2021 MEN’S PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Sunday, February 28 – Wednesday, March 3
- Houston, TX (Central Time Zone)
- Defending Champion: Cal (3x) (results)
- Prelims: 11:00 AM Central Time (Days 2-4); Finals: 6:00 PM Central Time (Days 1-4)
- Championship Central
- Live Results
- Live Stream
- Day 3 prelims heat sheets
Day 3 of the 2021 Pac-12 Men’s Swimming Championships are the day where the most of the big event decisions are to be made.
After winning the 500 free on Tuesday, Cal senior Trenton Julian will swim the 200 free on Tuesday, where he’s the top seed in 1:33.53. He chose that race over the 400 IM, where he would have been the 4th seed. Cal already holds 2 of the top 3 seeds in that 400 IM, with Hugo Gonzalez seeded first in 3:36.60 and Sean Grieshop seeded 3rd in 3:42.69.
While the 200 free seems like a logical choice for Julian, as he was the Pac-12 Champion in the event last year, he has entered the 400 IM in each of the last two seasons at NCAAs instead. That includes a 5th-place finish in 2019.
This is probably a slightly-better move for Cal for team scoring, though the team title is already, essentially, out of range. That 200 free, including the standout freshman relay swimmers Destin Lasco of Cal and Preston Forst of Stanford, will be a highlight of the day’s racing.
Other Significant Choices:
- One of the Pac-12s most recognizable names, Brooks Fail, won’t race individually at all on Tueesday. As he did last season, Fail will instead take likely on the 1650 free/200 fly double on the final day of the meet Wednesday.
- Cal sophomore All-American Jason Louser is once again absent. We have reached out to Cal to ask about why.
- USC mid-season transfer Harry Homans, a former Georgia Bulldog, has chosen the 100 fly over the 400 IM. He would have been the 9th seed in the 400 IM with a season-best of 3:51 (he was 3:49 last season). He hasn’t raced the 100 fly collegiately this season, but is entered with his 46.82 career best from the 2020 SEC Championships that seeds him 6th.
- USC’s Alexei Sancov has opted for the 200 free over the 100 fly. He’s the top seed in the 200 free and is 4th-best in the Pac-12 in the 100 fly this season. There was some thought he might double after not swimming a day 2 race, but with only a 200 fly entry remaining on his schedule, USC might be using him for 5 relays instead. With his NCAA qualification secured and no team title to fight for, this gives them a better shot at qualifying more relays for NCAAs, given that they aren’t a very deep team this season. Sancov swam a 1:32.69 relay leadoff on the 800 free on Sunday.
- Cal freshman Dare Rose has chosen the 200 free over the 100 fly for his Tuesday event. The National Age Group Record breaker is still looking for an NCAA invite-caliber time this season. He already raced a lifetime best in the 200 free of 1:35.53 this season, though he’ll probably need to get to a 1:34-mid, at least, to have a chance at NCAAs. He would have had similar seeding in both races.