Big 12 Championships, Night 2: Arizona State Makes Statement with 50 Free Top 5 Sweep
It’s hard to win a conference meet on Night 2, but Arizona State put itself in a strong position for that Wednesday at the Big 12 Championships.
The Sun Devils positioned themselves with no fewer than two of the top three seeds in five of the six events being contested Wednesday night. In the other, ASU merely has the top seed. The capstone is seven – SEVEN?!?!? – A finalists in the men’s 50 freestyle after a ridiculous prelims. It led to them taking the top five spots at night and opening up a lead of more than 200 points on second-place Utah in the team standings.
At a slight deficit after the team diving event Tuesday night, Arizona State could surge to the lead in both the men’s and women’s events Wednesday at Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington.
All the finals action:
- Big 12 Swimming Coverage
- Big 12 Championships Live Results
- Big 12 Championships Meet Hub
- Night 1 Recap
Team Scores
Women - Team Rankings - Through Event 11 1. Arizona State 529 2. University of Arizona 350.5 3. University of Houston 284 4. Texas Christian University 249 5. Brigham Young University 234 6. University of Cincinnati 233 7. University of Utah 206.5 8. West Virginia University 168 9. Iowa State University 146 10. University of Kansas 142
Men - Team Rankings - Through Event 22 1. Arizona State 663.5 2. University of Utah 426 3. University of Arizona 317 4. Texas Christian University 316.5 5. Brigham Young University 314 6. University of Cincinnati 250 7. West Virginia University 205
Women’s 1-meter diving
Shiyun Lai is one of only three athletes back to defend their conference titles from last year, though that’s not until the 3-meter. Her performance in the 1-meter lays down a marker for that.
Lai scored 325.10 to win the even, just four points better than Anna Kwong of TCU. Lai was tops in prelims as well. She finished second in this event last year and 14th at NCAAs. Kwong was the bronze medalist last year, the senior going on to finish 20th at NCAAs. Kwon had been just sixth in prelims.
Arizona’s Brooke Earley was third in 313.05. Earley dove at NCAAs last year and finished fourth at Pac-12s. Teammate Zara Ayazi followed her with a score of 297.40, followed by a trio from Utah, led by freshman Callie Eagleston in fifth.
Event 13 Women 1 mtr Diving
=========================================================================
Big 12: * 369.40 3/3/2021 Paola Pineda, Texas
Meet: # 369.40 3/3/2021 Paola Pineda, Texas
Name Year School Prelims Finals Points
=========================================================================
=== A - Final ===
1 Lai, Shiyun SO Kansas 323.15 325.10 32
2 Kwong, Anna SR Texas Christian 289.50 320.95 28
3 Earley, Brooke JR Arizona 304.35 313.05 27
4 Ayazi, Zara JR Arizona 299.80 297.40 26
5 Eagleston, Callie FR Utah 280.10 293.65 25
6 Grant, Kathryn JR Utah 300.50 293.20 24
7 Waxman, Holly SR Utah 301.85 287.35 23
8 Grelz, Hedda SR Houston 288.75 280.00 22
Women’s 500 freestyle
Step 1 in ASU’s domination is the 500, with Alexa Reyna getting the better of mate Deniz Ertan. Reyna went 4:39.24, exactly a half-second up on Ertan, who had been the top seed out of prelims. Reyna was 1.4 seconds up at the 400-yard mark, allowing Ertan to take seven tenths out of her in the final 50alone. Grace Lindberg made it three Sun Devils in the top four, and Elli Straume and Katherine Randall rounded out the top eight.
Arizona’s Malia Rausch broke through the ASU blockade with a time of 4:44.48 for third.
