2023 Pac-12 Men’s Championships, Night 2: Leon Marchand Hits Another 1:37 in IM title

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Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

2023 Pac-12 Men’s Championships, Night 2: Leon Marchand Hits Another 1:37 in IM title

About the only thing faster than Leon Marchand these days is, well, Leon Marchand.

It’s getting to that point with the Frenchman, as he looks to move NCAA history forward every time he chases a best time.

Marchand sent a season-best time in the 200 IM of 1:37.81 to win the event at the 2023 Pac-12 Men’s championships. Only his NCAA record of 1:37.69, set at the NCAA championships last year, remains out in front of him.

The action from the second night session out in Federal Way, Washington, which Arizona State exited with a 100-point lead over the University of California:

2023 Pac-12 Men’s Championships

2023 Pac-12 Men’s Championships Team Scores

Combined Team Scores - Through Event 9                      
 
  1. Arizona State University        357.5   2. California, University of, Ber    251
  3. Stanford University               238   4. Southern California, Universit  202.5
  5. University of Arizona             197   6. Utah, University of               174

500 freestyle

Gabriel Jett was nearly four seconds faster in finals than in the morning prelims to go from the third seed to the win in 4:09.66. She’s just .15 shy of the meet record set by teammate Trenton Julian last year. He was 1.5 seconds clear of teammate Lucas Henveaux, who had been the top seed out of prelims. The grad student was a tenth slower at night than in the morning in grabbing the silver medal in 4:11.16. Jett and Henveaux move into second and fourth, respectively, in Cal program history.

Arizona State’s Julian Hill broke up the Berkeley blockade in the top three by going 4:12.21 to edge Patrick Callan off the podium by .24. Andrew Gray and Daniel Matheson were fifth and sixth for the Sun Devils.

Event 6  Men 500 Yard Freestyle
=========================================================================
         NCAA: N 4:06.32  2/19/2020 Kieran Smith, Florida
       PAC-12: M 4:07.81  2023      Leon Marchand, ASU
 PAC-12 Champ: P 4:09.49  2021      Trenton Julian, CAL
    Name                 Year School            Prelims     Finals Points 
=========================================================================
                            === A - Final ===                            
 
  1 Jett, Gabriel          SO California        4:13.43    4:09.66   20  
                 23.10        47.94 (24.84)
        1:13.26 (25.32)     1:38.63 (25.37)
        2:04.22 (25.59)     2:29.71 (25.49)
        2:54.75 (25.04)     3:20.07 (25.32)
        3:45.29 (25.22)     4:09.66 (24.37)
  2 Henveaux, Lucas        GS California        4:11.06    4:11.16   17  
                 23.25        48.44 (25.19)
        1:13.92 (25.48)     1:39.57 (25.65)
        2:05.25 (25.68)     2:30.85 (25.60)
        2:56.56 (25.71)     3:21.69 (25.13)
        3:46.67 (24.98)     4:11.16 (24.49)
  3 Hill, Julian           SR ASU               4:14.38    4:12.21   16  
                 23.28        48.80 (25.52)
        1:14.46 (25.66)     1:40.15 (25.69)
        2:05.92 (25.77)     2:31.64 (25.72)
        2:57.45 (25.81)     3:22.90 (25.45)
        3:47.75 (24.85)     4:12.21 (24.46)
  4 Callan, Patrick        GS California        4:13.21    4:12.45   15  
                 23.24        48.69 (25.45)
        1:14.17 (25.48)     1:39.78 (25.61)
        2:05.44 (25.66)     2:31.22 (25.78)
        2:56.95 (25.73)     3:22.54 (25.59)
        3:47.71 (25.17)     4:12.45 (24.74)
  5 Gray, Andrew           SR ASU               4:16.18    4:12.55   14  
                 23.35        48.89 (25.54)
        1:14.27 (25.38)     1:39.91 (25.64)
        2:05.37 (25.46)     2:30.88 (25.51)
        2:56.29 (25.41)     3:21.80 (25.51)
        3:47.61 (25.81)     4:12.55 (24.94)
  6 Matheson, Daniel       SO ASU               4:15.47    4:13.14   13  
                 23.65        49.02 (25.37)
        1:14.72 (25.70)     1:40.32 (25.60)
        2:05.89 (25.57)     2:31.49 (25.60)
        2:57.05 (25.56)     3:22.70 (25.65)
        3:48.26 (25.56)     4:13.14 (24.88)
  7 Forst, Preston         JR Stanford          4:15.66    4:15.01   12  
                 23.55        48.84 (25.29)
        1:14.37 (25.53)     1:40.13 (25.76)
        2:05.90 (25.77)     2:31.71 (25.81)
        2:57.41 (25.70)     3:23.18 (25.77)
        3:49.18 (26.00)     4:15.01 (25.83)
  8 Sarkany, Zalan         FR ASU               4:17.90    4:16.48   11  
                 22.78        48.00 (25.22)
        1:13.75 (25.75)     1:39.72 (25.97)
        2:05.72 (26.00)     2:31.75 (26.03)
        2:58.02 (26.27)     3:24.22 (26.20)
        3:50.60 (26.38)     4:16.48 (25.88)

