NCAA Men’s Championships, Day 4 Prelims: Destin Lasco Chasing 200 Back Four-Peat
California fifth-year Destin Lasco has a chance to do something special at the NCAA Championships Saturday night. He’s going to have a heck of a lot of competition to get there.
Lasco is chasing a fourth straight title in the men’s 200 backstroke. He holds the NCAA and American records, set last year at 1:35.37. He was also second as a freshman way back in 2021.
He faces daunting competition for another crown. Hubert Kos, the World and Olympic champion over 200 meters, is in fine form, having won the 200 individual medley and 100 back this week. Florida’s Johnny Marshall, second in the 100 back in the second-fastest time ever, is seeded second in the 200 back.
Saturday’s final session at the Weyerhauser King County Aquatic Center will also include the 1650 freestyle, platform diving and the concluding 400 freestyle relay. Team scores entering the final day:
Men - Team Rankings - Through Event 14 1. Texas 368 2. California 312.5 3. Indiana 304 4. Florida 233 5. Georgia 177.5 6. Arizona St 172 7. Tennessee 162.5 8. Stanford 162 9. NC State 128 10. Michigan 83 11. Alabama 68 11. Ohio St 68 13. Virginia Tech 63 14. Texas A&M 57.5 15. Southern Cal 55 16. Louisville 53 17. Florida St 48 18. Purdue 33 19. Wisconsin 28 20. Lsu 26 21. Georgia Tech 24 22. UNC 21 23. Army 15 23. Yale 15 23. University of Utah 15 26. Auburn 14 27. Pittsburgh 13 28. Virginia 12 28. Smu 12 30. Miami (Fl) 11 30. Brown 11 32. Missouri 6 32. Kentucky 6 34. Arizona 1
200 backstroke
Destin Lasco is the second seed in the 200 backstroke, with a time of 1:36.40. Hubert Kos set the pace in prelims in 1:36.08, defending his standing as the fastest in-season swimmer.
Lasco will have teammates in the A final. Gabriel Jett went 1:36.69 for third. Mewen Tomac jumped from 23rd seed to fifth in 1:37.26. The Golden Bears also have Keaton Jones in 11th (up from 19th seed) and Humberto Najera 12th (up from 32nd).
Ruard van Renan of Georgia orchestrated a big drop to 1:37.08 for the fourth seed. Owen McDonald gives Indiana an A finalist in sixth. Texas has two, with Will Modglin’s 1:38.04 edging Johnny Marshall by .03 to win a slow fourth heat of five. Both are in the A final.
There is a three-way swim-off for 16th place, between Kyle Peck of Texas, Cornelius Jahn of Ohio State and Stanford’s Josh Zuchowski. Only one advances.
Event 16 Men 200 Yard Backstroke
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NCAA: N 1:35.37 3/30/2024 Destin Lasco, California
Meet: M 1:35.37 3/30/2024 Destin Lasco, California
American: A 1:35.37 3/30/2024 Destin Lasco, California
U. S. Open: O 1:35.37 3/30/2024 Destin Lasco, California
