Pac-12 Conference Men’s Champs, Day Three Prelims: Reece Whitley Cruises to Top Seed in 100 Breaststroke
Day Three Prelims, Houston Texas
Trailing in the team standings during the first two days due to its weakness in diving, which has been completed, Cal should take over first place during the night session. The Bears have won all six events contested during the first two days of action and have a loaded lineup ready to go for the third day of prelims. Here is an event-by-event look at what transpired during the third day of qualifying.
Team Standings
1. Stanford University 339
2. Univ of California, Berkeley 334
3. University Of Arizona 271
4. Utah, University of 235
5. Southern California, Universit 190
Ups, Downs
- California 15, 7
- Stanford 10, 9
- Arizona 8, 9
- Southern Cal 4, 8
- Utah 3, 7
400 Individual Medley
Cal started to bring the pressure in the first event of the session as Hugo Gonzalez, the winner of the 200 medley the previous night, recorded an automatic NCAA qualifying time of 3:38.87. Ensuring a significant haul of points for the Bears was the fact that Sean Grieshop (3:43.77) and Chris Jhong (3:44.88) were third and fourth. Additionally, Tyler Kopp was seventh.
The second seed for the final went to Arizona’s David Schlicht in 3:43.64, which means Gonzalez is on top by five seconds going into the night. Stanford’s Alex Liang and Rick Mihm advanced in fifth and sixth.
Event 10 Men 400 Yard IM
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NCAA: N 3:33.42 3/24/2017 Chase Kalisz, Georgia
PAC-12: M 3:35.29 2018 Abrahm DeVine
PAC-12 Champ: P 3:36.60 2020 Hugo Gonzalez, CAL
3:39.16 A Standard
3:51.46 B Standard
Name Year School Seed Prelims
==================================================================
=== Preliminaries ===
1 Gonzalez, Hugo JR CAL 3:36.60 3:38.87 A
23.54 50.04 (26.50)
1:17.98 (27.94) 1:45.38 (27.40)
2:15.48 (30.10) 2:46.15 (30.67)
3:13.02 (26.87) 3:38.87 (25.85)
2 Schlicht, David SO ARIZ 3:40.93 3:43.64 B
23.37 50.09 (26.72)
1:18.53 (28.44) 1:46.91 (28.38)
2:18.45 (31.54) 2:50.41 (31.96)
3:17.66 (27.25) 3:43.64 (25.98)
3 Grieshop, Sean SR CAL 3:42.69 3:43.77 B
23.69 50.46 (26.77)
1:19.21 (28.75) 1:47.05 (27.84)
2:18.89 (31.84) 2:51.17 (32.28)
3:18.05 (26.88) 3:43.77 (25.72)
4 Jhong, Chris JR CAL 3:47.86 3:44.88 B
24.27 51.41 (27.14)
1:19.78 (28.37) 1:48.03 (28.25)
2:19.95 (31.92) 2:52.03 (32.08)
3:18.20 (26.17) 3:44.88 (26.68)
5 Liang, Alex JR STAN 3:46.80 3:46.56 B
24.12 51.06 (26.94)
1:19.79 (28.73) 1:47.81 (28.02)
2:20.51 (32.70) 2:52.98 (32.47)
3:20.25 (27.27) 3:46.56 (26.31)
6 Mihm, Rick FR STAN NT 3:46.82 B
24.35 51.51 (27.16)
1:20.37 (28.86) 1:48.31 (27.94)
2:20.20 (31.89) 2:52.78 (32.58)
3:20.44 (27.66) 3:46.82 (26.38)
7 Kopp, Tyler FR CAL 3:49.26 3:47.25 B
24.20 51.19 (26.99)
1:20.24 (29.05) 1:47.80 (27.56)
2:21.24 (33.44) 2:54.26 (33.02)
3:21.64 (27.38) 3:47.25 (25.61)
8 Hand, Jake FR ARIZ 3:53.23 3:48.37 B
24.68 52.65 (27.97)
1:22.80 (30.15) 1:52.69 (29.89)
2:23.76 (31.07) 2:54.53 (30.77)
3:21.55 (27.02) 3:48.37 (26.82)
100 Butterfly
With USC sitting fifth in the Pac-12 team standings, Nikola Miljenic gave his program something to get excited about as he led the way in the 100 butterfly with a time of 45.59. That effort was slightly quicker than the 45.69 of Cal’s Ryan Hoffer, the favorite for the title and the winner of the 50 freestyle on Monday night.
