Brad Tandy Posts Nation-Leading 50 Free, Cal Takes Over Lead At Pac-12 Champs

David Nolan wins the 200 IM.

FEDERAL WAY, Washington, March 6. THREE more Pac-12 meet records fell tonight, highlighted by a sizzling 18.80 50 free from Arizona’s Brad Tandy, during the second night of racing at the Men’s Pac-12 Championships in Federal Way. California has taken over the team lead through seven events, with Stanford in second and USC in third.

After posting the top time in the 500 free by almost three seconds this morning, USC’s Reed Malone had his hands full in finals – with his own teammate, Cristian Quintero. Quintero led the race through 300 meters before Malone inched ahead at the 350 mark. The two swimmers battled for the rest of the race before Quintero hit the touch-pads first in a new Pac-12 meet record of 4:12.56. Malone, who had flipped first going into the final 50, finished a fingernail behind in 4:12.66. Arizona’s Matt Barber finished third in 4:14.36, also clearing the NCAA ‘A’ cut in the event.

Both Quintero and Malone’s swims cleared the 2009 meet record of 4:12.99, set by Arizona’s Jean Basson. Quintero is now ranked third in the country, behind Florida’s Dan Wallace (4:10.73) and Michigan’s Connor Jaeger (4:12.52), while Malone is right behind in fourth. USC maintained its lead in the team standings, 120-113 over Cal, after three events.

Stanford’s Dave Nolan earned the Cardinal its first victory of the meet with a dominating performance in the 200 IM. Nolan, the defending NCAA champion in the event, built an insurmountable lead over the first half of the race and pulled away on the freestyle leg to post a new Pac-12 Conference and meet record of 1:41.49. Austin Staab, also of Stanford, held the previous meet (1:42.01) and conference (1:41.57) records in the event, both from 2011.

Nolan’s time just missed his school record of 1:41.21, which he set at last year’s NCAAs. Nolan will be chasing Michigan’s Kyle Whitaker in a couple of weeks, however, as Whitaker has the top time this season at 1:41.14. Cal took second and third in the event, with NCAA ‘A’ cuts from Josh Prenot (1:43.31) and Will Hamilton (1:43.36). A major shift occurred in the team standings, as Stanford placed five swimmers in the top eight and Cal had five in the top 16. Cal pulled ahead in the team race with 164 points, followed by Stanford with 156.

The meet records kept rolling in as the fifth meet record in five events went down in the men’s 50 free. Arizona’s Brad Tandy, a transfer from Indian River State College and former NJCAA Swimmer of the Year, proved he’s ready for the big show with a sizzling 18.80. That erased the meet record of 18.82, set by Cal’s Nathan Adrian in 2009, and crushed Adam Small’s school record of 19.03 from 2011. Tandy now has the top time in the country this season as he surpassed the 18.88 set by Florida’s Brad DeBorde. Cal’s Seth Stubblefield finished more than half a second behind, a light-year in the 50 free, with a 19.32. Utah cracked the top three with Nick Soedel posting a 19.36. California extended its lead in the team standings with 226 points, followed by Stanford (160) and USC (151).

In 1-meter diving, which actually took place last weekend in Federal Way, Stanford’s Kristian Ipsen set a new NCAA record in the event with 481.65 points. That topped his own record of 473.75, set at last year’s NCAA championships. Arizona’s Rafael Quintero took second (413.90), while Utah’s Josiah Purss rounded out the top three with 372.30 points.

California closed out the evening with a convincing win in the 200 free relay. The Bears’ quartet of Tyler Messerschmidt (19.42), Ryan Murphy (19.36), Tony Cox (19.04) and Seth Stubblefield (18.85) combined efforts to post a 1:16.67. USC, led by Jack Wagner (19.74), Dylan Carter (19.41), Santo Condorelli (19.39) and Cristian Quintero (18.89), finished second in 1:17.43, while Arizona’s Brad Tandy (19.12), Renny Richmond (19.62), Jeff Amlee (19.24) and Brian Stevens (19.67) took third in 1:17.65.

With 1-meter diving points factored in from the diving portion of the meet that took place last weekend, Cal leads with 271 points, followed by Stanford (243) and USC (208) after seven events.

Results For: Men’s Pac-12 Championships, Day Two

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