Name Year School Seed Prelims
==================================================================
=== Preliminaries ===
1 Kos, Hubert JR Texas 1:35.72 1:36.08
r:+0.74 22.50 47.49 (24.99)
1:11.97 (24.48) 1:36.08 (24.11)
2 Lasco, Destin 5Y California 1:38.21 1:36.40
r:+0.73 23.04 47.42 (24.38)
1:12.04 (24.62) 1:36.40 (24.36)
3 Jett, Gabriel SR California 1:37.19 1:36.69
r:+0.72 23.40 47.74 (24.34)
1:12.24 (24.50) 1:36.69 (24.45)
4 Van Renen, Ruard JR Georgia 1:39.92 1:37.08
r:+0.54 22.69 47.44 (24.75)
1:12.10 (24.66) 1:37.08 (24.98)
5 Tomac, Mewen 5Y California 1:39.99 1:37.26
r:+0.57 22.62 47.07 (24.45)
1:12.12 (25.05) 1:37.26 (25.14)
6 McDonald, Owen JR Indiana 1:37.15 1:37.67
r:+0.65 22.72 47.27 (24.55)
1:12.46 (25.19) 1:37.67 (25.21)
7 Modglin, Will SO Texas 1:37.84 1:38.04
r:+0.66 22.75 47.30 (24.55)
1:12.52 (25.22) 1:38.04 (25.52)
8 Marshall, Jonny SO Florida 1:35.85 1:38.07
r:+0.84 22.13 46.92 (24.79)
1:12.06 (25.14) 1:38.07 (26.01)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
9 Van Westering, Kai JR Indiana 1:39.24 1:38.62
r:+0.69 23.02 47.51 (24.49)
1:12.87 (25.36) 1:38.62 (25.75)
10 Sequeira, Aaron SR Stanford 1:39.54 1:39.14
r:+0.73 23.17 47.99 (24.82)
1:13.49 (25.50) 1:39.14 (25.65)
11 Jones, Keaton SO California 1:39.76 1:39.25
r:+0.80 23.65 48.55 (24.90)
1:13.99 (25.44) 1:39.25 (25.26)
12 Najera, Humberto SO California 1:40.49 1:39.30
r:+0.65 23.68 48.56 (24.88)
1:14.16 (25.60) 1:39.30 (25.14)
13 Ubertalli, Pietro JR Cornell 1:38.99 1:39.36
r:+0.70 23.58 48.30 (24.72)
1:13.39 (25.09) 1:39.36 (25.97)
14 Diehl, Daniel SO NC State 1:39.62 1:39.39
r:+0.76 23.66 49.01 (25.35)
1:14.13 (25.12) 1:39.39 (25.26)
15 Hagar, Tommy SO Alabama 1:39.77 1:39.43
r:+0.75 23.52 48.92 (25.40)
1:14.12 (25.20) 1:39.43 (25.31)
16 Jahn, Cornelius FR OSU 1:39.50 1:39.61
r:+0.73 23.80 49.15 (25.35)
1:14.47 (25.32) 1:39.61 (25.14)
16 Peck, Kyle FR Texas 1:39.36 1:39.61
r:+0.63 23.02 48.09 (25.07)
1:13.44 (25.35) 1:39.61 (26.17)
16 Zuchowski, Josh JR Stanford 1:39.71 1:39.61
r:+0.70 23.56 48.84 (25.28)
1:14.74 (25.90) 1:39.61 (24.87)
100 freestyle
We have an NCAA record in prelims, courtesy of Jordan Crooks. The Tennessee sprinter went 39.83 to break Caeleb Dressel’s NCAA record of 39.90 from 2018. It’s just the second sub-40 swim, from the second-sub-18 50 freestyler.
That doesn’t mean the finals races is over. Josh Liendo, the two-time reigning champion, was second in 40.28. Jack Alexy turned it on in the second 50 to o 40.45 for third. Tennessee’s Gui Caribe went 40.51 and is in the mix.
Texas has an A finalist via Chris Guiliano in fifth. Cal managed a pair of B finalists in Bjorn Seeliger and Matthew Jensen. Luke Hobson went from the 39th seed to 11th in 41.45 for the Longhorns.
