Leon Marchand Puts On Impressive Show During Sun Devil Challenge; Charli Brown Takes Women’s Title
In the first action of the 2022-23 season, the Arizona State Sun Devils returned to the Mona Plummer Aquatic Center for their annual Maroon & Gold intrasquad looking much like a program intent on building off the vast success from a year ago. Nearly 60 Sun Devils suited up on Friday, with each racing in five events for a pentathlon format dubbed the “Sun Devil Challenge.” Total scores from each event would be added up to determine a winner at the end of the meet.
Charli Brown was crowned the women’s winner and world champion Léon Marchand emerged victorious among all men’s team participants.
BROWN’S TIMES
100 fly — 54.36
100 back — 53.90
100 breast — 1:02.24
100 free — 49.84
100 IM — 55.19
MARCHAND’S TIMES
100 fly — 45.68
100 back — 46.47
100 breast — 52.00
100 free — 42.53
100 IM — 46.63
Grant House finished in the top-three in each of the five events, winning the 100 free at 42.19. He largely went step-for-step with Marchand, who won every event minus the 100 free, in which he finished just behind House at 42.53.
Along with Brown and Marchand, two sophomores who certainly made their presence felt in the program last year, the intrasquad also provided fans with a great look at the newcomers of the program. Freshman Owen McDonald placed third in the 100 back (47.67), fourth in both the 100 fly (46.99) and 100 IM (49.55) and fifth in the 100 free (44.02).
Freshman Zoe Summer also had a trio of four separate top-five finishes in the 100 back (2nd/55.01), 100 breast (1:02.54), 100 fly (5th/55.24) and the 100 IM (56.74). Fellow freshman Ginger McMahon earned a trio of top-seven finishes in the 100 breast (3rd/1:02.38), 100 fly (6th/55.60) and 100 IM (7th/58.21).
Jack Wadsworth, a transfer from Division III Ithaca who will shore up the backstroke this season for the Sun Devils, placed 5th in the 100 back (48.55).
Paired with new talent and fresh faces, a handful of Sun Devil regulars made their impacts felt on Friday afternoon, too.
In four separate events, Jade Foelske placed seventh or better. She was the runner-up in the 100 fly, an event she’s posted some of the fastest times in program history, she placed second at 53.44. Lindsay Looney won the 100 fly at 52.80, as well as the 100 free (49.60), while also placing third in the 100 IM (56.18).
UP NEXT
The 2022-23 season is officially upon us, and the Sun Devils will open their regular season campaign on September 30 (at Georgia) and October 1 (tri-meet vs. Missouri and Georgia) in The Peach State. Stay up to date with the action via the team’s Twitter account, @ASUSwimDive.
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