Sun Devils prepared to take first step against Georgia

(Photo courtesy Sun Devil Athletics)

This weekend, Arizona State swim and dive will face off against the Georgia Bulldogs for its opening meets of the 2023-2024 season. Both of these teams open their season against each other for the second consecutive year.

Georgia’s swim and dive program has been strong in recent years but often overshadowed by other Georgia athletic successes. Conversely, Arizona State’s swim and dive has quickly become one of the Sun Devils’ best athletic programs over the past few years.

Last year, the ASU men’s team reached unprecedented levels of success. The Sun Devils finished with a 7-1 record and were undefeated in the Pac-12. They placed first in the Pac-12 Championships and second in the NCAA Swim and Dive Championship, which was their best finish in program history. The ASU men’s swim and dive team is losing very little of what made it elite last year. Bob Bowman, ASU’s head coach, is returning for yet another season, while 10 of the Sun Devil’s 14 All-Americans from last year have come back for the 2023-2024 season.

Georgia’s men’s swim and dive team is also talented in its own right. The Bulldogs finished with an 8-2 record and placed 5th in the SEC championships and 12th in the NCAA championships last season. Georgia didn’t achieve the same level of success as ASU last year, their men’s swim and dive program is on an upward trend. Head coach Neil Versfeld is returning for his second season, while the roster from last year remains intact.

These teams split 1-1 in their meets last year. Georgia won the first meet 46–44, and Arizona State won the second meet 155.5–145.5. Two things to watch in this matchup are ASU star junior Léon Marchand and Georgia’s backstroke group.

Marchand is a five-time NCAA Champion who holds record times in the 200 and 400 Individual Medleys, as well as the 200 Breaststroke. He has been so successful in his time at ASU that many believe he has the potential to contend and win medals at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Georgia’s backstroke group includes fifth-year Ian Grum, who was an All-American in the 200 backstroke last year, as well as graduate student Bradley Dunham, who is an SEC champion in the 200 backstroke

The ASU women’s swim and dive program, on the other hand, has a bright future. Although the Sun Devils were 3-7 last year, their record was not entirely indicative of their talent level. The team got off to a slow start beginning with an 0–6 record, but improved by finishing with a 3–1 stretch at the end of the season.

The program also has a number of new additions to help improve upon its results from last year. There are 10 new swimmers for the Sun Devils. Among them are three promising newcomers in sophomore Deniz Ertan, and freshmen Lia Csulak and Alexa Reyna. Managing this roster turnover is Bowman, who won the Frank Kush Award for his success at ASU last year.

The Georgia Women’s Swim and Dive team will present a challenge for the Sun Devils. The Bulldogs had a 7-3 record last year and finished sixth at the SEC Championships. Their roster had 21 All-American designations throughout the 2022-2023 season. Many of those who earned All-American accolades for the Bulldogs will be returning this season. The Bulldogs have several experienced senior and fifth-year swimmers returning this season. Among this group are Sloane Reinstein, Jillian Barcyzk, and Zoie Hartman. Reinstein and Barcyzk are All-Americans. Hartman is a seven-time SEC Champion. The squad is led by Stefanie Williams Moreno, who is entering her second season as Georgia’s head coach of Swim and Dive.

When Georgia and ASU’s women’s swim teams faced off last year, Georgia went 2–0. The Bulldogs won both matchups by a significant margin. They won the first meet with a score of 62–28, and the second meet with a score of 203–90.

Two swimmers to watch in this matchup are ASU senior Lindsay Looney and Georgia junior Rachel Stege. In her sophomore season, Stege won the SEC title in the 500 freestyle and finished top-eight in the 1,650 freestyle. Stege has a lot of potential entering her last two seasons.

Lindsey Looney, on the other hand, is a proven senior for ASU’s Swim & Dive team. She won Pac-12 championships last season in the 200 fly and 500 free. In fact, Looney is so established that she competed at worlds over the summer and is on the US National team roster for 2023-2024.

Both ASU men’s and women’s swim teams will be looking to start the season with a win. Both teams have high hopes, and wins against the Bulldogs would be the first step onward accomplishing those lofty goals.