Produced by Coleman Hodges.
Reported by Jared Anderson.
In the men’s 200 back, it was California swimmers who dominated, much like the French swimmers in the 200 free. Cal junior Ryan Murphy was the runaway winner, going 1:55.99 after a great opening 100 split of 56.5. His teammate Jacob Pebley was third at 1:58.52.
Slipping in between was Arkady Vyatchanin, the former Russian national who is seeking an Olympic bid with Serbia for 2016. Vyatchanin was 1:58.52.
100 back Olympic champ Matt Grevers went 1:59.31 to take fourth and round out the sub-two-minute crowd.
NC State’s Hennessey Stuart was just off the barrier at 2:00.00. Canada’s Markus Thormeyer, who snuck into the A final when Olympic champ Tyler Clary scratched, made the most of his opportunity, going 2:00.83 to drop 1.7 seconds off his prelims swim and take 6th.
28-year-old Rex Tullius was 2:00.88 and Great Britain’s Jay Lelliott rounded out the heat in 2:03.42.
Boy, looking at college times, how is Cal not the favorite in ncaa’s? Cal swimmers could win 6 individual events and 3 relays. Why is everyone calling Texas the overwhelming favorite.? Murphy, Prenot, Pebley, Gutierrez, Selsikar, etc… certainly match-up with Schooling, Conger, Licon, Haas, Smith, Harty, etc…