Brad Tandy’s 18.99 50 Free Relay Split Highlights Arizona-Arizona State Dual Meet

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

TUCSON – Many of the athletes in today’s dual meet between Arizona and Arizona State got a boost of confidence heading into the final preparations for the Pac 12 championships, posting some quick times that were among their season bests.

The meet was a runway for the Arizona men and women. On the men’s side, the Wildcats won 174-117 while the women won 176.5-118.5. Arizona State held tough, winning four men’s events and four in the women’s meet.

Brad Tandy had arguably the best day in the pool. Arizona stepped up in the 200 medley relay in an attempt to beat their season best of 1:26.30, and the squad of Michael Meyer, Kevin Cordes, Renny Richmond and Tandy got close with a 1:26.91. The time was buoyed by Tandy’s 18.99 split on freestyle, which was needed to hold off a strong Arizona State team that placed second with a 1:27.25.

Tandy, the reigning NCAA co-champion in the 50 free swimming in his final collegiate dual meet, won the 50 free with a strong 19.89 and returned to lead off Arizona’s 200 free relay with a 19.49. That relay won handily with a 1:19.32.

Cordes, the American record holder in the 100 and 200 breaststrokes also swimming in his final collegiate dual meet, won the 100 breast with a 53.52. That’s his first time under 54 seconds in a dual meet this season, beating the 54.07 he swam against California. He also won the 200 breast with a 1:58.44, also his fastest dual meet swim of the season. It should be noted, however, that Cordes was 53.75 and 1:56.54 this time last year.

Arizona’s breaststroke squad was on fire today. Emma Schoettmer posted 1:00.34 to win the 100 breast and dominated the 200 breast with a 2:11.66. The 100 breast time is Schoettmer’s fastest of the season, even beating the 1:00.54 she swam at the Texas Invite in December. As for her 200 breast, it’s close to her season best, missing it by about a second. Gage Crosby swam well, too, nearly beating the 1:58.19 he posted at the Texas Invite in the 200 breast with a 1:59.09 today, and equaling his time from the Texas Invite in the 100 breast with a 54.44.

Arizona State also had a few memorable races today. Jamie Friderichs held off a strong final push from Arizona’s Tjasa Oder in the 500 free, taking the win for the Sun Devils with a 4:51.15 to Oder’s 4:51.41. Friderichs had only been under five minutes two other times, and not since 2013. Patrick Park, a freshman from Arizona State who was part of a historic 400 free relay in his senior year at the Peddie School, was outracing NCAA finalist Meyer in the 200 fly for 150 yards. But Meyer found another gear and the two swam stroke for stroke in the final 10 yards, with Meyer etching out the win with a 1:45.84 to Park’s 1:45.97. That’s a season best for Meyer, and a lifetime best for Park by eight tenths of a second.

Arizona State sophomore Barkley Perry also posted a lifetime best today, winning the 200 back by more than a second over Meyer with a 1:44.02. That eclipses his personal best of 1:44.44 that he swam at last year’s Pac 12 championships. But perhaps one of the biggest celebrations for the Sun Devils came in the 50 freestyle, where sophomore Cole Miller broke the 21-second barrier for the first time with a 20.99 for third place in the 50 free behind Tandy’s 19.83 and ASU’s Tadas Duskinas’ 20.37. Miller’s previous best was 21.10 from February 2014.

Full results available by clicking the link below.

Arizona vs. Arizona State Dual Meet – Results

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