Stanford watched Ethan Hu touch the wall in 45.75 for third, with Arizona’s Noah Reid also dipping under the 46-second mark with a swim of 45.90. Stanford’s Jonny Affeld was 46.21 for fifth.
Event 11 Men 100 Yard Butterfly
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NCAA: N 42.80 3/23/2018 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
PAC-12: M 44.18 2009 Austin Staab, STAN
PAC-12 Champ: P 44.66 2011 Austin Staab, STAN
45.05 A Standard
47.43 B Standard
Name Year School Seed Prelims
==================================================================
=== Preliminaries ===
1 Miljenic, Nikol SR USC 46.66 45.59 B
9.51 21.30 (11.79)
33.28 (11.98) 45.59 (12.31)
2 Hoffer, Ryan SR CAL 46.43 45.69 B
9.54 21.26 (11.72)
33.15 (11.89) 45.69 (12.54)
3 Hu, Ethan FR STAN 45.47 45.75 B
10.08 21.42 (11.34)
33.50 (12.08) 45.75 (12.25)
4 Reid, Noah SR ARIZ 46.40 45.90 B
9.82 21.43 (11.61)
33.43 (12.00) 45.90 (12.47)
5 Affeld, Jonny FR STAN 46.62 46.21 B
9.84 21.48 (11.64)
33.55 (12.07) 46.21 (12.66)
6 Hatch, Jarod SR CAL 47.67 46.58 B
10.04 21.78 (11.74)
34.02 (12.24) 46.58 (12.56)
7 Waterman, Ben JR UTAH 47.06 46.60 B
9.78 21.61 (11.83)
33.91 (12.30) 46.60 (12.69)
8 Taner, Brooks SO ARIZ 48.03 47.20 B
10.08 21.86 (11.78)
34.32 (12.46) 47.20 (12.88)
200 Freestyle
For the second time in three days, Southern Cal’s Alexei Sancov produced a strong performance in the 200 freestyle, this time his 1:32.97 effort landing the junior the top seed for the evening’s individual final in the event. On the opening night of the meet, Sancov posted a personal best of 1:32.69 while leading off the Trojans’ 800 freestyle relay. Sancov will be pressed in the final by Cal’s Trenton Julian, the conference champ in the 500 free who went 1:32.98 in the prelims. Julian split 1:31-mid in the 800 freestyle relay.
Stanford’s Preston Forst, a freshman, was 1:33.23 for the No. 3 slot in the final and Cal’s Destin Lasco followed in 1:34.01. Lasco led off Cal’s victorious 800 free relay on Night One. The field for the final of the 200 free figures to be one of the strongest of the meet.
Event 12 Men 200 Yard Freestyle
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NCAA: N 1:29.15 3/27/2019 Dean Farris, Harvard
PAC-12: M 1:30.14 2019 Andrew Seliskar, CAL
PAC-12 Champ: P 1:31.07 2019 Andrew Seliskar, CAL
1:32.05 A Standard
1:36.32 B Standard
Name Year School Seed Prelims
==================================================================
=== Preliminaries ===
1 Sancov, Alexei JR USC 1:33.79 1:32.97 B
21.65 45.28 (23.63)
1:08.87 (23.59) 1:32.97 (24.10)
2 Julian, Trenton SR CAL 1:33.53 1:32.98 B
22.24 45.84 (23.60)
1:09.53 (23.69) 1:32.98 (23.45)
3 Forst, Preston FR STAN 1:35.02 1:33.23 B
22.32 45.77 (23.45)
1:09.46 (23.69) 1:33.23 (23.77)
4 Lasco, Destin FR CAL 1:33.99 1:34.01 B
21.68 45.45 (23.77)
1:09.34 (23.89) 1:34.01 (24.67)
5 Namir, Daniel JR ARIZ 1:36.04 1:34.18 B
22.01 45.79 (23.78)
1:09.90 (24.11) 1:34.18 (24.28)
6 Shoults, Grant SR STAN 1:34.84 1:34.26 B
22.08 45.71 (23.63)
1:09.74 (24.03) 1:34.26 (24.52)
7 Maurer, Luke FR STAN 1:33.99 1:34.28 B
22.15 46.36 (24.21)
1:10.24 (23.88) 1:34.28 (24.04)
8 Yeadon, Zach SR CAL 1:34.39 1:34.46 B
21.89 45.58 (23.69)
1:09.99 (24.41) 1:34.46 (24.47)
100 Breaststroke
The heavy favorite to claim the gold medal, Cal’s Reece Whitley took care of business in the 100 breaststroke with the only sub-52 showing of the prelims. Whitley covered the distance in 51.87, and there should be plenty left from the junior based on the 50-point split he managed in the 400 medley relay.
