2023 Pac-12 Men’s Championships, Day 3: Andrei Minakov Sizzles 44.34 100 Fly

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

2023 Pac-12 Men’s Championships, Day 3: Andrei Minakov Sizzles 44.34 100 Fly

The 2022-23 season got off to a delayed start for Andrei Minakov, the Stanford junior and reigning NCAA champion in the 100 butterfly not racing for the Cardinal until midseason.

The Russian is starting to make up for lost time.

He grabbed the top seed in the 100 fly at prelims on Friday at the 2023 Pac-12 Men’s Championships at Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center, his time of 44.34 nearly a second clear of the field. He’ll have his times from last year – the Pac-12 record of 43.71 and the meet record of 43.90 – in his sights for the evening’s finals.

The rest of the morning action from Federal Way:

2023 Pac-12 Men’s Championships

2023 Pac-12 Men’s Championships Team Scores

Combined Team Scores - Through Event 9                      
 
  1. Arizona State University        357.5   2. California, University of, Ber    251
  3. Stanford University               238   4. Southern California, Universit  202.5
  5. University of Arizona             197   6. Utah, University of               174

400 individual medley

Call it a mild surprise that Leon Marchand was not the top seed in prelims of the 400 IM. Make it a slightly larger surprise that the reigning NCAA champion was seventh tenths away from the B final.

Given the field assembled, few might have assumed Jason Louser would be on top in prelims. The California senior went 3:37.60 to nab the top seed. He did it from an early heat, with his best time this season at 3:58.26, though he had been 3:38.23 at NCAAs last year, where he won the B final.

He’ll face a battle to hold onto that placement in finals, with the last two NCAA record holders in pursuit. Marchand went 3:39.05 to glide into the A final in second. He set the NCAA record this year at 3:31.84. He took it from Hugo Gonzalez of Cal, who set it in winning the national title last year. Gonzalez was only seventh in prelims, though, scraping into the A final with seven tenths to spare in 4:34.22.

Arizona State owns seeds two through five, with Hungarian Olympian Hubert Kos third in 3:40.47. He missed the A final in the shorter IM. Daniel Matheson was fourth.

Off his silver medal in the 500 free, Lucas Henveaux got into the A final in sixth for Cal. Ron Polonsky of Stanford, the 200 IM bronze medalist, finished eighth.

Event 10  Men 400 Yard IM
==================================================================
         NCAA: N 3:32.88  3/25/2022 Hugo Gonzalez, Atlanta
       PAC-12: M 3:32.88  2022      Hugo Gonzalez, CAL
 PAC-12 Champ: P 3:34.45  2022      Leon Marchand, ASU
    Name                 Year School               Seed    Prelims        
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Louser, Jason          SR California        3:58.26    3:37.60  
                 23.09        49.70 (26.61)
        1:17.73 (28.03)     1:44.83 (27.10)
        2:14.12 (29.29)     2:44.36 (30.24)
        3:11.60 (27.24)     3:37.60 (26.00)
  2 Marchand, Leon         SO ASU               3:31.84    3:39.05  
                 22.52        48.71 (26.19)
        1:16.31 (27.60)     1:42.84 (26.53)
        2:13.71 (30.87)     2:44.97 (31.26)
        3:12.59 (27.62)     3:39.05 (26.46)
  3 Kos, Hubert            FR ASU               3:43.77    3:40.47  
                 22.82        50.38 (27.56)
        1:17.08 (26.70)     1:44.12 (27.04)
        2:15.37 (31.25)     2:47.38 (32.01)
        3:14.49 (27.11)     3:40.47 (25.98)
  4 Matheson, Daniel       SO ASU               3:46.64    3:42.25  
                 23.66        50.81 (27.15)
        1:19.78 (28.97)     1:48.73 (28.95)
        2:19.92 (31.19)     2:51.17 (31.25)
        3:17.03 (25.86)     3:42.25 (25.22)
  5 Schlicht, David        SR ASU               3:43.16    3:42.70  
                 23.53        50.33 (26.80)
        1:18.62 (28.29)     1:46.75 (28.13)
        2:18.18 (31.43)     2:49.89 (31.71)
        3:16.72 (26.83)     3:42.70 (25.98)
  6 Henveaux, Lucas        GS California             NT    3:42.93  
                 23.85        51.55 (27.70)
        1:20.65 (29.10)     1:48.66 (28.01)
        2:20.36 (31.70)     2:52.85 (32.49)
        3:18.32 (25.47)     3:42.93 (24.61)
  7 Gonzalez de Oliveira,  GS California        3:57.92    3:43.22  
                 23.19        50.39 (27.20)
        1:19.30 (28.91)     1:47.10 (27.80)
        2:18.29 (31.19)     2:50.09 (31.80)
        3:17.25 (27.16)     3:43.22 (25.97)
  8 Polonsky, Ron          SO Stanford          3:44.50    3:43.47  
                 23.33        50.67 (27.34)
        1:18.62 (27.95)     1:46.44 (27.82)
        2:17.86 (31.42)     2:50.17 (32.31)
        3:17.54 (27.37)     3:43.47 (25.93)