Event 17 Men 100 Yard Freestyle
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NCAA: N 39.90 3/24/2018 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
Meet: M 39.90 3/24/2018 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
American: A 39.90 3/24/2018 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
U. S. Open: O 39.90 3/24/2018 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
Name Year School Seed Prelims
==================================================================
=== Preliminaries ===
1 Crooks, Jordan SR Tennessee 40.26 39.83N
r:+0.60 9.02 18.98 (9.96)
29.44 (10.46) 39.83 (10.39)
2 Liendo, Josh JR Florida 40.45 40.28
r:+0.64 9.03 19.15 (10.12)
29.73 (10.58) 40.28 (10.55)
3 Alexy, Jack SR California 40.82 40.45
r:+0.67 9.18 19.53 (10.35)
29.97 (10.44) 40.45 (10.48)
4 Caribe, Guilherme JR Tennessee 40.85 40.51
r:+0.57 9.02 19.26 (10.24)
29.96 (10.70) 40.51 (10.55)
5 Guiliano, Chris SR Texas 41.13 40.70
r:+0.61 9.04 19.25 (10.21)
29.84 (10.59) 40.70 (10.86)
6 Kulow, Jonny JR ASU 40.97 40.83
r:+0.65 9.29 19.58 (10.29)
30.11 (10.53) 40.83 (10.72)
7 Hribar, Jere SO LSU 41.25 40.94
r:+0.70 9.29 19.74 (10.45)
30.33 (10.59) 40.94 (10.61)
8 King, Matthew JR Indiana 41.73 41.14
r:+0.60 9.25 19.58 (10.33)
30.31 (10.73) 41.14 (10.83)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
9 Sammon, Patrick SR ASU 41.39 41.17
r:+0.61 9.24 19.63 (10.39)
30.47 (10.84) 41.17 (10.70)
10 Seeliger, Bjorn 5Y California 41.77 41.41
r:+0.65 9.07 19.49 (10.42)
30.32 (10.83) 41.41 (11.09)
11 Hobson, Luke SR Texas 42.19 41.45
r:+0.72 9.45 19.80 (10.35)
30.68 (10.88) 41.45 (10.77)
12 Ramadan, Youssef 5Y VT 41.89 41.50
r:+0.60 9.33 19.73 (10.40)
30.61 (10.88) 41.50 (10.89)
13 Taylor, Lamar 5Y Tennessee 41.97 41.51
r:+0.63 9.47 19.81 (10.34)
30.58 (10.77) 41.51 (10.93)
14 Fabiani, Remi JR Cal Baptist 41.23 41.52
r:+0.61 9.16 19.65 (10.49)
30.59 (10.94) 41.52 (10.93)
15 Jensen, Matthew 5Y California 41.77 41.61
r:+0.64 9.42 19.94 (10.52)
30.73 (10.79) 41.61 (10.88)
16 Whitfield, Brendan SO VT 41.60 41.62
r:+0.64 9.45 19.88 (10.43)
30.75 (10.87) 41.62 (10.87)
200 breaststroke
Carles Coll Marti is the top seed in the 200 breast, looking to build on Virginia Tech’s singular NCAA title from Youssef Ramadan in 2023. The Spanish international went 1:49.23, one of three times under 1:50 as the event emerges from its era of domination by Leon Marchand.
Indiana put two in the A final, with Jassen Yep third in 1:49.39 and Caspar Corbeau fourth. Corbeau was the runner-up in 2023 and made the A final with Texas each year from 2021-23. Josh Matheny just missed out on a third A finalist in ninth.
Third in prelims was the top seed entering the meet, Matt Fallon of Penn, who went 1:49.85. Fallon was in trouble, turning at 150 yards in sixth place in the last heat of five, but he rallied past all five of the guys in front of him. It’s two Ivy Leaguers in the A final, with Jack Kelly of Brown fifth in 1:50.09.
Cal has an A finalist via Yamato Okadome in eighth. Texas has two B finalists, with Will Scholtz 12th and Nate Germonprez 15th.
