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Sun Devil Swim & Dive Set For Home Opener with No. 20/16 Wisconsin

by thesundevils.com
Oct 19, 2022

TEMPE, Ariz. – No. 5/NR Sun Devil Men's and Women's Swim and Dive is back at the Mona Plummer Aquatic Center for the 2022-23 home opener, in which they're set to host No. 20/16 Wisconsin on Saturday, October 22, at 11 a.m. MST.

Live results will be published to Meet Mobile, and a live stream will be available to fans here.

LAST TIME OUT
The Sun Devils opened their season three weeks ago in Athens. They met Georgia on September 30 and both Georgia and Missouri in a tri-meet on October 1. The Sun Devil Men dropped a tight one in the opener against Georgia, 46-44, before rebounding the following day, topping both the Bulldogs (155.5-145.5) and the Tigers (191-109). It parlayed into a No. 5 ranking in the first CSCAA polls of the season.

The Women's team will be seeking for their first win of the season on Saturday against the Badgers. They were bested in the opener by Georgia (62-28) and fell the following day to both the Bulldogs (203-90) and the Tigers (164.5-133.5).

Sophomore sensation Léon Marchand is starting fast once more, winning the 150 breast, 200 fly, 200 breast and 200 IM in the opening weekend in Athens.

BADGER PREVIEW
Both Wisconsin squads boast top-25 rankings, according to the CSCAA's October polls. Both the No. 20 Men and the No. 16 Women have a pair of meets this weekend in Arizona that will open their 2022-23 season.

They'll head to Tucson on Friday for a date with Arizona before heading into the valley to meet the Sun Devils on Saturday.

Paige McKenna, the defending Women's 1650-yard national champion and Big Ten Champion in the 500 free and 1650, cruised to a 9:58.78 in the 1000 free in the team's Red vs. Black intrasquad two weeks ago.

At the same intrasquad, Jake Newmark claimed three events, winning the 200 free (1:37.75), 200 backstroke (1:48.07) and 500 free (4:28.22).

Newmark is the reigning Big Ten Champion in the 500 free and a two-time NCAA Championships qualifier.

Under the direction of fifth-year head coach Yuri Suguiyama, the Badgers have totaled three NCAA champions, 16 Big Ten champions and 27 All-Americans while setting 22 new school records.

RECORD BREAKERS
It's been well-documented that the 2021-22 Sun Devils' season was historic in more ways than one. The Men's team finished top-six at NCAAs for the first time in 40 years, Léon Marchand stormed to two national championships and many school records were crushed throughout the year.

Ten Sun Devils who set school records a year ago have returned this fall. They gathered in front of the updated record-board at Mona Plummer Aquatic Center before the team's intrasquad meet in late September.

Sun Devil Men Event Records
Sun Devil Women Event Records

WHEN THEY LAST MET
It's been quite some time since the Sun Devils last went toe-to-toe with the Badgers, as the two last met eight years ago in the season opener of the 2014-15 season (Oct. 3, 2014) right here in Tempe.

ALUM NORDIN NAMED FINALIST FOR NCAA WOTY
Sun Devil alumna Emma Nordin was recently tabbed by the Woman of the Year Selection Committee as one of the Top 30 finalists for the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year Award.

Nordin ended her Sun Devil career as a 10-time College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America All-American, with six second-team recognitions in 2022 and 2019. She was the 2020 Pac-12 500-yard freestyle champion and runner-up in the 200 and 1,650 freestyle, and she holds six school records.

A nine-time Dean's List member, Nordin was an eight-time Scholar Baller and a two-time CSCAA Scholar All-American. After graduating Summa Cum Laude with a BS in Biological Sciences (Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior) in May 2021, she began studying for her graduate degree in Biology.

The selection committee will proceed with selecting three honorees from each NCAA division for a total of nine finalists, and the winner will be named at the NCAA Convention, which will be held in January in San Antonio.

Established in 1991, the award recognizes female student-athletes who have completed their undergraduate studies and distinguished themselves in their community, in athletics and in academics throughout their college careers.

Full story

FOLLOW ALONG
Don't miss any of the action on Saturday against a pair of highly-regarded Badger teams. The Sun Devils' Twitter account, @ASUSwimDive, will be providing results and updates throughout the meet.

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