID-19 fifth year, he confirmed to SwimSwam.
Lasco has been a huge part of Cal’s success over the last four years. Coming out of high school as the #5 ranked recruit in the class of 2020, Lasco swept the backstroke events at the 2021 Pac-12 Championships.
He went on to make three finals at 2021 NCAAs, finishing 2nd in the 200 back (1:35.99), 3rd in the 100 back (44.49), and 3rd in the 200 IM (1:40.01). He scored 49 individual points and swam on three relays to help Cal to a 2nd place finish.
As a sophomore, he defended his Pac-12 title in the 200 backstroke and went on to win his first individual NCAA title in the event as well, touching in a 1:37.71. He also was 2nd in the 200 IM and 4th in the 100 back to score a total of 52 individual points, the most on the team. Cal captured the 2022 NCAA title finishing about 50 points ahead of Texas.
Lasco won the 100 and 200 back titles at 2023 Pac-12s and defended his title at the NCAA level in the 200 back swimming a 1:35.87. He also was 2nd in the 200 IM and 3rd in the 100 back to score 53 individual points leading Cal to another NCAA team title.
Last summer, Lasco represented the US at the 2023 World Championships, swimming the 200 backstroke after finishing 2nd in the event alongside Ryan Murphy at 2023 Summer Nationals.
With momentum going into his senior year, Lasco won the 200 IM at NCAAs and set a new NCAA record during his win in the 200 backstroke as he touched in a 1:35.37. He also was 5th in the 100 back. He scored 54 individual points as Cal finished 2nd as a team.
Who on Cal’s team is not coming back? that’s the real question
Gonna ditch his team for championships again?
Where was this hate for Murph, Pebley, and Seli in 2016? Cal is a place that supports Olympic hopes and dreams, and they talk about that openly with anyone who is serious about swimming there. If his coaches and teammates support what he was doing, why is it any of your business what he does with his racing schedule.
Obviously, it didn’t work out last summer how they would have hoped for, but I hope you’re not a coach pooh-poohing your athletes hopes and dreams instead of lifting them up.
2025-2025 could be Cal’s best chance for a title before the Texas/Bowman recruiting juggernaught kicks into full gear. Raiding Cal (Shackell), ASU (Kos) and Stanford (Maurer) were only the first steps. UVA and NC State should watch out.
Looking like it will be Cal vs. Florida vs. Indiana at NCAAs this year. Not sure Texas is quite loaded up enough to compete for the win yet.
Sorry, I don’t believe Dave Durden or Todd DeSorbo even think about Bob Bowman. Both Cal & UVa are great universities in great college towns with terrific swimming programs…as is UT Austin.
Cal & Virginia commits have no reason to be anything but absolutely delighted about their futures in Berkeley or Charlottesville.
You don’t think that Bob Bowman, who coaches the world’s best swimmer and coached the NCAA men’s team title last year, is on the radar of two coaches who are competing for the same recruits?
Virginia is racing in that big quad with Texas in the spring so it seems like DeSorbo has at least thought enough about the excitement that such a matchup will bring.
The Lasco vs McDonald rematches in the 2 IM and both Backstrokes are going to be some of the most electric races at NCAAs this year. Could end up deciding the meet as well
Lasco vs McDonald vs Kos, with 2 of those guys swinging for new teams!
Lasco sorta destroyed Kos & McDonald last year in 2 IM & 2 back (over 1.25 seconds in each of them), so those 2 have some work to do to really challenge Lasco
What is the purpose of this?
To keep swimming? To enjoy it while he can?
One more year of being a part of the team, around his best friends, enjoying being a student athlete one more time & hopefully winning one more NCAA team championship.
There’s no such thing as waking up one day when you’re 30 & deciding to do it one more time. It is now, or the moment passes & the window closes.
Unsure about his academic standing/status on getting his degree already, but this could also afford him an opportunity to obtain a masters degree from a world class university. I love it for him.
Just saw Andrew fall to his knees in Walmart
I sware this is his 100th year
No one’s extended their career quite like Grant House, though. Lasco will be 1 of many swimming in their 5th NCAA championship next March.