Event 7 Women 500 Yard Freestyle
=========================================================================
NCAA D1: ! 4:24.06 3/16/2017 Katie Ledecky
American: $ 4:24.06 3/16/2017 Katie Ledecky
US Open: & 4:24.06 3/16/2017 Katie Ledecky
Big 12: * 4:35.02 3/18/2021 Evie Pfeifer, Texas
Meet: # 4:36.35 2/25/2021 Evie Pfeifer, Texas
NCAA "A": A 4:36.89
NCAA "B": B 4:47.20
NCCA Invit24: 4:41.19
Name Year School Prelims Finals Points
=========================================================================
=== A - Final ===
1 Reyna, Alexa SO ASU 4:42.26 4:39.24B 32
25.58 53.18 (27.60)
1:21.10 (27.92) 1:49.24 (28.14)
2:17.30 (28.06) 2:45.55 (28.25)
3:13.92 (28.37) 3:42.35 (28.43)
4:11.07 (28.72) 4:39.24 (28.17)
2 Ertan, Deniz JR ASU 4:41.58 4:39.74B 28
25.51 53.18 (27.67)
1:21.21 (28.03) 1:49.43 (28.22)
2:17.59 (28.16) 2:46.09 (28.50)
3:14.86 (28.77) 3:43.72 (28.86)
4:12.25 (28.53) 4:39.74 (27.49)
3 Rausch, Malia JR Arizona 4:45.74 4:44.48B 27
25.70 53.35 (27.65)
1:21.28 (27.93) 1:49.66 (28.38)
2:18.45 (28.79) 2:47.46 (29.01)
3:16.66 (29.20) 3:46.42 (29.76)
4:15.86 (29.44) 4:44.48 (28.62)
4 Lindberg, Grace SO ASU 4:50.74 4:46.22B 26
26.35 54.76 (28.41)
1:23.51 (28.75) 1:52.45 (28.94)
2:21.41 (28.96) 2:50.16 (28.75)
3:19.05 (28.89) 3:48.16 (29.11)
4:17.33 (29.17) 4:46.22 (28.89)
5 Edwards, Jordan SR Texas Christian 4:50.03 4:48.71 25
26.62 55.17 (28.55)
1:24.20 (29.03) 1:53.31 (29.11)
2:22.38 (29.07) 2:51.57 (29.19)
3:20.82 (29.25) 3:50.23 (29.41)
4:19.77 (29.54) 4:48.71 (28.94)
6 Schreiber, Victoria JR Brigham Young 4:49.89 4:50.52 24
26.28 54.75 (28.47)
1:23.72 (28.97) 1:53.11 (29.39)
2:22.68 (29.57) 2:52.35 (29.67)
3:22.04 (29.69) 3:52.08 (30.04)
4:22.01 (29.93) 4:50.52 (28.51)
7 Straume, Elli SR ASU 4:51.19 4:50.62 23
25.99 54.41 (28.42)
1:23.41 (29.00) 1:52.48 (29.07)
2:22.27 (29.79) 2:51.92 (29.65)
3:21.66 (29.74) 3:51.37 (29.71)
4:21.37 (30.00) 4:50.62 (29.25)
8 Randall, Katherine JR ASU 4:51.13 4:51.87 22
26.34 55.04 (28.70)
1:24.12 (29.08) 1:53.69 (29.57)
2:23.49 (29.80) 2:53.36 (29.87)
3:23.08 (29.72) 3:52.88 (29.80)
4:22.70 (29.82) 4:51.87 (29.17)
Men’s 500 freestyle
Daniel Matheson led four ASU A finalists and five in the top nine, getting to the wall first in 4:14.37 to pick up maximum points for the Sun Devils. Utah’s Jones Lambert was second in 4:15.47, followed by ASU’s Jacob Pins.
The Sun Devils also got Jack Wadsworth in sixth, Jake Mason in eighth and Reece Grady in ninth, the latter jumping two spots at night.
Utah’s Nick Chirafisi was fourth, a second up on Tenner Nelson of BYU.