200 individual medley

Leon Marchand was out front in the 200 IM from the start, but Hugo Gonzalez wasn’t far behind, in what portends a close race at NCAAs in both IMs, if they opt for them. Marchand closed in 23.78, the six tenths he gained on that leg most of the .91-second margin he had over Gonzalez, the reigning NCAA 400 IM champ. Gonzalez was also under the pool record in 1:38.72, plenty good for silver. It’s a best time for Gonzalez, third-best in Cal history and second-best in the nation this season.

Ron Polonsky jumped up from a tie for seventh in prelims to third in 1:40.42, holding off a charge by Destin Lasco on the anchor leg. Polonsky is tied for the third-fastest time in the country this season.

The points in this race – with Owen McDonald fifth, Grant House sixth and David Schlicht seventh – put Arizona State in the lead.

 Event 7  Men 200 Yard IM
=========================================================================
         NCAA: N 1:38.13  2/15/2018 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
       PAC-12: M 1:37.69  2022      Leon Marchand, ASU
 PAC-12 Champ: P 1:39.65  2022      Leon Marchand, ASU
    Name                 Year School            Prelims     Finals Points 
=========================================================================
                            === A - Final ===                            
 
  1 Marchand, Leon         SO ASU               1:40.32    1:37.81N  20  
                 21.52        45.86 (24.34)
        1:14.03 (28.17)     1:37.81 (23.78)
  2 Gonzalez de Oliveira,  GS California        1:41.53    1:38.72P  17  
                 21.74        46.17 (24.43)
        1:14.31 (28.14)     1:38.72 (24.41)
  3 Polonsky, Ron          SO Stanford          1:43.16    1:40.42   16  
                 22.18        47.37 (25.19)
        1:16.13 (28.76)     1:40.42 (24.29)
  4 Lasco, Destin          JR California        1:41.83    1:40.60   15  
                 21.77        46.74 (24.97)
        1:16.61 (29.87)     1:40.60 (23.99)
  5 McDonald, Owen         FR ASU               1:42.94    1:41.60   14  
                 22.22        46.79 (24.57)
        1:17.02 (30.23)     1:41.60 (24.58)
  6 House, Grant           SR ASU               1:42.32    1:41.62   13  
                 21.58        47.30 (25.72)
        1:17.26 (29.96)     1:41.62 (24.36)
  7 Schlicht, David        SR ASU               1:42.97    1:42.33   12  
                 22.34        48.31 (25.97)
        1:17.38 (29.07)     1:42.33 (24.95)
  8 Affeld, Jonny          JR Stanford          1:43.16    1:43.38   11  
                 22.35        48.53 (26.18)
        1:18.15 (29.62)     1:43.38 (25.23)

50 freestyle

In a mild surprise, Jack Dolan of Arizona State claimed gold in the 50 free. He had been second in the morning, but with Bjorn Seeliger stuck on 18.87, Dolan swept ahead with a time of 18.86 at night. Seeliger grabbed silver in 18.91 and Andrei Minakov of Stanford added the bronze medal in 19.07.

