NCAA Men’s Championships, Day 3 Prelims: In Battle of 3 Champs, Josh Liendo Leads 100 Fly
The 100 butterfly at the NCAA Men’s Championships Friday presents a rarity: Three NCAA champions, swimming against each other, each looking for a second crown.
The A final Friday night will bring together each of the last three champions, with reigning champ Josh Liendo first with a time of 43.49. Youssef Ramadan, the 2023 champ, and 2022 winner Andrei Minakov are both in the A final.
All the action from Day 3 prelims at Weyerhauser King County Aquatic Center.
Team scores at the conclusion of Thursday night’s finals session. Friday’s evening session includes the 3-meter diving finals and the 400 medley relay:
Men - Team Rankings - Through Event 7 1. Texas 190 2. California 159.5 3. Indiana 146 4. Tennessee 114 5. Arizona St 111 6. Florida 101 7. Georgia 92 8. NC State 90 9. Stanford 81 10. Michigan 43 10. Alabama 43 12. Texas A&M 39.5 13. Ohio St 38 14. Florida St 34 15. Southern Cal 32 16. Virginia Tech 29 17. Louisville 24 18. Georgia Tech 19 18. Purdue 19 20. Lsu 18 21. UNC 16 22. University of Utah 15 23. Auburn 14 23. Wisconsin 14 25. Smu 12 26. Miami (Fl) 11 27. Yale 9 28. Virginia 8 29. Kentucky 6 29. Missouri 6 31. Army 4 32. Arizona 1
100 butterfly
Josh Liendo enters as the top seed and the reigning champion. He defended that in the morning by going 43.49, outracing Dare Rose in the sixth heat of six to set the top time.
Rose is second in 43.74, followed by Olympian Ilya Kharun’s 43.81. They’re joined in the A final by another Olympian in Luca Urlando in fifth. Minakov was fifth in 44.05, Ramadan sixth in 44.44. Michigan’s Tyler Ray and Scotty Buff of Florida round out the top eight.
Lindo won this event last year, with Tomer Frankel second. The Indiana fifth-year is in the B final in 11th. Bronze medalist Luke Miller of NC State landed 15th.
Urlando didn’t swim in college last year with an Olympic redshirt. Ramadan was fourth, Minakov 20th.
Event 8 Men 100 Yard Butterfly
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NCAA: N 42.80 3/23/2018 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
Meet: M 42.80 3/23/2018 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
American: A 42.80 3/23/2018 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
U. S. Open: O 42.80 3/23/2018 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
Name Year School Seed Prelims
==================================================================
=== Preliminaries ===
1 Liendo, Josh JR Florida 43.23 43.49
r:+0.64 9.23 20.63 (11.40)
32.05 (11.42) 43.49 (11.44)
2 Rose, Dare 5Y California 44.52 43.74
r:+0.64 9.16 20.20 (11.04)
31.73 (11.53) 43.74 (12.01)
3 Kharun, Ilya SO ASU 43.85 43.81
r:+0.64 9.36 20.49 (11.13)
31.85 (11.36) 43.81 (11.96)
4 Ray, Tyler JR Michigan 44.28 44.00
r:+0.63 9.36 20.60 (11.24)
32.28 (11.68) 44.00 (11.72)
5 Urlando, Gianluca 5Y Georgia 43.62 44.01
r:+0.65 9.50 20.47 (10.97)
32.13 (11.66) 44.01 (11.88)
