2025 Men’s NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships
- March 26-29, 2025
- Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatics Center, Federal Way, Washington
- Short Course Yards (25 yards)
- Start Times: Prelims: 10 AM ׀ Finals: 6 PM (Pacific Daylight Time)
- Psych Sheet
- Eligible Relays
- SwimSwam Preview Index
- Live Results
- Live Recaps
The qualification standards for the men’s 500 free, 200 IM and 50 free have gotten considerably higher at the 2025 NCAA Championships.
In the 500 free, it took a time of 4:09.52 to qualify for the ‘A’ final, while two swimmers who went under the 4:10 barrier missed. Meanwhile, in the 50 free, the 15th-place time was a 18.92 (Bjorn Seeliger and Alexander Painter tied for 15th, meaning there was no 16th place), and three swimmers who clocked sub-19 times didn’t make it back. The 200 IM was also faster, with a 1:40.52 being the ‘A’ final cutoff while two 1:40-point swims missed.
Men’s 500 Freestyle – Prelims
- NCAA Record: 4:02.31 – Leon Marchand, Arizona State (2024)
- Championship Record: 4:02.31 – Leon Marchand, Arizona State (2024)
- American Record: 4:04.45 – Rex Maurer, Texas (2024)
- U.S. Open Record: 4:02.31 – Leon Marchand, Arizona State (2024)
- 2024 Champion: Leon Marchand, Arizona State – 4:02.31
- 2024 Time to Final: 4:11.11/4:13.00
Top 16
- Rex Maurer (TEX) – 4:07.55
- Lucas Henveaux (CAL) – 4:07.98
- Luke Hobson (TEX) – 4:08.32
- Jovan Lekic (LSU) – 4:08.55
- Tomas Koski (UGA) – 4:09.01
- Jacob Magahey (UGA) – 4:09.19
- Zalan Sarkany (IU) – 4:09.22
- Charlie Hawke (BAMA) – 4:09.52
- David Johnston (TEX) – 4:09.54
- Noah Millard (Yale) – 4:09.94
- Krzysztof Chmielewski (USC) – 4:10.16
- Carson Hick (UK) – 4:10.27
- Coby Carrozza (TEX) – 4:10.62
- Giovanni Linscheer (FLOR) – 4:12.17
- Tyler Kopp (CAL) – 4:12.84
- Daniel Matheson (ASU) – 4:13.15
A 4:09.52 finishing eighth in prelims at 2025 NCAAs is especially notable, as that time would have placed second at 2024 NCAAs and won the heats at 2023 NCAAs. At 2024 and 2023 NCAAs, a 4:11.11 and 4:11.81 were the eighth-place times respectively. In addition, there were four swimmers sub-4:09 in prelims this year when there were none in 2024 and 2023.
However, the increased top-end speed didn’t seem to fully translate into depth, as the 16th-place time in 2025 (4:13.15) is slower than it was in 2024 (4:13.00) and just a few tenths faster than 2023 (4:13.59).
Time Comparison:
| 2025 NCAAs | 2024 NCAAs | 2023 NCAAs | |
| First place prelims time | 4:07.55 | 4:09.36 | 4:10.82 |
| Eighth place prelims time | 4:09.52 | 4:11.11 | 4:11.81 |
| 16th place prelims time | 4:13.15 | 4:13.00 | 4:13.59 |
Men’s 50 Freestyle – Prelims
- NCAA Record: 17.63 – Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
- Championship Record: 17.63 – Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
- American Record: 17.63 – Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
- U.S. Open Record: 17.63 – Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
- 2024 Champion: Josh Liendo, Florida – 18.07
- 2024 Time to Final: 18.76/19.04
Top 16
- Jordan Crooks (TENN) – 18.00
- Josh Liendo (FLOR) – 18.30
- Guilherme Caribe (TENN) – 18.34
- Ilya Kharun (ASU) – 18.44
- Jack Alexy (CAL) – 18.48
- Jonny Kulow (ASU) – 18.56
- Quintin McCarty (NCST) – 18.62
- Chris Guiliano (TEX) – 18.73
- Jere Hribar (LSU) – 18.76
- Finn Brooks (IU) – 18.86
- Matthew King (IU) – 18.87
- Matthew Klinge (OSU) – 18.89
- Drew Salls (NCST) – 18.90
- Connor Foote (TAMU) – 18.91
- Alexander Painter (FLOR)/Bjorn Seeliger (CAL)– 18.92
The ‘B’ final qualification time is just 0.08 faster this year than it was in 2024, but the standard being lower than the 19-second barrier is significant. Meanwhile, ‘A’ finaling times in both years are similar, though the top two heats times are faster than the top time from last season.
