(Photo: Casey McNulty/Sun Devil Athletics)
After starting the season undefeated, Arizona State swim and dive is looking to continue its success during its first road meet against North Carolina State University on Friday and Saturday.
While ASU is coming off last week’s victory over its fellow Arizona competitors in the first-ever all-Arizona quad meet, NC State is opening its season with a two-day dual against the Sun Devils.
With the last matchup between the two teams almost exactly a year ago, both teams are either seeking redemption or a repetition of success. During the meet last October, the Sun Devil men declared victory over the Wolfpack by a comfortable margin of 73 points, while the Sun Devil women fell short by a tight 39 points. This weekend, the Arizona State men’s team aims for a similar result, while the women hope to emerge victorious.
Freshman Tolu Young is set to make an impact this weekend for the Devils. After placing in the top three in every event he swam at the last meet, he was awarded Big 12 Newcomer of the Week. His strength in the sprint freestyle events and versatility in others, such as butterfly, will majorly contribute to the Devils’ quest for another win on the season.
For the women, sophomore Miriam Sheehan will return to her old stomping grounds to swim against her former team. After transferring from NC State to ASU during the offseason, the former Olympian has already set a school record in the 200-yard medley relay in her debut meet with the Sun Devils. Also, Sheehan has established herself as a top contender in sprint freestyle, backstroke and butterfly, and she poses a major threat to the Wolfpack women.
NC State will rely heavily on a hefty Hungarian duo to take charge in the team’s battle against the Devils. While freshman David Betlehem is new to the Wolfpack, he is no stranger to dominating in the water. Bethlehem took bronze for Hungary in the men’s 10-kilometer open water race at the Paris Olympics and finished fourth in the 1500-meter freestyle at the 2024 World Championships in Doha.
Alongside Betlehem is freshman Betti Fabian, who also represented Hungary in the Paris Olympics for the women’s 10-kilometer open water race and took fifth place. In addition, Fabian placed in the top 15 for the 400- and 800-meter freestyle events at the 2021 European Championships in Budapest. With both freshmen coming off Olympic appearances, they are set to pose a threat to the Devils in the distance events.
Although the Devils have yet to face a conference opponent one-on-one, winning against the Wolfpack this week would set them up for the grueling tests they will face later in the season. If both the Sun Devil men and women can win against the Wolfpack, they will establish a strong foundation for the future of their season.