Event 8 Men 500 Yard Freestyle
=========================================================================
NCAA D1: ! 4:02.31 3/28/2024 Leon Marchand
American: $ 4:04.45 11/20/2024Rex Maurer
US Open: & 4:02.31 3/28/2024 Leon Marchand
Big 12: * 4:06.93 3/28/2024 Luke Hobson, Texas
Meet: # 4:11.11 2/23/2017 Clark Smith, Texas
NCAA "A": A 4:10.64
NCAA "B": B 4:21.28
NCCA Invit24: 4:14.90
Name Year School Prelims Finals Points
=========================================================================
=== A - Final ===
1 Matheson, Daniel SR ASU 4:18.02 4:14.37B 32
23.39 48.73 (25.34)
1:14.51 (25.78) 1:40.22 (25.71)
2:05.87 (25.65) 2:31.54 (25.67)
2:57.51 (25.97) 3:23.44 (25.93)
3:49.34 (25.90) 4:14.37 (25.03)
2 Lambert, Jones FR Utah 4:18.68 4:15.47B 28
23.62 49.06 (25.44)
1:15.06 (26.00) 1:41.23 (26.17)
2:07.38 (26.15) 2:33.40 (26.02)
2:59.31 (25.91) 3:25.18 (25.87)
3:50.47 (25.29) 4:15.47 (25.00)
3 Pins, Jacob FR ASU 4:19.30 4:17.22B 27
23.05 48.14 (25.09)
1:13.99 (25.85) 1:40.50 (26.51)
2:07.25 (26.75) 2:34.04 (26.79)
3:00.47 (26.43) 3:27.17 (26.70)
3:52.42 (25.25) 4:17.22 (24.80)
4 Chirafisi, Nick SO Utah 4:18.30 4:17.64B 26
23.03 48.50 (25.47)
1:14.52 (26.02) 1:40.71 (26.19)
2:07.10 (26.39) 2:33.43 (26.33)
2:59.86 (26.43) 3:26.35 (26.49)
3:53.03 (26.68) 4:17.64 (24.61)
5 Nelson, Tanner SO Brigham Young 4:19.46 4:18.66B 25
23.57 49.47 (25.90)
1:15.35 (25.88) 1:41.57 (26.22)
2:07.82 (26.25) 2:34.41 (26.59)
3:00.85 (26.44) 3:27.20 (26.35)
3:53.91 (26.71) 4:18.66 (24.75)
6 Wadsworth, Jack SR ASU 4:17.58 4:18.77B 24
23.36 48.74 (25.38)
1:14.72 (25.98) 1:40.51 (25.79)
2:06.48 (25.97) 2:32.49 (26.01)
2:58.60 (26.11) 3:25.18 (26.58)
3:52.72 (27.54) 4:18.77 (26.05)
7 Nace, Joel FR Arizona 4:20.42 4:20.23B 23
22.98 48.70 (25.72)
1:15.20 (26.50) 1:42.12 (26.92)
2:09.07 (26.95) 2:36.30 (27.23)
3:03.80 (27.50) 3:29.33 (25.53)
3:55.20 (25.87) 4:20.23 (25.03)
8 Mason, Jake JR ASU 4:21.19 4:23.64 22
23.18 48.63 (25.45)
1:14.58 (25.95) 1:40.98 (26.40)
2:07.69 (26.71) 2:34.63 (26.94)
3:01.75 (27.12) 3:29.85 (28.10)
3:57.08 (27.23) 4:23.64 (26.56)
Women’s 200 individual medley
It’s an ASU 1-2-3, but the order was in doubt to the very last stroke.
Charli Brown surged in the final 50, hitting the 150-yard wall in fourth place but uncorking a 27.97 coming home to earn the win in 1:57.84. The edged out teammate Zoe Summar by .04 seconds, with Sonia Vaishnani third in 1:58.15. That trio all got past BYU’s Mackenzie Miller, who went 1:58.27. The junior’s consolation, though, is that that is a new B cut after she entered the meet with a 2:03.00 seed time.
Libby Michel finished fifth for Cincinnati. ASU got a fourth A final scorer via Ella Guilfoil, with the Sun Devils also taking 10th and 11th.
Event 9 Women 200 Yard IM
=========================================================================
NCAA D1: ! 1:48.37 3/16/2023 Kate Douglass
American: $ 1:50.08 3/17/2022 Alex Walsh
US Open: & 1:48.37 3/16/2023 Kate Douglass
Big 12: * 1:52.58 3/16/2017 Madisyn Cox, Texas
Meet: # 1:52.82 2/23/2017 Madisyn Cox, Texas
NCAA "A": A 1:53.66
NCAA "B": B 1:59.35
NCCA Invit24: 1:57.05
Name Year School Prelims Finals Points
=========================================================================
=== A - Final ===
1 Brown, Charli SR ASU 1:59.12 1:57.84B 32
25.83 55.15 (29.32)
1:29.87 (34.72) 1:57.84 (27.97)
2 Summar, Zoe JR ASU 1:59.28 1:57.88B 28
25.79 56.17 (30.38)
1:29.15 (32.98) 1:57.88 (28.73)
3 Vaishnani, Sonia SO ASU 1:59.43 1:58.15B 27
25.66 56.03 (30.37)
1:29.98 (33.95) 1:58.15 (28.17)
4 Miller, Mackenzie JR Brigham Young 2:00.17 1:58.27B 26
25.36 55.35 (29.99)
1:29.06 (33.71) 1:58.27 (29.21)
5 Michel, Libby SO Cincinnati 2:00.49 1:59.65 25
26.06 56.29 (30.23)
1:31.00 (34.71) 1:59.65 (28.65)
6 Armstrong, Paige JR Arizona 1:59.11 2:00.06 24
25.96 55.47 (29.51)
1:31.60 (36.13) 2:00.06 (28.46)
7 Guilfoil, Ella SO ASU 2:00.28 2:00.54 23
25.85 55.70 (29.85)
1:31.80 (36.10) 2:00.54 (28.74)
8 Entrekin, Evelyn SO Houston 2:00.42 2:01.90 22
26.17 58.36 (32.19)
1:33.20 (34.84) 2:01.90 (28.70)
Men’s 200 individual medley
Cale Martter survived a surge by teammate Michael Hochwalt on the final 50 to get the win, though Arizona State won again with four of the top five.