Stanford’s Daniel Roy came through as the second seed, off a time of 52.39, and Cal’s Forrest Frazier went 52.46 for the only other sub-53 performance.
Event 13 Men 100 Yard Breaststroke
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NCAA: N 49.69 3/23/2018 Ian Finnerty, Indiana
PAC-12: M 50.04 2014 Kevin Cordes, ARIZ
PAC-12 Champ: P 50.78 2019 Carsten Vissering, USC
51.67 A Standard
54.27 B Standard
Name Year School Seed Prelims
==================================================================
=== Preliminaries ===
1 Whitley, Reece JR CAL 51.54 51.87 B
11.04 24.51 (13.47)
38.10 (13.59) 51.87 (13.77)
2 Roy, Daniel SO STAN 52.75 52.39 B
11.55 24.85 (13.30)
38.54 (13.69) 52.39 (13.85)
3 Frazier, Forres FR CAL 53.57 52.46 B
11.25 24.72 (13.47)
38.46 (13.74) 52.46 (14.00)
4 Iida, Sam SR ARIZ 54.80 53.02 B
11.34 25.09 (13.75)
38.85 (13.76) 53.02 (14.17)
5 Britton, Andrew JR UTAH 55.07 53.29 B
11.14 24.34 (13.20)
38.43 (14.09) 53.29 (14.86)
6 Koenigsperger, SR USC 54.44 53.33 B
11.31 24.76 (13.45)
38.87 (14.11) 53.33 (14.46)
7 Wells, Ty JR ARIZ 55.88 53.72 B
11.34 25.18 (13.84)
39.21 (14.03) 53.72 (14.51)
7 Cook, Jonathan SO STAN 53.84 53.72 B
11.42 25.27 (13.85)
39.25 (13.98) 53.72 (14.47)
100 Backstroke
Cal rolled to the top-three slots in the 100 backstroke, with Daniel Carr leading the way with a time of 45.48. Destin Lasco, who earlier qualified for the final of the 200 freestyle, qualified second in 45.74 and Bryce Mefford went 46.37 for the third position. If the Bears can maintain their seeds in the final, they would earn 53 points from the trio.
Utah’s Andrei Ungur was fourth in 46.37 and Stanford’s Shane Blinkman advanced as the fifth seed in 46.64.
Event 14 Men 100 Yard Backstroke
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NCAA: N 43.49 3/25/2016 Ryan Murphy, CAL
PAC-12: M 43.49 2016 Ryan Murphy, CAL
PAC-12 Champ: P 44.14 2020 Zachary Poti, ASU
44.95 A Standard
47.77 B Standard
Name Year School Seed Prelims
==================================================================
=== Preliminaries ===
1 Carr, Daniel SR CAL 45.61 45.48 B
10.69 22.03 (11.34)
33.85 (11.82) 45.48 (11.63)
2 Lasco, Destin FR CAL 45.21 45.74 B
11.07 22.69 (11.62)
34.36 (11.67) 45.74 (11.38)
3 Mefford, Bryce SR CAL 45.63 46.32 B
10.93 22.34 (11.41)
34.28 (11.94) 46.32 (12.04)
4 Ungur, Andrei JR UTAH 48.01 46.37 B
10.97 22.77 (11.80)
34.54 (11.77) 46.37 (11.83)
5 Blinkman, Shane FR STAN 47.71 46.64 B
10.83 22.32 (11.49)
34.35 (12.03) 46.64 (12.29)
6 Maric, Ogi SO ARIZ 46.71 46.71 B
10.86 22.46 (11.60)
34.49 (12.03) 46.71 (12.22)
7 Kirby, Jack SO USC 47.68 47.16 B
11.15 22.99 (11.84)
35.08 (12.09) 47.16 (12.08)
8 Somerset, Sebas SO CAL 47.68 47.31 B
10.95 22.51 (11.56)
34.92 (12.41) 47.31 (12.39)
