{"id":599382,"date":"2024-11-13T05:33:47","date_gmt":"2024-11-13T12:33:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=599382"},"modified":"2024-11-13T05:33:47","modified_gmt":"2024-11-13T12:33:47","slug":"college-swimming-check-in-the-non-superstar-men-in-pole-position","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/college-swimming-check-in-the-non-superstar-men-in-pole-position\/","title":{"rendered":"College Swimming Check-in: The Non-Superstar Men in Pole Position"},"content":{"rendered":"

College Swimming Check-in: The Non-Superstar Men in Pole Position<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the first college swimming season following the departure of Leon Marchand<\/strong> to the professional ranks, the early candidate to take over the mantle of the country\u2019s top male swimmer is another Arizona State Sun Devil. Ilya Kharun<\/strong> won Olympic bronze in both butterfly events this summer<\/a>, and he is currently the nationwide leader<\/a> in the yards versions of the 100 and 200 fly plus the 50 and 100 freestyle.<\/p>\n

In addition to Kharun, Hubert Kos<\/strong> and Luke Hobson<\/strong> are returning to college swimming after winning individual medals in Paris, with both men sitting in first place in a pair of individual events, Kos in the 200 IM and Hobson in the 200 free. As for other individual events, it\u2019s too early to examine the 1650 free, with few top contenders having raced the event yet in dual meets. In backstroke, breaststroke and the two mid-distance events, though, swimmers with no NCAA titles to their credit are currently ranked first.<\/p>\n

Rex Maurer, Texas: 500 Freestyle (4:11.20) & 400 IM (3:40.90)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Transferring to the University of Texas<\/a> has been the spark that has launched Maurer\u2019s career into the college elite. He finished 31st \u00a0in the 500 free and 30th in the 400 IM as a freshman at Stanford, but he has already recorded times that would have scored at last year\u2019s NCAA Championships in these two events as well as the 200 free, in which his time of 1:32.13 ranks third nationally behind Hobson and Georgia\u2019s Tomas Koski<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Will Modglin, Texas: 100 Backstroke (44.81)<\/strong><\/p>\n

This former National High School Swimmer of the Year took on a huge role on a depleted Longhorns team last year, and he acquitted himself nicely, with consolation final finishes in both backstroke events, and then he excelled in long course with a pair of finals appearances at the U.S. Olympic Trials. Now, Modglin is two tenths ahead of the field in an event where past champions Brendan Burns<\/strong> and Kacper Stokowski <\/strong>each exhausted their eligibility after last season.<\/p>\n