Event 18 Men 200 Yard Breaststroke
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NCAA: N 1:46.35 3/30/2024 Leon Marchand, ASU
Meet: M 1:46.35 3/30/2024 Leon Marchand, ASU
American: A 1:47.91 3/25/2017 Will Licon, Texas
U. S. Open: O 1:46.35 3/30/2024 Leon Marchand, ASU
Name Year School Seed Prelims
==================================================================
=== Preliminaries ===
1 Coll Marti, Carles 5Y VT 1:49.62 1:49.23
r:+0.61 24.26 52.16 (27.90)
1:20.51 (28.35) 1:49.23 (28.72)
2 Yep, Jassen 5Y Indiana 1:49.93 1:49.39
r:+0.61 24.74 52.70 (27.96)
1:20.97 (28.27) 1:49.39 (28.42)
3 Fallon, Matthew SR Penn 1:48.85 1:49.85
r:+0.64 25.50 53.66 (28.16)
1:22.03 (28.37) 1:49.85 (27.82)
4 Corbeau, Caspar 5Y Indiana 1:51.65 1:50.07
r:+0.67 24.39 52.37 (27.98)
1:21.16 (28.79) 1:50.07 (28.91)
5 Kelly, Jack SR Brown 1:49.80 1:50.09
r:+0.67 24.37 52.00 (27.63)
1:20.46 (28.46) 1:50.09 (29.63)
6 Eccleston, Jacob FR Louisville 1:51.03 1:50.19
r:+0.66 24.68 52.72 (28.04)
1:21.22 (28.50) 1:50.19 (28.97)
7 Petrashov, Denis 5Y Louisville 1:50.35 1:50.23
r:+0.69 25.03 53.10 (28.07)
1:21.57 (28.47) 1:50.23 (28.66)
8 Okadome, Yamato FR California 1:50.19 1:50.35
r:+0.64 24.47 52.40 (27.93)
1:21.37 (28.97) 1:50.35 (28.98)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
9 Matheny, Josh SR Indiana 1:49.83 1:50.41
r:+0.67 24.75 52.67 (27.92)
1:21.03 (28.36) 1:50.41 (29.38)
10 Delmar, Ben SO UNC 1:51.29 1:50.51
r:+0.70 25.26 53.17 (27.91)
1:21.78 (28.61) 1:50.51 (28.73)
11 Savickas, Aleksas JR Florida 1:50.02 1:50.84
r:+0.68 24.67 52.10 (27.43)
1:20.79 (28.69) 1:50.84 (30.05)
12 Scholtz, Will SO Texas 1:51.04 1:51.30
r:+0.70 25.01 53.09 (28.08)
1:21.73 (28.64) 1:51.30 (29.57)
13 O'Grady, Chris SR USC 1:52.07 1:51.35
r:+0.69 25.13 53.40 (28.27)
1:21.68 (28.28) 1:51.35 (29.67)
14 Polonsky, Ron SR Stanford 1:52.36 1:51.39
r:+0.69 24.80 53.13 (28.33)
1:21.34 (28.21) 1:51.39 (30.05)
15 Germonprez, Nate SO Texas 1:50.55 1:51.44
r:+0.70 24.80 52.84 (28.04)
1:21.54 (28.70) 1:51.44 (29.90)
16 Li, Daniel FR Stanford 1:52.60 1:51.83
r:+0.68 25.72 53.98 (28.26)
1:22.47 (28.49) 1:51.83 (29.36)
200 butterfly
Luca Urlando, chasing a first title in this event to go with his NCAA record, lowered the meet record in an unusual prelims of the 200 fly. The Georgia fifth-year went 1:37.35, buzzing within his NCAA mark of 1:37.17.
He would have to wait a bit to find out where that landed, as the fourth heat of six was started, called back and then re-run 40 minutes later. Urlando, who didn’t swim in college either of the last two years, was the runner-up in 2022 and fourth in 2021.
Ilya Kharun of Arizona State, the reigning champ, went a composed 1:38.81 to finish second. He won in 1:38.26 last year. Tennessee 200 fly specialist Martin Espernberger was fourth in 1:39.61.
In that belated fourth heat, Krzysztof Chmielewski went 1:39.09 to win it. Dare Rose was second in 1:39.78, the only two of the eight to make the A final, in third and sixth, respectively.
