The California men’s swimming team showed their intentions to challenge for the NCAA team title next March, opening the competition phase of the season with impressive times in the dual meet against the University of the Pacific. The Bears won the meet, 142-106.
One of the more impressive performance came in the first event, the 400 medley relay. Ryan Murphy, the NCAA reigning champion in both backstroke events, popped a 46.21 to lead things off. That helped Cal win the relay with a 3:15.00, with the B squad second in 3:16.89.
Murphy wasn’t as fast in the individual 100 back, but the 47.21 he posted beat teammate Jacob Pebley’s 48.91 to claim the win. Murphy claimed a sweep of the backstrokes with a 1:44.47, which is a very fast swim but not enough to claim the top of the national rankings. Joe Patching of Auburn swam a 1:43.66 earlier in the day to lead the collegiate ranks in the 200 back.
The top freshman in the nation, Andrew Seliskar, wasted no time in making his presence known with the fastest time in three events. He officially won the 200 fly with a fast 1:46.77, the top time so far in the nation, then proceeded to beat the field as an exhibition swimmer in the 200 IM with a 1:47.84. By just three hundredths of a second, he beat the top time in the nation posted by Caeleb Dressel.
Seliskar was third-fastest in the 100 fly with a 48.28, which fell short of the 47.30 by Justin Lynch and the 47.31 by Long Gutierrez. All three swims were done in exhibition, meaning Jared Vu of Pacific got the first-place points with a 50.85.
Another Cal freshman notched a win in his first college meet, and it was a very exciting race. Nick Norman led the field of the 1000 free by almost two seconds at the 700-yard mark over teammates Ryan Kao and Janardan Burns. Kao and Burns made a move in the final stretch, but Norman posted a 9:13.72 to take the win, holding off Kao, who settled for second with a 9:13.88. Burns took third with a 9:13.98.
Kao and Burns were at it again in the 500 free, with Burns taking the lead through 450 yards before Kao came blazing home to touch first in 4:30.47 to Burns’ 4:30.57. Both swims were done as exhibition, and Collin Craig of Pacific took the points for first place with a 4:49.74.
Another close race came in the 100 free, where Trent Williams and Dillon Williams flipped nearly even at the 50-yard mark with Kyle Coan not far behind. Trent Williams got the win by three hundredths of a second, 44.44 to 44.47. Coan claimed third with a 45.53.
Before his fast swim in the 100 fly, Gutierrez notched a two-second win in the 200 free with a swift 1:36.82, which just beats Patching’s 200 free from earlier in the day as the fastest in the nation. Lynch won the 50 free in 20.52 before his blazing 100 fly swim.
Josh Prenot was dominant in both breaststroke events, posting a 54.29 in the 100 breast and 1:55.87 in the 200 breast. The time in the 200 breast will not officially count in the rankings as it was an exhibition swim, but it is by far the fastest college swim in the early goings of the season. (Shunichi Ichimura took the official win in the 200 breast with a 2:15.23.)
Prenot was a double Gold- medalist last summer @. World University Games ( 200 breast/ 200 IM where he actually tied for firstbevent w/ defending champ Justin James of Australia.
I wouldn’t put money on it but wouldn’t surprise me if he and Seliskarvwent one-two @.’NCAAs in 20’IM now that Mr. ” X” from that “preppy” school across the bay and down the peninsula has graduated!
Go Bears!