Minnesota Invitational: Destin Lasco Drops A Cut 1:40.16 in 200 IM

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Minnesota Invitational: Destin Lasco Drops A Cut 1:40.16 in 200 IM

Cal’s Destin Lasco dropped an NCAA A cut of 1:40.16 to win the men’s 200 individual medley at the Minnesota Invitational Thursday night.

Lasco, the NCAA runner-up in the event last year, was close to four seconds clear of the field. It was a big day for Cal, which won all but one event on the second day of the meet at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center.

Cal dominated on both sides. Gabriel Jett swam to victory in the 500 freestyle in 4:16.15. Teammate Tyler Kopp was third with freshmen Aaron Shackell and Keaton Jones in the top seven. The Golden Bears put five in the A final of the 50 free, including a 1-2. Jack Alexy won in 19.19, with Bjorn Seeliger second .03 back.

In a textbook embarrassment of riches, Cal split its 200 free relay and finished 1-2, nearly attaining two NCAA A cuts in the process. The nominal A squad went 1:16.61 with Alexy anchoring in 18.71. The B squad, with Seeliger off the front, was second in 1:16.91. Jett and Dare Rose were on the latter. Lasco, Robin Hanson and Roman Jones joined Alexy on the top step of the podium.

Arizona’s A squad had a solid swim in the 200 free relay, with Tommy Palmer, Ralph Daleiden, Seth Miller and Ryan Hardy going 1:17.04 for third place. Palmer was third in the 50 in 19.31 with Miller fifth. Ryan Purdy finished second in the 200 IM in 1:43.99 for the Wildcats.

Minnesota’s Bar Soloveychik finished second in the 500 free with a time of 4:18.37. Fourth went to Harvard’s Cole Kuster. The Crimson’s Gunner Grant finished third in the 200 IM in 1:44.26.

Mia Motekaitis and Ava Chavez gave Cal a pair of winners on the women’s side. Motekaitis, a grad student, went 4:39.33 to claim the 500 free by more than three seconds over Megan Van Berkom of the hosts. Cal teammate Rachel Klinker was third.

Chavez opened up a gap of more than seven seconds on the final 50 yards in the 200 IM to win in 1:57.63. She pulled away from a game effort from Pitt freshman Sydney Gring, who went 1:58.70 for second. Arizona’s Kesley Wasikowski got under two minutes for third in 1:59.33, rookies sweeping the top three spots.

Pitt’s Sophie Yendell pulled a bit of a surprise in the 50 free, winning in 22.03. That bested three straight Cal swimmers, led by Isabelle Stadden’s 22.24. McKenna Stone was third in 22.25, and Eloise Riley, the second seed out of prelims, went 22.34 for fourth. Payton Kelly of Ball State went 22.42 for fifth.

Cal secured the only A cut of the 200 free relay. Stone, Riley, Stadden and Emily Gantriis went 1:28.24 to win by nearly a second. The latter two split matching 21.92. Cal’s B team finished third with Ella Mazurek going 21.97 and Morgan Brophy popping a 21.91.

Arizona was second in 1:29.13 with Pitt fourth.

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