ASU Swim and Dive gears up for Bay Area trip against Stanford and Cal

(Photo: Sun Devil Athletics)

Arizona State Swim and Dive has gotten off to a roaring start, with record-breaking crowds and dominant wins against UNLV and at the All-Arizona Showdown. ASU now looks toward its toughest test yet.

This Friday, the Sun Devils take on Stanford, before heading to the other side of the San Francisco Bay to face Cal. The Sun Devils men’s team finds itself at No. 5 and is looking to prove it’s still a top-5 team in the country against the No. 8 and No. 3 teams. The women’s team, which is currently No. 17, is looking to break into the top 15. A victory over No. 3 Stanford or No. 9 Cal on either day could be a signature win for a women’s team on the rise.

Redshirt Senior and two-time NCAA Champion Torri Huske has been one of the most outstanding swimmers for Stanford, as she took first place in three events in Stanford’s opener at the UCSD Triton Invitational. She will be one of the biggest factors for Stanford’s success. Other notable swimmers include juniors Lucy Thomas and Caroline Bricker.

The men’s side for Stanford is also formidable and will be a good test for an ASU team coming off a week of prep. Junior Jonathan Tan, a 2024 Olympian and second-team All-American, looks to make another jump in his Junior year.

The Sun Devils then visit Cal, where they will have their second top-10 opponent in two days. Cal’s men’s team returns eight swimmers who competed in the 2025 NCAA’s and also has seven who were named to the US National Team. Included on both of these lists is Junior Keaton Jones. Jones is a multi-event athlete who swam in six different events last year, including backstroke, where he has found the most success.

The recruiting class from Cal is also one of the best in the nation, with multiple swimmers in the top 50 recruits. The most notable is Ryan Erisman, who was the No. 16 recruit in the country. It also grabbed Nathan Wiffien from Ireland, who is the brother of Olympic champion Daniel Wiffien.

ASU has a great team of its own, however, with graduate Adam Chaney coming off a Big 12 swimmer of the week performance and Junior Ilya Kharun continuing his dominant start.

The Sun Devils have been very prevalent in the national talks, but these two matchups will be very big tests and could change the way the rankings see them.

If the ASU men’s team walks away with two wins, the momentum could solidify it in the top five. The women’s team is a different story, against two teams within the top 15. If they can walk away with a win, it could catapult the team into a top 10 spot.

Both the Men’s and Women’s teams are facing a benchmark meet. If wins come, it could launch the momentum the teams need and keep them hot. However, a loss could derail them both and force them to fight from behind for the rest of the season.