Sun Devils to face pair of ranked Pac-12 Opponents

(Photo via Xavier Litman/WCSN)

The No. 1/No. 21-ranked Sun Devils return to Mona Plummer Aquatic Center this weekend against multiple ranked opponents. The action begins Friday, as the women’s team faces UCLA. The meets continue on Saturday as both ASU’s women’s and men’s teams take on USC.

Despite their 1-3 record, the No. 21-ranked ASU women have performed well this season. They have shown marked improvements from meet to meet. Head coach Bob Bowman highlighted their last competition against NC State as the best women’s meet he’s seen since his arrival in 2015.

However, UCLA and USC will present challenges for the Sun Devils. No. 23 UCLA is currently undefeated with a 3-0 record. USC, which has its first dual meet of the season against the Arizona Wildcats on Friday, is ranked No. 7, with first-place finishes in the USC Invitational and SMU Classic Invitational this season.

Last year, the ASU women fell 183-116 and 180-103 to UCLA and USC, respectively. This weekend’s meets provide an opportunity for the Sun Devils to showcase their improvement from last season.

In ASU’s matchups against UCLA and USC, three things to watch are Bruins’ graduate swimmer Brooke Shaffer, Trojans’ senior Anicka Delgado, and the Sun Devils’ 400-yard freestyle relays.

At the Fresno State Invite, Shaffer placed first in the 200 freestyle and second in the 50 freestyle. Last season, she earned All-American honors as well.

Ecuador Olympian Delgado is a key contributor for USC. She placed first in the 100 butterfly at the USC Invitational. Delgado also earned a CSCAA All-American Honorable Mention in the 200 medley relay, 400 medley relay, and 400 freestyle relay last year.

In the Sun Devils’ last meet, the women upset No. 4 North Carolina State in the 400 free relay, suggesting that this will be a strong event for the Sun Devils going forward.

On the men’s side, the Sun Devils have been spectacular this season. They rank No. 1 in the country with a 4-0 record. In their four victories, Arizona State has outscored their opponents 688-351.

The No. 16-ranked USC men’s team is also talented. Its matchup against the Sun Devils on Saturday will mark its second dual meet of the season. Although they’ve had limited dual meet experience thus far, the Trojans have shown their potential in invitationals. They placed first in the USC Invitational and third in the SMU Classic Invitational.

When ASU and USC met last year, the Sun Devils won 185-115. Two things to watch are USC’s diving program as well as ASU swimmers junior Léon Marchand and graduate student Jack Dolan.

The USC Trojans’ diving program is elite. Last year, they swept the Pac-12 Conference postseason awards. Their head coach, Hongping Li, won Pac-12 Men’s Diving Coach of the Year, while junior Shangfei Wang won Pac-12 Men’s Diver of the Year.

Marchand, a five-time NCAA champion, holds records in the 200 and 400 individual medleys, as well as the 200 breaststroke. He is potentially the best collegiate swimmer in the nation. Fifth-year swimmer Dolan has been on a tear lately. Most recently, Dolan placed first in the 50 and 100 freestyle races against North Carolina State. Both Marchand and Dolan are key contributors to the Sun Devils’ recent success.

Both Sun Devil squads will receive a push in the pool by their opponents from Southern California. All three ranked matchups this weekend look to prepare the Sun Devils for the postseason as competition increases in difficulty and swimmers work toward quickening their times.