2023 MEN’S PAC-12 SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Wednesday, March 1- Saturday, March 5, 2023
- Weyerhauser King County Aquatic Center – Federal Way, WA
- SCY (25 Yards)
- Defending Champions: Cal (5x)
- Championship Central
- Event Schedule
- Diving Results
- Live Stream
- Live Results
- Fan Guide
- Psych Sheets
- Day 1 Finals Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Recap| Day 2 Finals Recap
- Day 3 Prelims Recap | Day 3 Finals Recap
Day 4 Prelims Heat Sheets
Arizona State sophomore Leon Marchand is having himself a meet at the Pac-12 Championships. After breaking the 400 IM NCAA and US Open Records on Friday evening, and swimming the third-fastest 100 yard breaststroke split ever on a medley relay, Marchand will swim the 200 breaststroke on Saturday.
He had the choice to make between the top seed in the 200 breaststroke (1:48.82 – more than a two second gap to the next-best seed) and the top seed in the 200 fly (1:39.57 – just a four-tenths of a second gap to the next seed Gabriel Jett of Cal).
TEAM SCORES THRU DAY 3
- ASU – 637.5
- Cal – 534
- Stanford – 441.5
- Arizona – 245
- Utah – 239.5
- USC – 233.5
Arizona State maintained a 100 point margin through day 3 of the championships, and while Cal’s strongest day of the meet is the final day historically, that is probably a gap-too-far for the Golden Bears to make up. Still, Marchand’s choice is probably the safer points pick.
The 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 breast individual lineup is the same one that he’s swum at each of his three collegiate championships so far. While his versatility has expanded this season (he’s held the top seed in the NCAA at various points in almost every event on the schedule), it looks like he’s going to stick to that tried-and-true lineup for now.
His lifetime best in the 200 breaststroke is a 1:48.20 that he swam to win last year’s NCAA Championship in the event.
He will also likely swim a leg of Arizona State’s favored 400 free relay at the end of the session.
Again, D1 needs to go to the D2 NCAA meet format model so guys like this can swim 4 individual events (along with other reasons that makes that model superior)
I was doing a quick Tally of possible NCAA qualifiers for ASU and for Cal
Cal:
Seeliger
Alexy
Hugo
Lasco
Whitley
Bell
Louser
Jett
Rose
Jensen
Callen
Hawk
Kopp (?) 400 IM 3:43hi
Mefford/Somersett (?) will need to qual today in 200 Back but made it last yr
Hanson (would need to qual with a time trial as 1:33.0 not good enough)
ASU:
Leon
Kos
House
Samman
Hill
Schlicht
Matheson
Martter(?)
McCusker
Bybee
Colson
Dolan
Wadsworth
Gray
Kulow
Pretty similar numbers between ASU and the consensus favorite Cal. ASU reminds me of the Mich team in 2013 that had a great team taper and team esprit in 2013 and won it all.
Cal seems to have more guys that have stepped up in that pressure packed arena before but it certainly is getting spicy and more and more I have Texas at 3rd or 4th (Florida)
and add Zarkany for ASU
Also McDonald for ASU
I can’t see the gills, there must be some, somewhere!
I believe 49.73 is the third fastest breaststroke split ever (behind Cordes and Finnerty). Still unreal though
Ugh. What’s the point? He’ll win it at NCAAs regardless. Would have loved to see him do the 2Fly
Hugo in the 200 back over the 200 breast. Makes sense for NCAAs as they’re lighter on the 200 back this year.