Martter won in 1:42.93. He held on by .36 seconds over Hochwalt, who finished in 25.02 to Martter’s 25.54. Oscar Bilbao was fourth in 1:43.37, with Lucien Vergnes fifth in 1:44.38. Andy Dobrzanski won the B final in 1:44.42.
In non ASU news, Durgan McKean of Utah finished third in 1:43.33. Cincinnati’s Hunter Gubeno, who swam this event at NCAAs last year, was sixth.
TCU’s Geremia Freri delivered an angry C final swim to go 1:44.80. That was the 10th-fastest of the session.
Event 10 Men 200 Yard IM
=========================================================================
NCAA D1: ! 1:36.34 3/23/2023 Leon Marchand
American: $ 1:37.91 3/28/2024 Destin Lasco
US Open: & 1:36.34 3/23/2023 Leon Marchand
Big 12: * 1:39.63 3/25/2019 John Shebat, Texas
Meet: # 1:40.42 2/23/2023 Carson Foster, Texas
NCAA "A": A 1:40.75
NCAA "B": B 1:45.68
NCCA Invit24: 1:43.05
Name Year School Prelims Finals Points
=========================================================================
=== A - Final ===
1 Martter, Cale JR ASU 1:43.89 1:42.93B 32
22.04 47.79 (25.75)
1:17.39 (29.60) 1:42.93 (25.54)
2 Hochwalt, Michael FR ASU 1:45.39 1:43.29B 28
22.48 48.45 (25.97)
1:18.27 (29.82) 1:43.29 (25.02)
3 McKean, Durgan SO Utah 1:45.07 1:43.33B 27
22.50 48.34 (25.84)
1:17.78 (29.44) 1:43.33 (25.55)
4 Bilbao, Oscar FR ASU 1:45.32 1:43.47B 26
22.60 49.64 (27.04)
1:18.43 (28.79) 1:43.47 (25.04)
5 Vergnes, Lucien FR ASU 1:45.51 1:44.38B 25
22.24 48.85 (26.61)
1:18.34 (29.49) 1:44.38 (26.04)
6 Gubeno, Hunter GS Cincinnati 1:44.33 1:44.66B 24
22.53 48.39 (25.86)
1:19.50 (31.11) 1:44.66 (25.16)
7 VanBrocklin, Evan JR Utah 1:45.29 1:44.70B 23
22.45 48.84 (26.39)
1:19.82 (30.98) 1:44.70 (24.88)
8 Chiles, Owen FR Cincinnati 1:45.57 1:46.10 22
23.08 49.50 (26.42)
1:20.38 (30.88) 1:46.10 (25.72)
Women’s 50 freestyle
Caroline Bentz blasted the field to win the 50 free in 21.77. That’s just .01 off Grace Cooper’s meet record from last year. The Arizona schools swept the top four and had six of the top eight.
Arizona’s Lexi Duchsherer was second in 22.01. ASU’s Julia Ullmann go the better of the battle of Arizona Julias, her 22.19 besting Julia Wozniak’s 22.25, which tied Erin Palmer of Utah for fifth.
