Cal’s Destin Lasco sensed his opportunity and seized it – claiming an NCAA championship.
Trailing at the back half of the 200 IM, Lasco put on a second half like few have been able to do before, broke his own American record in the event. He went a 1:37.91, breaking his own mark by two tenths.
“It is always great when you can keep it simple and just swim a best time,” Lasco said. “Especially under all the pressure I put on myself. To see that come to fruition was an amazing feeling.”
Arizona State moved Leon Marchand out of the 200 IM and into the 500 free this season, despite Marchand holding the NCAA and U.S. Open record in the event.
“Leon swam a great 500 free and if he was in the 200 IM, it probably would have been different, I am not going to sugar-coat anything. But I just asked myself, ‘Why not me?’ If he is not in it, that is free points and I am going to take them,” Lasco said. “I knew I had to be really good in the back-half. When you swim for something bigger than yourself, that is when you get the best swims. I knew that everyone was going to take it off and I had a great front-half too. It was just all about conserving energy.”
The strong back-half was needed because Arizona State’s Hubert Kos took the early lead with a 20.84 fly split and built it in the backstroke, going 44.97 at the halfway point.
Lasco turned an incredible breaststroke split and turned at 1:14.35.
He surged even further ahead and won by a body length at 1:37.91, breaking his own American record.
Lasco split a 28.75 on the breaststroke and 23.56 on the final freestyle split. He was the only one in the field to split a 23 in the last 50 and one of two to split 28 in the breaststroke.
“It is just repetitions in practice every day and being comfortable being uncomfortable,” Lasco said. “I am kind of used to it now. I know what it is like to claw for every single point you can. It isn’t over and I am still clawing.”
Lasco and several Cal Bears skipped the Pac-12 Championships to swim at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Westmont. He then went to do altitude training at the Olympic Training Center.
“I was training for two weeks long course, only training yards twice a week. Hugo (Gonzalez) was telling me you just have to hit your crossover turn and carry that momentum. The pullout is so important long-course, so he was teaching me to stay calm and work the pullout,” Lasco said. “I feel like I could have written a book – Chapter 1: Westmont; Chapter 2: OTC; Chapter 3: NCAAs.”
No Marchand, no problem for the Sun Devils, who still landed three other swimmers in the final.
The Sun Devils went 2-3-6 to score major points in the event with Marchand switching to the 500 free.
Owen McDonald surged to second in 1:39.23, followed by Kos (1:39.66). David Schlicht was sixth (1:40.17).
NC State junior Arsenio Bustos took fourth in 1:39.23, followed by Michigan junior Gal Groumi (1:39.87).
Texas freshman Nate Germonprez took seventh (1:40.89) and Texas A&M sophomore Baylor Nelson was eighth (1:41.54).
Event 4 Men 200 Yard IM
=========================================================================
NCAA: N 1:36.34 3/23/2023 Leon Marchand, ASU
Meet: M 1:36.34 3/23/2023 Leon Marchand, ASU
American: A 1:38.10 3/23/2023 Destin Lasco, California
U. S. Open: O 1:36.34 3/23/2023 Leon Marchand, ASU
Pool: P 1:39.34 3/28/2024 Destin Lasco, California
Name Year School Prelims Finals Points
=========================================================================
=== Championship Final ===
1 Lasco, Destin SR California 1:39.34 1:37.91A 20
r:+0.64 21.42 45.60 (24.18)
1:14.35 (28.75) 1:37.91 (23.56)
2 McDonald, Owen SO ASU 1:41.24 1:39.23P 17
r:+0.57 21.23 45.59 (24.36)
1:15.19 (29.60) 1:39.23 (24.04)
3 Kos, Hubert SO ASU 1:40.40 1:39.66 16
r:+0.57 20.84 44.97 (24.13)
1:15.07 (30.10) 1:39.66 (24.59)
4 Bustos, Arsenio JR NC State 1:40.82 1:39.83 15
r:+0.66 21.30 46.14 (24.84)
1:14.82 (28.68) 1:39.83 (25.01)
5 Cohen Groumi, Gal JR Michigan 1:40.54 1:39.87 14
r:+0.55 21.49 46.45 (24.96)
1:15.66 (29.21) 1:39.87 (24.21)
6 Schlicht, David SR ASU 1:40.82 1:40.17 13
r:+0.62 21.75 47.18 (25.43)
1:15.83 (28.65) 1:40.17 (24.34)
7 Germonprez, Nate FR Texas 1:41.35 1:40.89 12
r:+0.66 21.94 47.35 (25.41)
1:16.45 (29.10) 1:40.89 (24.44)
8 Nelson, Baylor SO TAMU 1:41.23 1:41.54 11
r:+0.62 22.06 46.80 (24.74)
1:16.14 (29.34) 1:41.54 (25.40)
=== Consolation Final ===
9 Kovac, Danny 5Y SMU 1:42.03 1:41.41 9
r:+0.61 21.95 47.48 (25.53)
1:16.31 (28.83) 1:41.41 (25.10)
10 Barr, Luke JR Indiana 1:41.97 1:42.00 7
r:+0.66 22.29 47.53 (25.24)
1:16.98 (29.45) 1:42.00 (25.02)
11 Smith, Julian JR Florida 1:41.87 1:42.22 6
r:+0.64 21.22 47.25 (26.03)
1:17.48 (30.23) 1:42.22 (24.74)
12 Polonsky, Ron JR Stanford 1:41.44 1:42.28 5
r:+0.68 22.15 47.31 (25.16)
1:17.10 (29.79) 1:42.28 (25.18)
13 Connery, Tim JR Virginia 1:41.70 1:42.60 4
r:+0.64 21.89 47.89 (26.00)
1:17.88 (29.99) 1:42.60 (24.72)
14 Tiffany, Jordan FR Brigham Young 1:42.07 1:42.62 3
r:+0.62 21.49 46.64 (25.15)
1:17.27 (30.63) 1:42.62 (25.35)
15 Ben-Shitrit, Eitan SO Michigan 1:41.66 1:42.95 2
r:+0.62 21.96 47.40 (25.44)
1:17.52 (30.12) 1:42.95 (25.43)
16 Diehl, Daniel FR NC State 1:41.84 1:43.60 1
r:+0.66 22.32 48.07 (25.75)
1:18.08 (30.01) 1:43.60 (25.52)
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