6 Minakov, Andrei SR Stanford 44.27 44.05
r:+0.65 9.41 20.56 (11.15)
32.11 (11.55) 44.05 (11.94)
7 Ramadan, Youssef 5Y VT 44.67 44.44
r:+0.58 9.34 20.54 (11.20)
32.47 (11.93) 44.44 (11.97)
8 Buff, Scott SO Florida 44.28 44.52
r:+0.60 9.50 20.69 (11.19)
32.35 (11.66) 44.52 (12.17)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
9 Finch, Nicholas FR Yale 44.57 44.58
r:+0.62 9.46 20.79 (11.33)
32.43 (11.64) 44.58 (12.15)
10 Brooks, Finn SR Indiana 44.59 44.62
r:+0.63 9.17 20.40 (11.23)
32.36 (11.96) 44.62 (12.26)
11 Frankel, Tomer 5Y Indiana 44.74 44.65
r:+0.59 9.42 20.94 (11.52)
32.33 (11.39) 44.65 (12.32)
12 Arkhangelskiy, Michel FR FSU 44.36 44.66
r:+0.66 9.06 20.39 (11.33)
32.19 (11.80) 44.66 (12.47)
13 Caribe, Guilherme JR Tennessee 44.76 44.71
r:+0.58 9.23 20.43 (11.20)
32.50 (12.07) 44.71 (12.21)
14 Foy, Patrick FR UNC 44.91 44.85
r:+0.68 9.30 20.65 (11.35)
32.62 (11.97) 44.85 (12.23)
15 Miller, Luke 5Y NC State 44.86 44.88
r:+0.60 9.36 20.75 (11.39)
32.53 (11.78) 44.88 (12.35)
16 Samuels, Braden SR Purdue 45.10 44.94
r:+0.62 9.38 20.70 (11.32)
32.61 (11.91) 44.94 (12.33)
400 individual medley
Fresh off his first NCAA title in the 500 free, Rex Maurer baked up his top seed time by going 3:17.17, the quickest time in prelims. He entered with a nation’s best 3:34.19 in season.
Cal’s Lucas Henveaux was second in 3:37.24, and Ohio State’s Tristan Jankovics was third in 3:37.30. The Canadian international entered as the second seed. Henveaux was 29th, though for the Belgian international and his Cal cohort, that rarely matters come NCAAs.
Dominik Mark Torok made a big jump into the A final for Wisconsin, dropping nearly three seconds to 3:37.88 to go from 16th seed to fourth. Jake Magahey is in his 10th career individual A final in fifth. Texas pushed two into the A final, with Cooper Lucas sixth and David Johnston eighth. Reigning bronze medalist Baylor Nelson also reached the A final again in seventh. A pair of A finalists from last year, Florida’s Mason Laur and Gio Linscheer, missed out in ninth and 10th, respectively.
Event 9 Men 400 Yard IM
==================================================================
NCAA: N 3:28.82 3/24/2023 Leon Marchand, ASU
Meet: M 3:28.82 3/24/2023 Leon Marchand, ASU
American: A 3:33.42 3/24/2017 Chase Kalisz, Georgia
U. S. Open: O 3:28.82 3/24/2023 Leon Marchand, ASU
Name Year School Seed Prelims
==================================================================
=== Preliminaries ===
1 Maurer, Rex SO Texas 3:34.19 3:37.17
r:+0.75 22.81 49.23 (26.42)
1:16.84 (27.61) 1:43.70 (26.86)
2:14.98 (31.28) 2:46.41 (31.43)
3:12.20 (25.79) 3:37.17 (24.97)
2 Henveaux, Lucas 5Y California 3:42.05 3:37.24
r:+0.66 23.14 49.66 (26.52)
1:18.20 (28.54) 1:45.78 (27.58)
2:15.93 (30.15) 2:46.90 (30.97)
3:12.56 (25.66) 3:37.24 (24.68)
3 Jankovics, Tristan JR OSU 3:35.51 3:37.30
r:+0.66 23.13 49.31 (26.18)
1:17.16 (27.85) 1:44.16 (27.00)
2:14.61 (30.45) 2:45.81 (31.20)
