Trenton Julian, Reece Whitley Lead Cal Men to Win Over USC; Cal Also Defeats UC-San Diego

Trenton Julian -- Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Trenton Julian, Reece Whitley Lead Cal Men to Win Over USC; Cal Also Defeats UC-San Diego

In a Friday afternoon Pac-12 dual meet in Los Angeles, the Cal men showed that they are rounding into form just in time for championship season. The Golden Bears took on USC and dominated, winning 198.5 to 94.5 as several of Cal’s biggest stars won multiple events. Trenton Julian, Reece Whitley, Destin Lasco and Bjorn Seeliger, all runnerup finishers in at least won event at last season’s NCAA Championships, were among the standouts.

Julian was the winner in the 200 butterfly (1:43.30) and 100 butterfly (47.18). Julian, competing in his fifth year at Cal, swam the nation’s fastest 200-meter fly in 2021 at the Summer Championships in Irvine. Meanwhile, Whitley edged USC’s Trent Pellini in the 100 breast, 52.48 to 52.70, before also winning the 200 breast (1:54.34). Lasco was the standout in the backstroke events, winning the 100 (47.33) and 200 (1:43.97) while Olympian Bryce Mefford placed second in both distances. Finally, Seeliger recorded a strong 19.38 to win the 50 free, and he later captured first place in 100 free (43.42).

Cal had a fifth double-event winner on the day, freshman Gabriel Jett. Jett got to the wall first in the 200 free (1:35.33) and 500 free (4:23.09) as he looks to make an instant impact on this veteran-heavy squad.

Cal’s Will Roberts placed first in the 1000 free (9:08.40), and Hugo Gonzalez dominated the 200 IM, touching first in 1:45.28. USC’s only victories came in diving, with Sean Wang sweeping the 1-meter and 3-meter events. Cal’s Daniel Carr, Whitley, Julian and Seeliger won the 200 medley relay in 1:25.34, and to conclude the meet, Seeliger, Julian, Lasco and Jett combined for a winning time of 2:54.85 in the 400 free relay.

Meanwhile, a separate group of Cal men was racing in a dual meet 100 miles south of LA against UC-San Diego, and this Bears squad also came out on top, 145-111. The standouts from the San Diego group included Jack Meehan, who won the 500 free (4:28.39) and 1000 free (9:08.41), the later event in a time just one hundredth behind Roberts’ mark against USC. Additionally, Michael Petrides won the 200 free (1:35.96) and 100 free (44.13).

Check out results from Cal’s meets against USC and against UC-San Diego.

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