{"id":514039,"date":"2022-10-07T09:22:11","date_gmt":"2022-10-07T16:22:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=514039"},"modified":"2022-10-07T09:22:11","modified_gmt":"2022-10-07T16:22:11","slug":"despite-consistent-excellence-cal-star-destin-lasco-still-might-be-underappreciated","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/despite-consistent-excellence-cal-star-destin-lasco-still-might-be-underappreciated\/","title":{"rendered":"Cal Star Destin Lasco Headed For Another Dazzling Season, And Greater Appreciation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Despite Consistent Excellence, Cal Star Destin Lasco Still Might Be Underappreciated<\/strong><\/p>\n

As the collegiate season prepares to heat up with dual-meet competition and, eventually, midseason invitationals, major discussion has surrounded \u2013 and rightfully so \u2013 the talent of Arizona State sophomore Leon Marchand<\/strong><\/a>. There has been ample chatter concerning the impending impact of Canadian star Joshua Liendo<\/strong> at Florida. And on the women\u2019s side, Virginia\u2019s quest for a third consecutive NCAA title has been a leading topic.<\/p>\n

Lost amid these worthy storylines is the return of Destin Lasco<\/strong> for his junior campaign at Cal-Berkeley. As an 86-point scorer for the Golden Bears during their NCAA-championship run last season, Lasco is undoubtedly one of the most-dynamic performers on the collegiate scene, an athlete who can supply varied pop to the lineup of coach Dave Durden<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

A New Jersey native, Lasco crossed the country to join Cal\u2019s powerhouse program and immediately delivered on his potential as a freshman. He was phenomenal as a sophomore, too, as he managed a trio of top-four finishes as an individual and contributed to a quartet of high-scoring relays at the NCAA Champs. Did he receive proper credit for his contributions? Within the team, absolutely. Without Lasco, the Bears would not have topped Texas in the team standings.<\/p>\n

But the wider audience, it can be argued, has not afforded Lasco the attention he deserves. Some of the oversight can be attributed to the excellence of Marchand at the 2022 NCAA Championships, and the widespread contributions which carried Cal to their latest crown under Durden. Meanwhile, Lasco isn\u2019t a flashy guy. He gets in the water, tends to his work, and moves on. It\u2019s an approach that deserves an appreciative nod.<\/p>\n

Maybe the best way to grasp Lasco\u2019s skill set is to look at his achievements in black and white. Here is a rundown of what he pulled off at his last NCAAs.<\/p>\n