3:12.08 (26.27) 3:37.30 (25.22)
4 Mark Torok, Dominik JR Wisconsin 3:40.59 3:37.88
r:+0.66 23.20 49.87 (26.67)
1:18.43 (28.56) 1:46.01 (27.58)
2:16.77 (30.76) 2:47.78 (31.01)
3:13.52 (25.74) 3:37.88 (24.36)
5 Magahey, Jake 5Y Georgia 3:37.89 3:37.95
r:+0.69 23.01 49.46 (26.45)
1:17.56 (28.10) 1:44.82 (27.26)
2:16.03 (31.21) 2:47.95 (31.92)
3:13.49 (25.54) 3:37.95 (24.46)
6 Lucas, Cooper FR Texas 3:39.02 3:38.21
r:+0.67 23.30 49.69 (26.39)
1:18.13 (28.44) 1:45.73 (27.60)
2:16.54 (30.81) 2:47.79 (31.25)
3:13.44 (25.65) 3:38.21 (24.77)
7 Nelson, Baylor JR TAMU 3:37.47 3:38.42
r:+0.64 23.04 49.44 (26.40)
1:17.39 (27.95) 1:44.65 (27.26)
2:15.43 (30.78) 2:46.64 (31.21)
3:12.85 (26.21) 3:38.42 (25.57)
8 Johnston, David SR Texas 3:39.07 3:38.56
r:+0.70 23.35 49.96 (26.61)
1:18.03 (28.07) 1:45.41 (27.38)
2:16.35 (30.94) 2:47.67 (31.32)
3:13.69 (26.02) 3:38.56 (24.87)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
9 Laur, Mason SR Florida 3:39.32 3:39.13
r:+0.65 23.34 49.71 (26.37)
1:17.85 (28.14) 1:45.23 (27.38)
2:16.21 (30.98) 2:47.46 (31.25)
3:13.31 (25.85) 3:39.13 (25.82)
10 Linscheer, Gio JR Florida 3:38.46 3:39.54
r:+0.71 23.58 50.19 (26.61)
1:18.53 (28.34) 1:46.17 (27.64)
2:17.03 (30.86) 2:48.25 (31.22)
3:14.33 (26.08) 3:39.54 (25.21)
11 Hitchcock, Stephen FR Georgia 3:39.98 3:39.55
r:+0.67 23.48 50.36 (26.88)
1:18.15 (27.79) 1:45.28 (27.13)
2:16.71 (31.43) 2:48.22 (31.51)
3:14.37 (26.15) 3:39.55 (25.18)
12 Bried, Tommy JR Louisville 3:39.28 3:39.66
r:+0.68 23.67 50.25 (26.58)
1:19.26 (29.01) 1:46.99 (27.73)
2:17.08 (30.09) 2:47.34 (30.26)
3:14.03 (26.69) 3:39.66 (25.63)
13 Kopp, Tyler 5Y California 3:40.97 3:39.85
r:+0.61 24.06 50.36 (26.30)
1:17.90 (27.54) 1:44.45 (26.55)
2:16.16 (31.71) 2:47.93 (31.77)
3:14.55 (26.62) 3:39.85 (25.30)
14 Ponsler, Kyle JR NC State 3:40.05 3:40.30
r:+0.69 23.40 49.75 (26.35)
1:17.25 (27.50) 1:44.42 (27.17)
2:15.46 (31.04) 2:47.49 (32.03)
3:14.32 (26.83) 3:40.30 (25.98)
15 Najera, Humberto SO California 3:41.25 3:40.34
r:+0.66 23.61 50.37 (26.76)
1:18.11 (27.74) 1:45.03 (26.92)
2:16.82 (31.79) 2:48.47 (31.65)
3:14.81 (26.34) 3:40.34 (25.53)
16 Dramm, Louis JR UNC 3:42.42 3:40.38
r:+0.68 23.55 50.82 (27.27)
1:20.29 (29.47) 1:48.48 (28.19)
2:18.91 (30.43) 2:49.34 (30.43)
3:15.42 (26.08) 3:40.38 (24.96)
Men’s 200 freestyle
There is a crowd of 1:30s in the 200 freestyle, and as long as Luke Hobson is there, that won’t be enough to win. But it will provide an intriguing race nonetheless.
Hobson, the reigning champion and NCAA record-holder, led the way in prelims at 1:29.60 Friday. He had been the top seed in 1:29.34 and won this race in 1:28.81 last year.
Behind him are the 1:30s. Jack Alexy, seeded 38th, lowered his time to 1:30.07, a cut of nearly three seconds. He had been 1:30.02 off the front of Cal’s winning 800 free relay on Wednesday and was the runner-up in this race last year. Third was Gabriel Jett, who was seeded 24th, in 1:30.17. Jett was the runner-up to Hobson in 2023.
