Ryan Murphy Sprints To Two Big Wins For Cal In Dual Against Hawaii

Photo by Griffin Scott

BERKELEY, California, October 17. TODAY’S dual meet between the University of California-Berkeley and the University of Hawaii showed some impressive speed at this early point of the season, when training volume is high and muscles rarely have the capability to put forth top efforts.

Ryan Murphy, who was a star from the 50 free to the 200 backstroke at Bolles School and continued that last season diversity as a Cal freshman, was impressive in all three of his races today. He led off Cal’s winning 200 medley relay with a 21.94 backstroke leg to help Connor Hoppe (24.86 breaststroke), Josh Prenot (21.26 butterfly) and Tyler Messerschmidt (19.76 freestyle) win with a 1:27.82. Murphy was back in the 100 back, one of the events he won last March at the NCAA championships, and posted an impressive 47.17 as the only swimmer under 50 seconds. Murphy already had the nation’s fastest time of the season with a 47.50 and has now improved on that in his journey to the national title defense.

Perhaps the top swim for Murphy today was the 44.64 to win the 100 freestyle over teammate Tyler Messerschmidt’s 44.84. Messerschmidt was out in 21.37 at the 50-yard mark, but was overcome by Murphy’s closing blast.

Murphy was the only swimmer to win more than one event today, but other top swims from the Bears included a 1:46.93 from Long Gutierrez in the 200 fly to put him in the top five in the national collegiate rankings; Jacob Pebley’s 1:46.41 in the 200 back over star freshman Connor Green’s 1:49.67; and a 48.15 from freshman Justin Lynch in the 100 fly.

Janardan Burns won the 1000 free with a 9:22.16, while Trent Williams took the 200 free in a solid 1:37.33. Hoppe kept Hawaii’s Paulo de Paula at bay in the 100 breast, 55.53 to 56.31. Fabio Gimondi won the 50 free in 20.66 while Prenot took the 200 breast with a 2:00.42.

With the meet win secured by Cal after the 200 breast, the Bears swam exhibition in the remaining four races. Ryan Kao posted the fastest time in the 500 free with a 4:29.74, but the first-place points went to Hawai’s Kacy Johnson with a 4:34.49. With Lynch’s 48.15 in the 100 fly not counting for points, Eduardo Guimaraes of Hawaii took the official win with a 50.76.

Chuck Katis’ 200 IM time of 1:50.03 was the fastest time of the day, but the official win went to Jo Boy Gonzalez of Hawaii with a 1:56.72. Cal posted a 3:00.54 in the 400 free relay on the strength of Messerschmidt’s 44.32 second leg. Hawaii got the official points with a 3:06.95.

Full results available on Meet Mobile.

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