Olympian and NCAA Champion Brooks Curry set the collegiate swimming world aflutter when he entered the NCAA Transfer Portal last week, but is not planning to transfer to Cal, at least for this season.
Curry swam his first four years of eligibility at LSU, where in 2022 he was the NCAA Champion in the 50 yard free (18.56) and 100 yard free (40.84). He still has one year of eligibility remaining in theory because of the bonus 5th year of COVID eligibility awarded to all swimmers who participated in the 2020-2021 collegiate season.
Curry began his LSU career training under head coach Dave Geyer. After making the 2021 US Olympic Team, where he won gold on the 400 free relay, Rick Bishop became the Tigers’ head coach. Curry would win three relay medals at the 2022 World Aquatics Championships and qualify for the individual 100 free final as well.
At the 2023 US World Championship Trials, he didn’t make the final in either the 100 or 200 freestyle, though he wound up winning the “B” Final of both races. His “B” Final time in the 200 free would have made the team in the 800 free relay if he had done it in the fast heat.
After that miss, Curry moved to Berkeley to train with Cal ahead of this summer’s Olympic Games. After the Golden Bears’ tied with Arizona State on Saturday, the primary challengers for Cal to defend the NCAA title, Curry’s presence for the already sprint-loaded Golden Bears could have been enough to swing the title in their favor come March, as he’s worth a minimum of 40-45 individual points, plus would have a big relay impact.
While that doesn’t mean that Curry is unable to compete in the NCAA next season (he didn’t respond to a request for comment on that), his entry into the portal allowed him to have a conversation with Cal coaches about competing for the Golden Bears without violating NCAA tampering rules. The conclusion of that conversation was that focusing on the Olympic Trials and Paris Olympic Games are his best path forward over the next six months.
The Cal men have four meets remaining on their regular season schedule. Next Friday they’ll send a partial squad to the UCSD Triton Invitational while their main roster swims head-to-head with USC in Los Angeles before both a full-squad dual against UCSD on February 3. Cal will end their regular season on February 24 with a showdown against their tradtiional rivals from Stanford.
The Pac-12 Championships for diving begin on February 28th while the men’s swimming portion kicks off on March 6th at the King County Aquatic Center in suburban Seattle.
Columbus, GA, here we come! For NAIA nationals 2025! Looks like a real champion of character! #NAIAtthetopoftheworld NAIA Not Allowed In America as in if you’re NOT a champion of character you’re NOT ALLOWED IN AMERICA
Nobody understands what you’re saying.
What you just said is one of the most insanely, idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response, were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought.
Everyone in this thread is now dumber for having read it. I award you no points and my god have mercy on your soul.
O’doyle rules
Maybe cut back in the drunk posts
Rumor has it he’s headed to Dallas…Pony up
Nc state would be a good place for him
I guarantee he is already enrolled in classes at cal and will become eligible before pac 12s. Would be the most Cal move ever.
“All for you, Andrew”
as the insta post… lols
Curry is trolling Andrew lol
Could you imagine Cals 400 Freestyle Relay…
-Curry 40.84
-Alexy 40.51
-Lasco 40.95
-Seeliger 40.45
Total: 2:42.75
The record right now is 2:44.07…
Even without Curry they could challenge the record if the other three have those splits. It would “only” take a 42.15 from either Jensen, Hanson, Jett, Hawk, Rose, Bell, Jones, or Jones.
Well, Jensen is now the Pac-12 100 Free champion! Not quite, but close to Curry’s PB.
Seeliger is never going under 41 again when he has to perform. He’ll do it in prelims but not in a race that matters
I hate to break it to you but he just went 41.41 in 50-degree pouring rain weather after swimming the 200 Medley Relay and 50 Free 45 minutes before. If he can do that under those circumstances, he will be under 41 no doubt.
Again, Seeliger has proven time and time again he can swim fast (nobody is saying he can’t), but he only swims fast when it doesn’t matter as much.
When the stakes are highest he chokes.
“Again” sent me.
This take is going to age like milk. This past weekend he went 20.22 back, 18.92 flat start 18.58 on a swing and 41.41 100 free. All obviously in the rain on a cold day dual meet. At 2022 NCAAs he was 20.08 50 back, 18.27 (lead off) and 40.75 100 free. In 2023 he was 20.29 and ended up going 18.46 and 40.93. I can’t say he’ll go best times, but I’d put money on him being under 41.
embarrassing Andrew… mark this page folks for the the replay come March…
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTd–4AKJ7bC2fIyj37S40hdbW-wP-ZAHQ5Zw&usqp=CAU
40.65 to anchor the final NCAA relay. Aged like milk.
These are very passive times for these individuals. Alexy has the potential to drop under 40, especially from a swing. Also this article from brooks has no true validation. Cal is looking like they are setting up for the 3-peat!
traditional*
To all the haters and doubters – Never underestimate the Marsh Magic Dust ability to work wonders at NCAAs – Bears for the Win!
best news of Andrew’s week
Looks like ASU is going to run away with the NCAA title this season. Cal is a clear #2 but it’s hard to see them beating ASU at NCAAs without Curry, given the other losses/misses they have had.
– Minakov transfer that didn’t materialize
– Matt Chai off the roster
– Shackell going back to Carmel
– Louser no longer on the roster
– Curry staying with the pro group
With a couple of those decisions breaking the other way it would have been an epic meet.
Can’t forget Pieter Coetzee’s decision to a gap year then ultimately decommit from Cal to remain in South Africa to turn pro.
re: Coetze I think he always planned to join next season (2024/2025) so he wouldn’t have impacted this year’s NCAAs regardless. And they seemed to have replaced him with Mewen Tomac next year.
Minakov was going to transfer to Cal?
Was a rumor but yeah for this year
Yeah. This article made it seem like he decided to transfer to Cal then changed his mind and re-entered the portal.
https://staging.swimswam.com/ncaa-champion-andrei-minakov-to-stay-at-stanford-still-considering-olympic-redshirt/#:~:text=Minakov's%20decision%20to%20stay%20with,intended%20to%20go%20to%20Berkeley.
When did Chai leave?
He hasn’t been on the roster at all this season afaik
He hasn’t been on the roster but he did just swim at a meet at his home club in SoCal. So maybe it’s a gap year?