Charlie Hawke is in another A final, the Alabama senior going 1:30.24. He was fourth at NCAAs last year. He’s one of six holdover A finalists: Hobson, Alexy, Jett, Hawke, Chris Guliiano and Jordan Crooks. Crooks was fifth Friday in 1:30.38, having finished sixth in this event last year. Guiliano, third last year, was sixth in the morning in 1:30.62. Henry McFadden, the sixth of the 1:30s, was seventh, with Tomas Koski eighth.
In the team race, Robin Hanson dropped from the 17th seed to ninth for the B final. Texas missed out on the B final altogether, Camden Taylor 23rd and Coby Carrozza 25th.
Event 10 Men 200 Yard Freestyle
==================================================================
NCAA: N 1:28.81 3/29/2024 Luke Hobson, Texas
Meet: M 1:28.81 3/29/2024 Luke Hobson, Texas
American: A 1:28.81 3/29/2024 Luke Hobson, Texas
U. S. Open: O 1:28.81 3/29/2024 Luke Hobson, Texas
Name Year School Seed Prelims
==================================================================
=== Preliminaries ===
1 Hobson, Luke SR Texas 1:29.34 1:29.60
r:+0.73 21.04 43.57 (22.53)
1:06.29 (22.72) 1:29.60 (23.31)
2 Alexy, Jack SR California 1:32.98 1:30.07
r:+0.70 20.54 43.26 (22.72)
1:06.16 (22.90) 1:30.07 (23.91)
3 Jett, Gabriel SR California 1:32.13 1:30.17
r:+0.70 21.16 43.56 (22.40)
1:06.71 (23.15) 1:30.17 (23.46)
4 Hawke, Charlie SR Alabama 1:30.44 1:30.24
r:+0.69 21.17 43.89 (22.72)
1:06.93 (23.04) 1:30.24 (23.31)
5 Crooks, Jordan SR Tennessee 1:30.00 1:30.38
r:+0.62 20.44 43.07 (22.63)
1:06.38 (23.31) 1:30.38 (24.00)
6 Guiliano, Chris SR Texas 1:30.31 1:30.62
r:+0.62 20.76 43.41 (22.65)
1:06.86 (23.45) 1:30.62 (23.76)
7 McFadden, Henry SO Stanford 1:31.30 1:30.83
r:+0.69 21.26 44.18 (22.92)
1:07.63 (23.45) 1:30.83 (23.20)
8 Koski, Tomas SO Georgia 1:30.70 1:31.06
r:+0.63 21.21 44.28 (23.07)
1:07.75 (23.47) 1:31.06 (23.31)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
9 Hanson, Robin SR California 1:31.87 1:31.27
r:+0.63 21.21 44.09 (22.88)
1:07.38 (23.29) 1:31.27 (23.89)
10 Sammon, Patrick SR ASU 1:31.57 1:31.45
r:+0.63 20.89 43.83 (22.94)
1:07.59 (23.76) 1:31.45 (23.86)
11 Navikonis, Tomas JR OSU 1:31.01 1:31.52
r:+0.70 21.09 44.01 (22.92)
1:07.67 (23.66) 1:31.52 (23.85)
12 Painter, Alexander FR Florida 1:31.13 1:31.60
r:+0.59 21.30 44.47 (23.17)
1:07.88 (23.41) 1:31.60 (23.72)
13 Groumi, Gal SR Michigan 1:31.57 1:31.65
r:+0.58 21.42 44.68 (23.26)
1:08.03 (23.35) 1:31.65 (23.62)
14 Alves, Kaique SR Alabama 1:31.78 1:31.76
r:+0.65 21.54 44.65 (23.11)
1:08.31 (23.66) 1:31.76 (23.45)
15 Miroslaw, Rafael SR Indiana 1:31.73 1:31.85
r:+0.62 20.85 43.73 (22.88)
1:07.29 (23.56) 1:31.85 (24.56)
16 Dragoja, Toni JR Alabama 1:32.19 1:31.88
r:+0.61 21.77 45.48 (23.71)
1:08.77 (23.29) 1:31.88 (23.11)
Men’s 100 breaststroke
In a season with an unprecedented two sub-50-second times, Friday brought a preponderance of 50-points if no 49 repeats. At least, not yet.
