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Arizona State makes history with program's first Pac-12 Men's Swimming and Diving Championship

by Pac-12 Conference
Mar 4, 2023
CHUCKARELEI STUDIO

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. – The No. 1 Arizona State Sun Devils won their first Pac-12 Championship in program history, becoming the first non-California school to earn the title of Pac-12 Men's Swimming & Diving Champion.  

The Sun Devils finished with the most points in program history, 897.5, winning by over 78 points. Eight of the 13 events were captured by the Devils, with the team earning 14 overall podium finishes throughout the week. 

Highlighted by sophomore Leon Marchand, who went 6-for-7 in the Championship, the Sun Devils walked away with the 2023 Pac-12 title.

In second place was the previous five-time Pac-12 Champion, California, finishing with 819 overall points. The Bears picked up four first-place finishes with eight overall podium finishes. 

Third place went to Stanford with 615.5 points. Following behind Stanford was Arizona (323) in fourth, USC (314.5) in fifth and Utah (300.5) in sixth.  

1650 Freestyle

  • Freshman Sun Devil Zalan Sarkany earned the first Pac-12 Championship win of his career in the 1650 Freestyle. 
  • Swimming a 14:41.65, Sarkany set a new Arizona State program record alongside picking up the first win of the day. 
  • ASU’s Daniel Matheson picked up second in the event, swimming a 14:48.52, while California Bear Lucas Henveaux finished third with a 14:48.84 finish. 

200 Backstroke 

  • The now 3-time Pac-12 200-Backstroke Champion, Destin Lasco, earned his third win of the Championship, swimming a 1:36.94 to set a new Pac-12 Championship record.
  • Lasco’s time earned him third in the Program record book and the fastest time in the country this season. 
  • Swimming a personal best, fellow Golden Bear Hugo Gonzalez earned his third second-place finish, breaking the former Pac-12 Championship record by swimming a 1:37.19. 
  • Freshman Sun Devil Owen McDonald, finished third behind the Bears with a time of 1:39.01. 

100 Freestyle

  • Reigning 2022 Pac-12 Champion, Bjorn Seelinger set a new Pac-12 Championship record in the process of taking first in the 100 Freestyle. 
  • Swimming a 40.90, the Golden Bear swam the third-fastest time in Cal history and the fastest time in the country this season.
  • Golden Bear Jack Alexy earned his first individual podium finish of the week, swimming a personal-best 41.42 and earning second in the event. 
  • Sun Devil Grant House swam a 41.69, good for a third-place finish in the Championship and a third-place finish in the ASU record book. House now holds six of the top-10 times in Sun Devil history.

200 Breaststroke

  • The reigning 2022 Pac-12 Champion, Leon Marchand picked up his sixth win of the Championship in the 200 Breaststroke.
  • Marchand’s time of 1:47.67 was his second NCAA record breaking time of the Championship, having the fastest times in the NCAA in both the 200 Breaststroke and the 400 IM.
  • The 2020 and 2021 Pac-12 Breaststroke Champion, Reece Whitley, took second place with a time of 1:51.30.
  • Finishing in third was Cal senior Jason Louser, swimming a 1:51.41.

200 Butterfly

  • Cal Bear Gabriel Jett won his third event of the Championship, swimming a personal-best 1:39.27, the fastest time in the country this season. 
  • Sun Devil senior Alexander Colson swam a personal best of 1:39.55 to earn second place and the fastest time in Sun Devil history.
  • Fellow Devil Andrew Gray picked up third place in the event with a time of 1:41.20.

400 free Relay

  • California's Dylan Hawk, Bjorn Seelinger, Matthew Jensen and Jack Alexy, narrowly beat Arizona State to take first in the 400 Free Relay.
  • Their time of 2:45.67 set a new Pac-12 Conference record, beating the time previously set by the Bears in the 2022 Championships.
  • The Golden Bears earned their fifth consecutive win in the event with Seelinger picking up his third, and Alexy and Hawk picking up their second. 
  • Arizona State’s Leon Marchand, Grant House, Patrick Sammon and Jack Dolan finished second with a time of 2:46.14, good for second in Pac-12 history. 

Swimmer of the Meet

  • Arizona State’s Leon Marchand was this year’s Swimmer of the Meet after picking up six wins and seven podium finishes. 
  • With 60 individual points and 120 relay points, Marchand contributed to over 20% of ASU’s final points. 
  • Marchand set NCAA records in the 400 IM and the 200 Breast, beating out a record that lasted seven years (200 Breast; Will Licon, 2017).
  • In three events (200 IM, 200 Medley Relay, 800 Free Relay) Marchand set either Pac-12 Championship records or Pac-12 Conference records.

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