Day 2 Men's NCAAs - Pac-12 Roundup: Cal sets only American record of day 2... in prelims

2015 Men’s NCAA Championships

Thursday, March 26 – Saturday, March 28
University of Iowa, Iowa City
Prelims 11AM/Finals 7PM (Central Time)
Defending Champion: California – results
Iowa Championship Central / NCAA Championship Central
Prelims (& Thursday finals) Live feed: Hawkeye Sports / Finals Live feed: ESPN3 (Friday & Saturday)
PSA: What to do when live results aren’t updating
Live results

Standings:

2. California – 275
5. Southern California – 197
6. Stanford – 156
12. Arizona – 91
27. Utah – 12

Cal highlights day 2 with first-event prelim American record

After losing ground to cross-country rival Texas on day 1, California showed up ready to throw punches on day 2, setting a new American record in the very first event of the prelims session.

Their 1:22.40 in the 200 medley relay would hold up as the only American record to fall on the day despite multiple close calls.

That relay was headed by star backstroker Ryan Murphy, who cruised his way to a 20.82 in the morning. He was actually two tenths faster at night, and with all three of four legs returning next year, that’s evidence that Cal could go even faster in 2016.

The surprise difference-maker there was senior Chuck Katis. After spending two seasons at Harvard, Katis has blown up with the Bears, and put up the fastest 50 breast split in history at 22.64.

Freshman Justin Lynch is a high-ceiling butterflyer who was a solid 20.63 but has some serious potential to cut time down the road. And anchor Tyler Messerschmidt was consistent, going 18.61 in prelims and 18.68 in finals.

That leaves Cal within two tenths of the U.S. Open and NCAA records, set by Michigan’s loaded 2013 squad. No doubt the Golden Bears already have that record in their sights for next season.

Quick Hits

Maybe the Pac-12 perseverance performance of the day came from USC’s Cristian Quintero. The senior took on the dreaded triple-200 free combo, swimming prelims and finals of the 200 individually plus leading off USC’s 800 free relay. Quintero was rock-steady through the brutal triple, going 1:32s in all three races (1:32.70-1:32.03-1:32.89) and finishing 1st in all three events.
Arizona’s Kevin Cordes had an uncharacteristically quiet season, but showed his breaststroke prowess on night 2 by completing a four-year sweep of the 100 breaststroke. Cordes has never been beaten in the event at NCAAs, and put up the 2nd-fastest swim in history tonight at 50.25.
He failed to repeat as 500 free champ last night, but USC’s Cristian Quintero made up for it on day 2, going 1:32.03 to become Southern Cal’s first NCAA champ in the 200 free since Olympian Klete Keller all the way back in 2001.
Murphy followed up that American record 200 medley relay by repeating as NCAA 100 back champ. His 44.21 stands up as the second-fastest swim in NCAA history, behind only his NCAA record 44.17 from last night’s 400 medley relay.
Cal’s Katis made a huge leap of his own individually, dropping from a 52.00 in the 100 breast all the way to a 50.89 in prelims. Katis was a little off that in finals, going 51.15, but still took 3rd overall.
Stanford’s David Nolan is having a great senior sendoff, and he broke 45 for the first time in the 100 back today. Nolan was 44.93 in prelims and then 44.78 for second place in the final.
The theme of the day for Cal was big prelims swims, often with the final not quite measuring up. But senior Adam Hinshaw had perhaps the biggest prelims swim of all, coming from the 26th seed in the 400 IM to make the A final in 3:41.58. He also had the gutsiest swim of finals, leading the championship heat through 150 yards. Though he fell off after that, the senior was a real emotional boost to Cal on a day they sorely needed it.
USC closed the night by defending their 800 free relay title. That came courtesy of Quintero’s huge triple and a 1:31 anchor leg from sophomore Reed Malone.