100 butterfly

Andrei Minakov led a Stanford 1-2-3 in the 100 fly, followed by Rafael Gu in 45.10 and Aaron Sequeira in 45.18. The Cardinal have four A finalists.

Cal only has one, with Dare Rose in fourth. Arizona State accounts for the other three, led by fifth-place Cody Bybee. But Max McCusker, who entered with the fastest time of the season in 45.01, barely made it in seventh in 45.62. He’ll need some outside smoke to get on the podium tonight.

 Event 11  Men 100 Yard Butterfly
==================================================================
         NCAA: N 42.80  3/23/2018 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
       PAC-12: M 43.71  2022      Andrel  Minakov, STAN
 PAC-12 Champ: P 43.90  2022      Andrei Minakov, STAN
    Name                 Year School               Seed    Prelims        
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Minakov, Andrei        JR Stanford            45.07      44.34  
                  9.35        20.37 (11.02)
          32.06 (11.69)       44.34 (12.28)
  2 Gu, Rafael             FR Stanford            45.77      45.10  
                  9.69        21.13 (11.44)
          32.86 (11.73)       45.10 (12.24)
  3 Sequeira, Aaron        SO Stanford            46.19      45.18  
                  9.55        20.96 (11.41)
          32.90 (11.94)       45.18 (12.28)
  4 Rose, Dare             JR California          45.30      45.34  
                  9.44        21.09 (11.65)
          32.92 (11.83)       45.34 (12.42)
  5 Bybee, Cody            SR ASU                 46.20      45.51  
                  9.71        21.19 (11.48)
          33.07 (11.88)       45.51 (12.44)
  6 Affeld, Jonny          JR Stanford            46.30      45.58  
                  9.75        21.23 (11.48)
          33.21 (11.98)       45.58 (12.37)
  7 McCusker, Max          SR ASU                 45.01      45.62  
                  9.37        20.88 (11.51)
          32.93 (12.05)       45.62 (12.69)
  8 Colson, Alexander      SR ASU                 45.77      45.63  
                  9.74        21.27 (11.53)
          33.14 (11.87)       45.63 (12.49)

200 freestyle

Grant House in on track for a second straight 200 free title. Perhaps more importantly to the veteran is that he led three Sun Devils in the top three spots.

House set the pace in prelims at 1:32.50. He has been 1:31.51 this season and went 1:30.23 at the meet last year. Second was teammate Patrick Sammon in 1:32.71, while Julian Hill secured fourth in 1:33.17.

In between is Cal’s Robin Hanson in third at 1:33.01. Gabriel Jett is in the medal picture after posting the sixth-fastest prelims time of 1:33.28.

Patrick Callan and Andrew Gray will duke it out for the final finals spot in a swim-off, tying for eighth. ASU was first, second, fourth, and 10th around that tie; Cal was third, sixth, and 11th.

 Event 12  Men 200 Yard Freestyle
==================================================================
         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 1:30.23  2022      Grant House, ASU
    Name                 Year School               Seed    Prelims        
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 House, Grant           SR ASU               1:31.51    1:32.50  
                 21.46        45.20 (23.74)
        1:09.26 (24.06)     1:32.50 (23.24)
  2 Sammon, Patrick        SO ASU               1:32.79    1:32.71  
                 21.59        45.31 (23.72)
        1:08.95 (23.64)     1:32.71 (23.76)
  3 Hanson, Robin          SO California        1:33.74    1:33.01  
                 21.59        45.14 (23.55)
        1:08.89 (23.75)     1:33.01 (24.12)
  4 Hill, Julian           SR ASU               1:32.26    1:33.17  
                 21.29        44.73 (23.44)
        1:08.91 (24.18)     1:33.17 (24.26)
  5 Daleiden Ciuferri, Ra  FR Arizona           1:34.01    1:33.26  
                 21.81        45.27 (23.46)
        1:09.05 (23.78)     1:33.26 (24.21)
  6 Jett, Gabriel          SO California        1:32.41    1:33.28  
                 22.00        46.63 (24.63)
        1:09.67 (23.04)     1:33.28 (23.61)
  7 Dupont, Andres         FR Stanford          1:34.64    1:33.39  
                 22.17        45.81 (23.64)
        1:09.75 (23.94)     1:33.39 (23.64)
  8 Callan, Patrick        GS California        1:33.64    1:33.79  
                 21.90        45.82 (23.92)
        1:09.96 (24.14)     1:33.79 (23.83)
  8 Gray, Andrew           SR ASU               1:33.55    1:33.79  
                 21.67        45.02 (23.35)
        1:09.27 (24.25)     1:33.79 (24.52)