 Event 8  Men 50 Yard Freestyle
=========================================================================
         NCAA: N 17.63  3/22/2018 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
       PAC-12: M 18.33  2021      Ryan Hoffer, CAL
 PAC-12 Champ: P 18.80  2014      Brad Tandy, ARIZ
    Name                 Year School            Prelims     Finals Points 
=========================================================================
                            === A - Final ===                            
 
  1 Dolan, Jack            SR ASU                 19.13      18.86   20  
                  9.05         18.86 (9.81)
  2 Seeliger, Bjorn        JR California          18.87      18.91   17  
                  9.02         18.91 (9.89)
  3 Minakov, Andrei        JR Stanford            19.16      19.07   16  
                  9.20         19.07 (9.87)
  4 Kulow, Jonny           FR ASU                 19.15      19.09   15  
                  9.15         19.09 (9.94)
  5 Alexy, Jack            SO California          19.22      19.13   14  
                  9.17         19.13 (9.96)
  6 McCusker, Max          SR ASU                 19.32      19.14   13  
                  9.20         19.14 (9.94)
  7 Perham, Ryan           SR Arizona             19.33      19.32   12  
                  9.21        19.32 (10.11)
  8 Sammon, Patrick        SO ASU                 19.33      19.47   11  
                  9.43        19.47 (10.04)

200 freestyle relay

Another 50 free, another 18.87 for Bjorn Seeliger, who may well be getting tired of that number. In the 200 free relay, it was sufficient for the Golden Bears to win the relay in 1:15.40, joined by Jack Alexy, Destin Lasco and Gabriel Jett. Cal put its horses out front and led by a half-second after 150 yards, which was enough for Jett to hang onto with .35 to spare.

Arizona State finished second in 1:15.75, slower than their midseason invite time. Jack Dolan, Jonny Kulow, Max McCusker and Grant House comprised the squad. Dolan, the 50 free champ, was out in only 19.15.

Arizona (1:15.97) and Stanford (1:16.24) also hit A standard times.

 Event 9  Men 200 Yard Freestyle Relay
==================================================================================
         NCAA: N 1:14.08  3/26/2009 Auburn
                          J. Andkjaer, G. Louw, K. Norys, M. Targett
       PAC-12: M 1:14.36  2021      Univ of California, Berkeley, CAL
                          Seeliger, Hoffer, Carr, Biondi
 PAC-12 Champ: P 1:15.00  2022      Univ of California, Berkeley
                          Seelinger, Alexy, Carr, Peng
    School                                 Seed     Finals Points 
==================================================================================
  1 California  'A'                     1:16.46    1:15.40   40  
     1) Seeliger, Bjorn JR            2) Alexy, Jack SO               
     3) Lasco, Destin JR              4) Jett, Gabriel SO             
                 18.87        37.41 (18.54)
          56.22 (18.81)     1:15.40 (19.18)
  2 ASU  'A'                            1:15.30    1:15.75   34  
     1) Dolan, Jack SR                2) Kulow, Jonny FR              
     3) McCusker, Max SR              4) House, Grant SR              
                 19.15        38.01 (18.86)
          56.80 (18.79)     1:15.75 (18.95)
  3 Arizona  'A'                        1:17.18    1:15.97   32  
     1) Palmer, Tommy FR              2) Ercegovic, Marin GS          
     3) Miller, Seth JR               4) Perham, Ryan SR              
                 19.31        38.30 (18.99)
          57.42 (19.12)     1:15.97 (18.55)
  4 Stanford  'A'                       1:17.68    1:16.24   30  
     1) Minakov, Andrei JR            2) Gu, Rafael FR                
     3) Affeld, Jonny JR              4) Maurer, Luke JR              
                 19.13        38.31 (19.18)
          57.36 (19.05)     1:16.24 (18.88)
  5 Utah  'A'                           1:21.61    1:18.02   28  
     1) Ungur, Andrei SR              2) O'Haimhirgin, Finn SR        
     3) Hynes, Jp SR                  4) Horner, Jaek SR              
                 19.80        39.03 (19.23)
          58.42 (19.39)     1:18.02 (19.60)
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