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2024 Men’s Division I NCAA Championships: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

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By Sophie Kaufman on SwimSwam

2024 MEN’S NCAA SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Day 3 Finals Heat Sheets

Welcome in and happy Friday everyone! The table’s been set and now it’s time for the third night of finals at 2024 Men’s Division I NCAA Championships. I’d say kick back and relax but based on the last two finals sessions, it seems like we’re in for another heart-pounding session.

Order of Events

  • 400 IM (top seed: Leon Marchand, Arizona State — 3:35.75)
  • 100 butterfly (top seed: Josh Liendo, Florida — 43.30)
  • 200 freestyle (top seed: Luke Hobson, Texas — 1:29.75)
  • 100 breaststroke (top seed: Liam Bell, Cal — 50.52)
  • 100 backstroke (top seed: Destin Lasco, Cal — 44.00)
  • 3-meter diving (top seed: Jack Ryan, Stanford — 432.90 points)
  • 400 medley relay (top seed: Arizona State — 2:58.49)

The sesssion starts with the 400 IM, where defending champion Leon Marchand has already separated himself from the field. He posted a relaxed-looking 4:35.75 to lead the way after prelims by almost two seconds ahead of fellow Sun Devil David Schlicht. After going 2-3 in the 200 IM, ASU aims to upgrade for a 1-2 finish here in the 400 IM. Marchand ihe favorite, but it should be a close race for 2nd with Schlicht, Mason Laur, and Baylor Nelson the main contenders for the second step of the podium.

Then we move along to the 100 fly, where it took 44.99 to even earn a second swim. Newly crowned 50 freestyle champion Josh Liendo chopped a tenth off his personal best to secure lane 4 for the final in a blazing 43.30. That’s the first sub-44 prelims 100 fly. Liendo’s prelims swim and history of dropping from prelims to finals suggests that we all need to be on record watch here tonight. Also in the mix is Tomer Frankel, who broke 44 for the first time in prelims, the freshman star Ilya Kharun, Luke Miller, who’s having an under-the-radar excellent meet, and of course the defending champion Youssef Ramandan.

The pressure doesn’t let up in the next event, the 200 freestyle. This all junior championship final threw down some incredible prelims swims this morning. Luke Hobson led that campaign in a 1:29.75, putting up the first prelims 1:29 in history and also becoming the first swimmer to put up multiple 1:29s at the same meet. He’s aiming to reclaim the 200 free NCAA record after Marchand took it from him about 10 minutes after he set it on night 1 of this meet.

Jack Alexy went faster than his 800 free relay lead-off to take second seed in 1:30.38, and Jordan Crooks also put in the first 1:30 outing of his career (1:30.41). Those are the top three after prelims, but Charlie Hawke, Chris Guiliano, and Gabriel Jett are also lurking.

After the 200 free, we’re back into the 100s of stroke. First up is the 100 breaststroke, where the win could truly come from any lane. Liam Bell set a new pool record just .02 off his personal best with a 50.52, setting himself up as the man to beat. Earlier in the meet, he also swam the fastest 50 breast rolling split in history (22.25). Joining him under 51 seconds in prelims were Ron Polonsky (50.87), Brian Benzing (50.92), Julian Smith (50.94), and Noah Nichols (50.97). For Polonsky, Benzing, and Smith that was their first sub-51 outing. And another note: if Benzing wins, he’ll be the first mid-major swimmer to win the 100 breast since 1983.

The last individual event of the session is the 100 backstroke. 200 IM champion Destin Lasco scored the top seed with a 44.00. It took a 44.52 to make it back to the final, so just .52 separates the top 8 swimmers. There are also two returning champions in this field–Kacper Stokowski (2022) and Brendan Burns (2023). Florida and ASU both have a pair of swimmers in this final, with the Gators putting Adam Chaney and Jonny Marshall up and the Sun Devils getting 200 IM All-Americans Owen McDonald and Hubert Kos into the championship heat.

The session closes out with the 400 medley relay. Once again, Arizona State comes in as the top seed after they just missed the NCAA record at PAC-12s. But both Florida and Cal have won relays at this meet already and look ready to challenge the Sun Devils for the title.

400 Yard Individual Medley — Final

  • NCAA Record: 3:28.82 — Leon Marchand, Arizona State (2023)
  • Meet Record: 3:28.82 — Leon Marchand, Arizona State (2023)
  • American Record: 3:33.42 — Chase Kalisz, Georgia (2017)
  • U.S. Open Record: 3:28.82 — Leon Marchand, Arizona State (2023)
  • Pool Record: 3:33.42 — Chase Kalisz, Georgia (2017)
  • 2023 Champion: 3:28.82 — Leon Marchand, Arizona State

Top 8:

100 Yard Butterfly — Final

  • NCAA Record: 42.80 — Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
  • Meet Record: 42.80 — Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
  • American Record: 42.80 — Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
  • U.S. Open Record: 42.80 — Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
  • Pool Record: 43.30 — Josh Liendo, Florida (2024)
  • 2023 Champion: Youssef Ramadan, Virginia Tech— 43.15

Top 8:

200 Yard Freestyle — Final

Top 8:

100 Yard Breaststroke — Final

  • NCAA Record: 49.69 — Ian Finnerty, Indiana (2018)
  • Meet Record: 49.69 — Ian Finnerty, Indiana (2018)
  • American Record: 49.69 — Ian Finnerty, Indiana (2018)
  • U.S. Open Record: 49.69 — Ian Finnerty, Indiana (2018)
  • Pool Record: 50.52 — Liam Bell, California (2024)
  • 2023 Champion: 50.00 – Max McHugh, Minnesota

Top 8: 

100 Yard Backstroke — Final

  • NCAA Record: 43.35 — Luca Urlando, Georgia (2022)
  • Meet Record: 43.35 — Luca Urlando, Georgia (2022)
  • American Record: 43.35 — Luca Urlando, Georgia (2022)
  • U.S. Open Record: 43.35 — Luca Urlando, Georgia (2022)
  • Pool Record: 43.99 — Ryan Murphy, Cal  (2017)
  • 2023 Champion: 43.61 – Brendan Burns, Indiana

Top 8: 

3-Meter Diving

  • Meet Record: 529.10 — Samuel Dorman, Miami FL (2015)
  • 2023 Champion: 522.60 — Andrew Capobianco, Indiana

Top 8:

400 Yard Medley Relay — Timed Final

  • NCAA Record: 2:58.32 — Florida (A. Chaney, D. Hillis, J. Liendo, M. McDuff), 2023
  • Meet Record: 2:58.32 — Florida (A. Chaney, D. Hillis, J. Liendo, M. McDuff), 2023
  • American Record: 3:01.51 — Cal (R. Murphy, C. Hoppe, M. Josa, M. Jensen), 2017
  • U.S. Open Record: 2:58.32 — Florida (A. Chaney, D. Hillis, J. Liendo, M. McDuff), 2023
  • Pool Record: 2:59.22 — Texas (J. Shebat, W. Licon, J. Schooling, J. Conger), 2017
  • 2023 Champion: 2:58.32 — Florida (A. Chaney, D. Hillis, J. Liendo, M. McDuff)

SwimSwam: 2024 Men’s Division I NCAA Championships: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

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