100 backstroke

Cal’s breaststroke contingent, in a year where that seems to be a weakness league wide, could be a difference-maker in the title race. The Golden Bears swept the top five spots, led by Reece Whitley’s 51.34. Teammates Matthew Jensen and Jacob Soderlund also got under 52 seconds, while Liam Bell and Luke Rodarte joined the top-five party. ASU countered only with John Heaphy in 10th place.

Event 13  Men 100 Yard Breaststroke
==================================================================
         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
    Name                 Year School               Seed    Prelims        
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Whitley, Reece         GS California          51.51      51.34  
                 10.86        24.06 (13.20)
          37.49 (13.43)       51.34 (13.85)
  2 Jensen, Matthew        JR California          52.57      51.60  
                 11.12        24.37 (13.25)
          37.84 (13.47)       51.60 (13.76)
  3 Soderlund, Jacob       SO California          53.25      51.90  
                 11.26        24.42 (13.16)
          38.19 (13.77)       51.90 (13.71)
  4 Bell, Liam             SR California          52.15      52.02  
                 10.79        23.81 (13.02)
          37.56 (13.75)       52.02 (14.46)
  5 Rodarte, Luke          GS California          52.93      52.10  
                 11.09        24.36 (13.27)
          37.93 (13.57)       52.10 (14.17)
  6 O'Grady, Chris         SO Southern Cali       52.09      52.44  
                 11.10        24.31 (13.21)
          38.11 (13.80)       52.44 (14.33)
  7 Fan, Zhier             FR Stanford            52.63      52.50  
                 11.11        24.82 (13.71)
          38.44 (13.62)       52.50 (14.06)
  8 Horner, Jaek           SR Utah                51.88      52.54  
                 11.14        24.53 (13.39)
          38.44 (13.91)       52.54 (14.10)

100 breaststroke

Jack Dolan and Owen McDonald hit back for Arizona State by taking the top two seeds in the 100 fly. Dolan went 44.78 to lead the way, McDonald following in 45.09.

Destin Lasco remains the favorite, though. He entered with the top time in the field at 44.73 and finished third in prelims in 45.13. Cal added two more A finalists, with Bjorn Seeliger seventh and Jack Alexy eighth.

Event 14  Men 100 Yard Backstroke
==================================================================
         NCAA: N 43.35  3/25/2022 Luca Urlando, Georgia
       PAC-12: M 43.49  2016      Ryan Murphy, CAL
 PAC-12 Champ: P 44.14  2020      Zachary Poti, ASU
    Name                 Year School               Seed    Prelims        
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Dolan, Jack            SR ASU                 45.25      44.78  
                 10.34        21.26 (10.92)
          33.07 (11.81)       44.78 (11.71)
  2 McDonald, Owen         FR ASU                 46.05      45.09  
                 10.79        21.73 (10.94)
          33.46 (11.73)       45.09 (11.63)
  3 Lasco, Destin          JR California          44.73      45.13  
                 10.50        21.87 (11.37)
          33.64 (11.77)       45.13 (11.49)
  4 Ungur, Andrei          SR Utah                45.27      45.19  
                 10.62        21.84 (11.22)
          33.61 (11.77)       45.19 (11.58)
  5 Sequeira, Aaron        SO Stanford            46.78      45.44  
                 10.94        22.17 (11.23)
          33.73 (11.56)       45.44 (11.71)
  6 MacAlister, Leon       SR Stanford            45.58      45.63  
                 10.64        22.00 (11.36)
          33.71 (11.71)       45.63 (11.92)
  7 Seeliger, Bjorn        JR California          45.23      45.79  
                 10.41        21.75 (11.34)
          33.74 (11.99)       45.79 (12.05)
  8 Alexy, Jack            SO California          47.05      46.24  
                 10.57        21.81 (11.24)
          33.71 (11.90)       46.24 (12.53)

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