Time Comparison:
| 2025 NCAAs | 2024 NCAAs | 2023 NCAAs | |
| First place prelims time | 18.00 | 18.33 | 18.25 |
| Eighth place prelims time | 18.73 | 18.76 | 18.87 |
| 16th place prelims time | 18.92 | 19.04 | 19.04 |
Men’s 200 IM – Prelims
- NCAA Record: 1:36.34 – Leon Marchand, Arizona State (2023)
- Championship Record: 1:36.34 – Leon Marchand, Arizona State (2023)
- American Record: 1:37.91 – Destin Lasco, Cal (2024)
- U.S. Open Record: 1:36.34 – Leon Marchand, Arizona State (2023)
- 2024 Champion: Destin Lasco, Cal – 1:37.91
- 2024 Time to Final: 1:41.35/1:42.07
Top 16
- Hubert Kos (TEX) – 1:38.89
- Destin Lasco (CAL) – 1:39.23
- Owen McDonald (IU) – 1:39.81
- Carles Coll Marti (VT) – 1:39.82
- Julian Smith (FLOR) – 1:39.85
- Ron Polonsky (STAN) – 1:40.03
- Will Modglin (TEX) – 1:40.45
- Gal Groumi (MICH) – 1:40.52
- Colin Geer (MICH) – 1:40.77
- Luke Barr (IU) – 1:40.93
- Baylor Nelson (TAMU) – 1:41.14
- Mewen Tomac (CAL) – 1:41.40
- Camden Taylor (TEX) – 1:41.58
- Gianluca Urlando (UGA) – 1:41.61
- Tristan Jankovics (OSU)/Louis Dramm (UNC) – 1:41.73
We saw the biggest jump in depth in the 200 IM. Destin Lasco‘s heat times as the top seed have been within the 1:38-1:39 range, but the eighth-place prelims time has gotten faster by a second within the last two years. In addition, the 16th-place time also saw a half-second improvement — now, a sub-1:42 200 IM is required to score.
In 2025, there were five sub-1:40 swimmers in prelims, while there were one and two in 2024 and 2024 respectively.
Time Comparison:
| 2025 NCAAs | 2024 NCAAs | 2023 NCAAs | |
| First place prelims time | 1:38.89 | 1:39.34 | 1:38.32 |
| Eighth place prelims time | 1:40.52 | 1:41.35 | 1:41.52 |
| 16th place prelims time | 1:41.73 | 1:42.07 | 1:42.33 |
With how fast prelims were during the opening session of the 2025 NCAA championships, all eyes will be on the finals session to see if the speed gets ramped up even more.
It’s amazing how times from a few years ago would not make A finals, but Tom Dolan’s 4:08 from 30 years ago would still be competitive
Snarky called it.
Serious question: Why has SCY swimming gotten so much faster in the past 10 years? It almost feels like you have to go what would have been an NCAA record in 2015 to make a dent in today’s NCAA. Has training philosophy radically changed since then? Is it that the swimmers of the post 2008 Phelps boom in swimming popularity have been coming of age?
More of these caliber athletes are sticking with swimming instead of other sports. Training changes are not the main reason for going faster; instead, it’s the reason these kids are sticking with the sport.
There’s nothing like the 8K to 10K per practice that was common among clubs from the 1970s to the mid-2000s to drive tall, athletic boys to other sports.
Obligatiory mention of 4:08.75 by Tom Dolan in 1995. I hate to be this guy but even 4:06s weren’t really indicative of the potential to be globally competitive in the 400m. Glad to see a dolphing sprinting the first 300 has triggered a reaction
20 years after Fred Bousquet became the first ever 18 second 50 yard free, three guys go 18 and don’t even score!
Hands down, best part about underwaters taking off in swimming is the rise of the phrase “dirty undies”
In 10 years a 4:06, 1:39.5 and 18.5 will not qualify for the NCAA meet, IF THERE IS ONE.
The rise of elite underwaters in short course = the rise of 3 pointers in the NBA
The Cal Dispairs are rolling over dead