Event 11 Women 50 Yard Freestyle
=========================================================================
NCAA D1: ! 20.37 3/21/2024 Gretchen Walsh
American: $ 20.37 3/21/2024 Gretchen Walsh
US Open: & 20.37 3/21/2024 Gretchen Walsh
Big 12: * 21.66 11/17/2023Grace Cooper, Texas
Meet: # 21.76 3/1/2024 Grace Cooper, Texas
NCAA "A": A 21.58
NCAA "B": B 22.58
NCCA Invit24: 22.11
Name Year School Prelims Finals Points
=========================================================================
=== A - Final ===
1 Bentz, Caroline SR ASU 22.01 21.77B 32
10.54 21.77 (11.23)
2 Duchsherer, Lexi SR Arizona 22.19 22.01B 28
10.81 22.01 (11.20)
3 Ullmann, Julia FR ASU 22.13 22.19B 27
10.79 22.19 (11.40)
4 Wozniak, Julia SO Arizona 22.18 22.25B 25.5
10.70 22.25 (11.55)
4 Palmer, Erin JR Utah 22.31 22.25B 25.5
10.64 22.25 (11.61)
6 Botton, Riley JR Arizona 22.46 22.28B 24
10.76 22.28 (11.52)
7 Davis, Jessica GS Cincinnati 22.42 22.32B 23
10.76 22.32 (11.56)
8 Milligan, Erin SR ASU 22.57 22.58B 22
11.06 22.58 (11.52)
Men’s 50 freestyle
Jonny Kulow won the Arizona State sprint festival with his time of 18.64 seconds. It takes down the meet record set in 2017 by Joseph Schooling at 18.76 and is the only A cut of the night in any event.
Second was Ilya Kharun in 18.82. Tommy Palmer grabbed third in 18.96, followed by Patrick Sammon and Tolu Young. Young was second at the 25-yard wall in 9.12, trailing only Kulow’s 8.99.
Tomas Lukminas of Arizona spoiled the Sun Devils’ bonanza hopes by going 19.36 for sixth.
Worth special mention is Danny Berlitz, the West Virginia senior who the 400 IM and was fifth in the 200 IM at last years meet. Berlitz is limited by a leg injury from swimming the IM, so he’s switching to sprint free. He lowered his school record in the 200 free to 1:34.93 Tuesday off the front of the 800 free relay, then lowered his best 50 from 21.16 to 19.83 in prelims and 19.84 in finals at night for 18th place. Berlitz moves into seventh in program history.
Event 12 Men 50 Yard Freestyle
=========================================================================
NCAA D1: ! 17.63 3/22/2018 Caeleb Dressel
American: $ 17.63 3/22/2018 Caeleb Dressel
US Open: & 17.63 3/22/2018 Caeleb Dressel
Big 12: * 18.60 2/24/2022 Drew Kibler, Texas
Meet: # 18.76 2/23/2017 Joseph Schooling, Texas
NCAA "A": A 18.72
NCAA "B": B 19.69
NCCA Invit24: 19.13
Name Year School Prelims Finals Points
=========================================================================
=== A - Final ===
1 Kulow, Jonny JR ASU 18.82 18.64A 32
8.99 18.64 (9.65)
2 Kharun, Ilya SO ASU 19.06 18.82B 28
9.20 18.82 (9.62)
3 Palmer, Tommy JR ASU 18.87 18.96B 27
9.14 18.96 (9.82)
4 Sammon, Patrick SR ASU 19.41 19.21B 26
9.31 19.21 (9.90)
5 Young, Tolu FR ASU 19.44 19.35B 25
9.12 19.35 (10.23)
6 *Lukminas, Tomas FR Arizona 19.42 19.36B 24
9.35 19.36 (10.01)
7 Seider, Quin FR ASU 19.47 19.49B 23
9.38 19.49 (10.11)
8 Behar, Tiago SR ASU 19.47 19.55B 22
9.38 19.55 (10.17)
Men’s 3-meter diving
David Ekdahl of TCU nailed his sixth and final dive to score 392.10 points and claim the title. He had been second in prelims but finished strong to edge Arizona’s Gabe Dubois. The junior scored 388.55 to finish second. Utah’s Elias Petersen, who led the way in prelims, was third in 383.50.
Petersen was third at Pac-12s last year on 3-meter with Dubois fifth.
Chase Hindmarsh of BYU was fourth.
Event 22 Men 3 mtr Diving
=========================================================================
Big 12: * 553.15 2/28/2020 Jordan Windle, Texas
Meet: # 553.15 2/28/2020 Jordan Windle, Texas
Name Year School Prelims Finals Points
=========================================================================
=== A - Final ===
1 Ekdahl, David SR Texas Christian 373.95 392.10 32
2 Dubois, Gage JR Arizona 364.80 388.55 28
3 Petersen, Elias JR Utah 389.65 383.30 27
4 Hindmarsh, Chase SR Brigham Young 319.60 366.15 26
5 Agor, Colin FR Arizona 327.10 347.00 25
6 Helling, Jesco GS Utah 355.95 341.85 24
7 Stallworth, Lane JR ASU 301.15 305.85 23
8 Llop, Marti FR Brigham Young 337.35 280.60 22
