2024 M. NCAAs: Watch Liam Bell Break the 100 Breast NCAA Record (Day 3 Race Videos)

2024 MEN’S NCAA SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• March 27-30, 2024
• IUPUI Natatorium, Indianapolis, Indiana
• Short Course Yards (25 yards)
• Meet Central
• Official Psych Sheets
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• SwimSwam Pick ‘Ems Contest
• How to Watch
• Live Results
• Day 1 Finals Live Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Live Recap | Day 2 Finals Live Recap
• Day 3 Prelims Live Recap

We wouldn’t have thought that it was possible, but Day 3 of 2024 Men’s NCAAs turned out to be even more dramatic than Day 2. If you weren’t able to watch the action live, we’ve got you covered with the race videos of all the championship finals.

400 Yard Individual Medley — Final

Courtesy: PAC-12 Networks

• NCAA Record: 3:28.82 — Leon Marchand, Arizona State (2023)
• Meet Record: 3:28.82 — Leon Marchand, Arizona State (2023)
• American Record: 3:33.42 — Chase Kalisz, Georgia (2017)
• U.S. Open Record: 3:28.82 — Leon Marchand, Arizona State (2023)
• Pool Record: 3:33.42 — Chase Kalisz, Georgia (2017)
• 2023 Champion: 3:28.82 — Leon Marchand, Arizona State

Top 8:

1. Leon Marchand (Arizona State) — 3:32.12 *Pool Record*
2. David Schlicht (Arizona State) — 3:35.27
3. Baylor Nelson (Texas A&M) — 3:37.46
4. Jack Hoagland (SMU) — 3:37.53
5. Jake Magahey (Georgia) — 3:37.64
6. Mason Laur (Florida) — 3:37.98
7. Gio Linscherr (Florida) — 3:39.90
8. Tristan Jankovics (Ohio State) — 3:40.57

The Sun Devils couldn’t have asked for a better start to the session. They got a 1-2 finish courtesy of Leon Marchand and David Schlicht. As expected, Marchand dominated this race, splitting 47.26/53.11/59.44/52.31 en route to his second-straight 400 IM title in a pool record time of 3:32.12.

Schlicht swam his second personal best of the day. Schlicht came into the meet with a 3:37.97 best from PAC-12s, which he brought down to 3:37.65 in prelims. He demolished that here in the final, dropping another 2.38 seconds.

It was tight at the touch for 3rd place as Baylor Nelson held off Jack Hoagland and Jake Magahey for 3rd. All three swam personal bests.

100 Yard Butterfly — Final

• NCAA Record: 42.80 — Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
• Meet Record: 42.80 — Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
• American Record: 42.80 — Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
• U.S. Open Record: 42.80 — Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
• Pool Record: 43.30 — Josh Liendo, Florida (2024)
• 2023 Champion: Youssef Ramadan, Virginia Tech— 43.15

Top 8:

1. Josh Liendo (Florida) — 43.07 *Pool Record*
2. Tomer Frankel (Indiana) — 43.85
3. Luke Miller (NC State) — 43.90
4. Youssef Ramadan (Virginia Tech) — 43.95
5. Ilya Kharun (Arizona State) — 44.26
6. Aiden Hayes (NC State) — 44.39
7. Gal Cohen Groumi (Michigan) / Dare Rose (Cal) — 44.46
8. (tie)

Josh Liendo earned his second NCAA title of the meet blazing 43.07 and winning the 100 butterfly. His jumps up to the second fastest performer all-time, moving ahead of last year’s champion Youssef Ramadan. Liendo was out in 19.90, separating himself from the field early as the only man to go out under 20 seconds. He brought it home for the win in 23.17.

He broke the pool record that he swam this morning and dominated the field, winning the race by .78 seconds.

Tomer Frankel, who broke 44 seconds for the first time in prelims, lowered his school record even further with a 43.85. NC State’s Luke Miller joined him under 44 for the first time in his career, taking 3rd in 43.90.

Everyone in the championship final went faster than they swam this morning.

200 Yard Freestyle — Final

• NCAA Record: 1:28.97 — Leon Marchand, Arizona State (2024)
• Meet Record: 1:28.97 — Leon Marchand, Arizona State (2024)
• American Record: 1:29.13 — Luke Hobson, Texas (2024)
• U.S. Open Record: 1:28.97 — Leon Marchand, Arizona State (2024)
• Pool Record: 1:28.97 — Leon Marchand, Arizona State (2024)
• 2023 Champion: Luke Hobson, Texas — 1:30.43

Top 8:

1. Luke Hobson (Texas) — 1:28.81 *NCAA, Meet, American, U.S. Open, Pool Record*
2. Jack Alexy (Cal) — 1:29.75
3. Chris Guiliano (Notre Dame) — 1:30.38
4. Charlie Hawke (Alabama) — 1:30.58
5. Rafael Miroslaw (Indiana) — 1:30.84
6. Jordan Crooks (Tennessee) — 1:31.03
7. Gabriel Jett (Cal) — 1:31.16
8. Murilo Sartori (Louisville) — 1:32.12

Luke Hobson reclaimed his NCAA record and defended his title in the 200 freestyle. Hobson let Jack Alexy, more known for his sprints, take control for the first part of the race. Alexy opened in 20.45, ahead of Chris Guiliano (20.70) and Hobson (20.82). Hobson closed the gap on Alexy during the second 50, splitting 22.54.

The Longhorn really made his move on the third 50, splitting 22.71 and closing in 22.74 to take the title and the records in a blistering 1:28.81. Alexy became the 7th fastest performer in the event, breaking 1:30 for the first time in his career with a 1:29.75.