Jake Magahey made the 11th A final of his career in seventh, his 1:39.90 edging Andrei Minakov’s 1:39.93, while Bjoern Kamman of Tennessee was ninth by .02. Gal Groumi, swimming out of the first heat and seeded 41st, leapt to 13th. Cal has a B finalist in Frank Applebaum in 12th. Texas counter with 14th-place Cooper Lucas.
Event 19 Men 200 Yard Butterfly
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NCAA: N 1:37.17 1/25/2025 Luca Urlando, Georgia
Meet: M 1:37.35 3/25/2017 J Conger / L Urlando (2025), Texas / Georgia
American: A 1:37.17 1/25/2025 Luca Urlando, Georgia
U. S. Open: O 1:37.17 1/25/2025 Luca Urlando, Georgia
Name Year School Seed Prelims
==================================================================
=== Preliminaries ===
1 Urlando, Gianluca 5Y Georgia 1:37.17 1:37.35M
r:+0.65 21.79 46.24 (24.45)
1:11.21 (24.97) 1:37.35 (26.14)
2 Kharun, Ilya SO ASU 1:38.07 1:38.81
r:+0.66 22.08 47.30 (25.22)
1:13.25 (25.95) 1:38.81 (25.56)
3 Chmielewski, Krzyszto SO USC 1:38.99 1:39.09
r:+0.61 22.17 47.71 (25.54)
1:13.33 (25.62) 1:39.09 (25.76)
4 Espernberger, Martin JR Tennessee 1:39.34 1:39.61
r:+0.62 22.47 47.45 (24.98)
1:13.23 (25.78) 1:39.61 (26.38)
5 Geer, Colin SO Michigan 1:39.58 1:39.65
r:+0.62 22.46 47.59 (25.13)
1:13.42 (25.83) 1:39.65 (26.23)
6 Rose, Dare 5Y California 1:39.47 1:39.78
r:+0.67 21.99 47.12 (25.13)
1:12.67 (25.55) 1:39.78 (27.11)
7 Magahey, Jake 5Y Georgia 1:39.91 1:39.90
r:+0.69 22.73 47.91 (25.18)
1:13.53 (25.62) 1:39.90 (26.37)
8 Minakov, Andrei SR Stanford 1:39.03 1:39.93
r:+0.69 22.61 48.18 (25.57)
1:13.89 (25.71) 1:39.93 (26.04)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
9 Kammann, Bjoern SR Tennessee 1:40.18 1:39.95
r:+0.69 22.20 47.85 (25.65)
1:14.03 (26.18) 1:39.95 (25.92)
10 Naughton, Haakon JR Arizona 1:40.55 1:40.24
r:+0.63 22.22 47.57 (25.35)
1:13.60 (26.03) 1:40.24 (26.64)
11 Robinson, Logan FR FSU 1:40.34 1:40.51
r:+0.62 22.27 48.15 (25.88)
1:14.30 (26.15) 1:40.51 (26.21)
12 Applebaum, Frank 5Y California 1:40.39 1:40.61
r:+0.63 22.24 47.72 (25.48)
1:13.77 (26.05) 1:40.61 (26.84)
13 Groumi, Gal SR Michigan 1:43.91 1:40.72
r:+0.59 22.40 48.26 (25.86)
1:14.30 (26.04) 1:40.72 (26.42)
14 Johnson, Jacob FR Minnesota 1:40.47 1:40.86
r:+0.63 22.75 48.46 (25.71)
1:14.61 (26.15) 1:40.86 (26.25)
14 Lucas, Cooper FR Texas 1:41.08 1:40.86
r:+0.68 22.23 47.83 (25.60)
1:13.77 (25.94) 1:40.86 (27.09)
16 Holmes, Gibson SO Stanford 1:41.79 1:40.89
r:+0.70 23.34 49.18 (25.84)
1:14.89 (25.71) 1:40.89 (26.00)
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