The two members of the 49-second club, Finn Brooks and Julian Smith, led the way in prelims. Florida’s Smith, the NCAA record holder, went 50.30 for the second seed. He was .02 behind Indiana’s Brooks.
Indiana stands to score big, with two in the A final – Caspar Corbeau was third – and four in the B final, though that is with Brian Benzing sliding from the sixth seed to 10th, about the same as Corbeau’s jump from the 10th seed. Benzing won silver last year.
Texas’s Nate Germonprez was fourth to counter Cal’s Yamato Okadome in the A final. Denis Petrashov, the reigning bronze medalist, was sixth, and Jack Kelly of Brown earns a second straight All-American nod in eighth in 50.64, .17 up on Luke Barr of Indiana.
Event 11 Men 100 Yard Breaststroke
==================================================================
NCAA: N 49.51 2/21/2025 Julian Smith, Florida
Meet: M 49.53 3/29/2024 Liam Bell, California
American: A 49.51 2/21/2025 Julian Smith, Florida
U. S. Open: O 49.51 2/21/2025 Julian Smith, Florida
Name Year School Seed Prelims
==================================================================
=== Preliminaries ===
1 Brooks, Finn SR Indiana 49.94 50.28
r:+0.66 10.38 23.33 (12.95)
36.54 (13.21) 50.28 (13.74)
2 Smith, Julian SR Florida 49.51 50.30
r:+0.67 10.65 23.41 (12.76)
36.68 (13.27) 50.30 (13.62)
3 Corbeau, Caspar 5Y Indiana 50.97 50.33
r:+0.67 10.38 23.39 (13.01)
36.75 (13.36) 50.33 (13.58)
4 Germonprez, Nate SO Texas 50.14 50.46
r:+0.67 10.60 23.47 (12.87)
36.73 (13.26) 50.46 (13.73)
5 Polonsky, Ron SR Stanford 50.99 50.47
r:+0.71 10.87 23.82 (12.95)
37.09 (13.27) 50.47 (13.38)
6 Petrashov, Denis 5Y Louisville 50.62 50.57
r:+0.72 10.86 23.74 (12.88)
37.06 (13.32) 50.57 (13.51)
7 Okadome, Yamato FR California 50.87 50.62
r:+0.64 10.93 23.89 (12.96)
37.18 (13.29) 50.62 (13.44)
8 Kelly, Jack SR Brown 50.60 50.64
r:+0.66 10.64 23.50 (12.86)
36.97 (13.47) 50.64 (13.67)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
9 Barr, Luke SR Indiana 51.17 50.81
r:+0.61 10.53 23.66 (13.13)
37.07 (13.41) 50.81 (13.74)
10 Benzing, Brian 5Y Indiana 50.73 50.85
r:+0.60 10.70 23.59 (12.89)
37.20 (13.61) 50.85 (13.65)
11 Coll Marti, Carles 5Y VT 50.78 50.88
r:+0.60 10.62 23.80 (13.18)
37.20 (13.40) 50.88 (13.68)
12 Yep, Jassen 5Y Indiana 51.10 50.91
r:+0.59 10.84 23.89 (13.05)
37.29 (13.40) 50.91 (13.62)
13 Matheny, Josh SR Indiana 50.94 51.07
r:+0.65 11.08 24.16 (13.08)
37.45 (13.29) 51.07 (13.62)
14 Savickas, Aleksas JR Florida 51.15 51.21
r:+0.65 10.80 23.88 (13.08)
37.15 (13.27) 51.21 (14.06)
15 Dobrzanski, Andy JR ASU 51.58 51.35
r:+0.66 11.06 24.05 (12.99)
37.56 (13.51) 51.35 (13.79)
16 Rivers, Charles JR California 51.63 51.45
r:+0.65 11.08 24.16 (13.08)
37.58 (13.42) 51.45 (13.87)
Men’s 100 backstroke
The 100 back might be missing the to three finishers from last year, but it’s not short on drama, even before a swim-off.