Guiliano hung on for 3rd ahead of a fast-closing Charlie Hawke, posting a 1:30.38 personal best.

100 Yard Breaststroke — Final

Courtesy: PAC-12 Network

• NCAA Record: 49.69 — Ian Finnerty, Indiana (2018)
• Meet Record: 49.69 — Ian Finnerty, Indiana (2018)
• American Record: 49.69 — Ian Finnerty, Indiana (2018)
• U.S. Open Record: 49.69 — Ian Finnerty, Indiana (2018)
• Pool Record: 50.52 — Liam Bell, California (2024)
• 2023 Champion: 50.00 – Max McHugh, Minnesota

Top 8: 

1. Liam Bell (CAL) – 49.53 *NCAA, Meet, American, U.S. Open, & Pool Records* 
2. Brian Benzing (TOWS) – 50.59
3. Denis Petrashov (LOU) – 50.91
4. Noah Nichols (UVA) – 50.93
5. Carles Coll Marti (VT) – 51.06
6. Josh Matheny (IU) – 51.07
7. Julian Smith (FLOR) – 51.18
8. Ron Polonsky (STAN) – 51.25

Without a doubt, this was the most unexpected event of the meet. Not necessarily because of who won, but because of how fast he went. Cal fifth-year Liam Bell tore away from the field, winning his first ever individual NCAA title by breaking all the records. He passed Ian Finnerty as the fastest 100 breaststroker in history with a 49.53.

Bell won the race by over a second, as Towson’s Brian Benzing claimed 2nd in his second personal best of the day. That’s the highest-finish for a men’s mid-major swimmer since the Dean Farris days. Denis Petrashov repeated his third place finish from 2023, getting third in Indianapolis in 50.91. He touched just .02 seconds ahead of Noah Nichols, who also broke 51 seconds.

100 Yard Backstroke — Final

Courtesy: Kyle Millis

• NCAA Record: 43.35 — Luca Urlando, Georgia (2022)
• Meet Record: 43.35 — Luca Urlando, Georgia (2022)
• American Record: 43.35 — Luca Urlando, Georgia (2022)
• U.S. Open Record: 43.35 — Luca Urlando, Georgia (2022)
• Pool Record: 43.99 — Ryan Murphy, Cal  (2017)
• 2023 Champion: 43.61 – Brendan Burns, Indiana

Top 8: 

1. Brendan Burns (IU) – 43.86
2. Kacper Stokowski (NCST) – 43.89
3. Adam Chaney (FLOR) – 43.99
4. Hubert Kos (ASU) – 44.13
5. Destin Lasco (CAL) – 44.22
6. Owen McDonald (ASU) – 44.46
7. Ruard Van Renen (UGA) – 44.75
8. Jonny Marshall (FLOR) – 44.86

Indiana 5th-year Brendan Burns defended his title from a year ago, notching a winning time of 43.86 from lane 1 in front of a Hoosier-filled crowd. Burns opened in 21.26 and charged home in 22.60 to get his hand on the wall first.

Burns led a trio of sub-44 performances as 2022 champion Kacper Stokowksi took 2nd in 43.89, just three-hundredths behind Burns. Senior Adam Chaney, who led the field around at the halfway point (21.09) set a Florida program record en route to 3rd place, dipping under the 44 second barrier for the first time in his career.

400 Yard Medley Relay — Timed Final

Courtesy: PAC-12 Network

• NCAA Record: 2:58.32 — Florida (A. Chaney, D. Hillis, J. Liendo, M. McDuff), 2023
• Meet Record: 2:58.32 — Florida (A. Chaney, D. Hillis, J. Liendo, M. McDuff), 2023
• American Record: 3:01.51 — Cal (R. Murphy, C. Hoppe, M. Josa, M. Jensen), 2017
• U.S. Open Record: 2:58.32 — Florida (A. Chaney, D. Hillis, J. Liendo, M. McDuff), 2023
• Pool Record: 2:59.22 — Texas (J. Shebat, W. Licon, J. Schooling, J. Conger), 2017
• 2023 Champion: 2:58.32 — Florida (A. Chaney, D. Hillis, J. Liendo, M. McDuff)

Top 8:

1. Arizona State – 2:57.32 *NCAA, American, U.S. Open, & Pool Records*
2. California – 2:58.30
3. NC State – 2:59.71
4. Indiana – 3:00.20
5. Stanford & Tennessee – 3:01.97
6. –
7. Virginia Tech – 3:02.34
8. Texas – 3:02.44

DQ: Florida – 2:57.52

There was much drama to close out the night in the men’s 400 medley relay. Let’s start with the winners: ASU’s quartet of Hubert Kos (44.61), Leon Marchand (48.73), Ilya Kharun (43.44), and Jonny Kulow (40.54) torched a new NCAA and U.S. Open record of 2:57.32, winning Arizona State’s first NCAA relay title in program history. Marchand also logged the fastest 100 breast split in history, improving his mark from last season.

Florida appeared to get second, just two-tenths back from Arizona State and also under their old NCAA record. But they were disqualified for a false start on their final exchange after Josh Liendo posted a 42.57 100 fly split, the fastest in history. That disqualification has big implications for the team race.

With that disqualification, Cal moved up into second place. They clocked 2:58.30, also bypassing the standard Florida set just a year ago. They went with Destin Lasco (44.13), Liam Bell (49.70), Dare Rose (44.17), and Bjorn Seeliger (40.30) on their relay.

NC State claimed 3rd, powered by Stokowski’s 43.57 lead-off, which would’ve won the individual 100 back had he produced that time there. He was followed by Sam Hoover (51.37), Luke Miller (43.55), and Quintin McCarty (41.22) to put up sub-3:00 effort of 2:59.71.