(Photo via Xavier Litman/WCSN)
Riding high after winning its sixth straight win, ASU Men’s Swim and Dive will finish up its regular season on Saturday when No. 19 Arizona comes to town.
Last time out, the Sun Devils (6-1, 3-0) were ranked No. 1 for the first time in program history before defeating No. 12 Stanford 186-114 and reigning Pac-12 and NCAA Champions No. 2 Cal 211-87 on back-to-back afternoons in one of the most historic weekends in school history.
Sophomore Léon Marchand is a perfect 19-19 in individual events to begin the season. Marchand won three events against Cal, including setting the new NCAA record in the 400-yard individual medley in 3 minutes, 31.84 seconds.
Freshman Zalan Sarkany had one of the best debuts in program history, setting school records in the 1000 freestyle in his first two races. Sarkany added four individual wins in his first weekend at ASU, winning the 500 and 1000 freestyle on both days.
Senior Grant House also completed a successful weekend against two of ASU’s Pac-12 foes, winning the 100 and 200 free against Stanford and Cal.
ASU opens its meets with the 200-yard medley relay – a race they finished sixth in at last season’s NCAA Championships – and finishes with the 400-yard freestyle relay – which they placed second in last season, falling to Texas by less than half a second. The Sun Devils continue to put together nationally-ranked placements in both races this season, which will be critical for a deep Pac-12 and NCAA run in March.
The Wildcats (2-4, 0-3) come into Mona Plummer Aquatic Center without a win in their last three meets – all of which came against Pac-12 opponents that ASU has defeated this season. The team’s most recent dual meet win was a 178-122 triumph over Miami on Oct. 22, 2022.
At Arizona’s last meet against Stanford, the Wildcats took home first-place finishes in the 200 medley relay and 200 butterfly. The squad of senior Ryan Purdy, senior Ryan Foote, junior Ryan Perham and senior Martin Ercegovic narrowly defeated Stanford in the relay, while freshman Haakon Naughton took home the butterfly in over two seconds.
The trio of Ryans each finished second in at least one other race. Foote snagged second in the 100 breaststroke, Purdy in the 100 backstroke, and Purdy and Perham helped Arizona place second in the 400 freestyle relay.
The Wildcats were victorious in the 50 freestyle, netting second, third and fourth-place finishes Ercegovic nearly took home first, while Perham finished right behind him in third, and freshman Tommy Palmer grabbed fourth. The event was tight, as all five racers finished within a half-second of each other. The difference between the first and third was .16 seconds.
ASU Women’s Swim and Dive will also take on Wildcats in the pool Saturday for its final regular season meet.
The Sun Devils (2-7, 2-3) are coming off an impressive upset win against No. 11 Cal 191.5-96.5 on Jan. 21. Similarly to the men’s team, the Wildcats (4-5, 1-4) haven’t had the best luck this season and haven’t won a dual meet since Oct. 22 against Miami. They’ve lost four straight dual meets against Pac-12 opponents.
Junior Lindsay Looney had one of her most successful meets against Cal, taking home the 200 freestyle, 200 butterfly and 500 freestyle. She has dominated the 200 butterfly throughout this season, winning the race five times. Looney was also part of the 400 freestyle relay that closed out the successful meet for ASU.
Sophomore Iza Adame secured two more victories against Cal, grabbing both the 100 and 200 breaststrokes in the Sun Devils’ upset. Adame has swept the breaststroke races in three straight meets, dating back to the team’s win against Washington State on Jan. 14. Adame also took part in ASU’s 200 medley relay victory to open the meet.
Sophomore Charli Brown added two first-place finishes in ASU’s win against Cal. She won the 200 medley relay and 400 IM. Brown dominated the competition in the 400 IM, taking the race by 11 seconds.
In their last series of meets, the Wildcats snagged two first-place finishes in diving, as senior Delaney Schnell swept the 1-meter and 3-meter dives. Schnell is one of the most decorated divers in Arizona history, as she holds a total of nine All-American bids in the 1-meter, 3-meter and platform dives. Schnell has the Arizona record in the 3-meter (388.70) and platform dive (383.35), and she won a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the 10-meter synchronized platform dive for the United States.
Arizona Senior Daisy Anderson was the only individual Wildcat swimmer to win an event against Stanford on Jan. 21, when she took home the 400 IM in 4:29.98.
Wildcats junior Julia Heimstead, sophomore Alyssa Schwengel, junior Grace Anderson and freshman Riley Botton combined for a first-place finish in the 400 medley relay in 3:27.01.
Four Arizona swimmers placed second during the dual meet against Stanford: sophomore Steffi Beisel in the 1000 freestyle, Schwengel in the 50 freestyle, Anderson in the 200 breaststroke and Heimstead in the 100 butterfly.
The Sun Devils hope to close out its season strong against its rivals before the Pac-12 Swimming and Diving Championships begin on Feb. 25.