Jonny Marshall set the pace in 43.88, the Florida sophomore .02 seconds ahead of 200 IM champ Hubert Kos. A swimoff is required to set the B final, between Northwestern’s Stuart Seymour and Bjorn Seeliger of Cal, eventually won by Seeliger.
In the A final, California has two scorers, with Destin Lasco third and Mewen Tomac fifth. Lasco was seeded 25th, despite having finished no worse than fifth each of the last three years, and Tomac was 23rd. Ruard van Renen, seventh last year, was fourth in prelims, while Indiana got Owen McDonald in the A final. Kos is backed by Will Modglin, the second seed, ekeing into the final in seventh, while Army freshman Johnny Crush is eighth in 44.52. Among those on the outside looking in are Youssef Ramadan, on the back end of a double, in 10th, while the event’s fifth seed Michel Arkhangelskiy of Florida State is 14th.
Event 12 Men 100 Yard Backstroke
==================================================================
NCAA: N 43.35 3/25/2022 Luca Urlando, Georgia
Meet: M 43.35 3/25/2022 Luca Urlando, Georgia
American: A 43.35 3/25/2022 Luca Urlando, Georgia
U. S. Open: O 43.35 3/25/2022 Luca Urlando, Georgia
Name Year School Seed Prelims
==================================================================
=== Preliminaries ===
1 Marshall, Jonny SO Florida 43.73 43.88
r:+0.84 10.22 20.87 (10.65)
32.34 (11.47) 43.88 (11.54)
2 Kos, Hubert JR Texas 44.03 43.90
r:+0.79 10.24 21.00 (10.76)
32.47 (11.47) 43.90 (11.43)
3 Lasco, Destin 5Y California 45.23 44.07
r:+0.87 10.54 21.48 (10.94)
32.85 (11.37) 44.07 (11.22)
4 Van Renen, Ruard JR Georgia 44.95 44.08
r:+0.65 10.49 21.49 (11.00)
32.86 (11.37) 44.08 (11.22)
5 Tomac, Mewen 5Y California 45.16 44.16
r:+0.74 10.45 21.43 (10.98)
32.73 (11.30) 44.16 (11.43)
6 McDonald, Owen JR Indiana 44.38 44.31
r:+0.55 10.57 21.50 (10.93)
33.06 (11.56) 44.31 (11.25)
7 Modglin, Will SO Texas 43.91 44.41
r:+0.80 10.24 21.34 (11.10)
32.99 (11.65) 44.41 (11.42)
8 Crush, John FR Army 44.53 44.52
r:+0.57 10.31 21.25 (10.94)
32.90 (11.65) 44.52 (11.62)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
9 McCarty, Quintin SO NC State 44.99 44.56
r:+0.58 10.14 20.94 (10.80)
32.61 (11.67) 44.56 (11.95)
10 Ramadan, Youssef 5Y VT 45.07 44.61
r:+0.69 10.50 21.50 (11.00)
32.92 (11.42) 44.61 (11.69)
11 Lierz, Harrison 5Y Tennessee 44.76 44.67
r:+0.82 10.71 21.77 (11.06)
33.23 (11.46) 44.67 (11.44)
12 Sequeira, Aaron SR Stanford 45.06 44.86
r:+0.72 10.68 21.79 (11.11)
33.21 (11.42) 44.86 (11.65)
13 Van Westering, Kai JR Indiana 45.64 44.87
r:+0.70 10.61 21.58 (10.97)
33.12 (11.54) 44.87 (11.75)
14 Arkhangelskiy, Michel FR FSU 44.49 44.94
r:+0.72 10.57 21.48 (10.91)
33.07 (11.59) 44.94 (11.87)
15 Wilson, Max JR FSU 44.82 45.01
r:+0.74 10.60 21.86 (11.26)
33.50 (11.64) 45.01 (11.51)
16 Seeliger, Bjorn 5Y California 45.55 45.22
r:+0.81 10.29 21.63 (11.34)
33.40 (11.77) 45.22 (11.82)
16 Seymour, Stuart SO Northwestern 45.07 45.22
r:+0.70 10.63 21.61 (10.98)
33.19 (11.58) 45.22 (12.03)
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