STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford's men's swimming and diving team kicks off the 2018-19 season Tuesday when it plays host to Utah in a dual conference meet at Avery Aquatics Center.
The Cardinal comes off a season that included a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Championships and a second-place finish at the Pac-12 Conference championships. Stanford returns eight All-Americans and welcomes a strong freshman class which includes two of the fastest U-18 times in the world in 2018.
"Our freshmen have already exceeded expectations – their competitiveness has really enhanced the level of our training," said the Goldman Family Director of Men's Swimming Ted Knapp, now in his seventh year at the helm of the program. "The conversation around the pool deck and in practice is spot-on in our quest to constantly improve and compete for national hardware."
2018-19 Schedule
Following Tuesday's season-opening contest against Utah, the Cardinal travels to compete in the Pacific Invitational on Oct. 12-13 before hosting Cal on Nov. 8 for the programs' annual triple-distance meet. Stanford wraps up the fall season at the Texas Invitational for the third consecutive season in Austin, Texas, on Nov. 28-Dec. 1.
Stanford opens the spring season by playing host to Pacific on Jan. 11 before traveling to face Arizona and Arizona State in conference duals on Jan. 25-26. Stanford hosts USC on Feb. 9 before wrapping up the regular season against Cal on Feb. 23. The Pac-12 Swimming and Diving Championships will take place March 6-9 in Federal Way, Washington, before the the NCAA Championships in Austin March 27-30.
Welcome to Stanford
The Cardinal welcomes nine freshmen to The Farm for the 2018-19 season – two student-athletes each from Pennsylvania, Ohio and Washington, and one each from Virginia, Texas and California.
Alex Boratto • Back/Free/Fly • 6-3 • 175 • Lower Gwynedd, Pennsylvania • The Haverford School
Conor Casey • Diving • 5-10 • 155 • Annandale, Virginia • W.T. Woodson
Jon Cook • Breast/IM • 6-0 • 180 • Mill Creek, Washington • Henry M. Jackson
Mason Gonzalez • Free • 6-4 • 176 • Allison Park, Pennsylvania • North Allegheny
Jack LeVant • Free/Fly/IM • 6-4 • 180 • Southlake, Texas • Carroll Senior
David Madej • Free/Fly • 5-11 • 173 • Cleveland, Ohio • Brecksville
Will Roberts • Back/IM • 6-0 • 160 • Carmichael, Calif. • Jesuit
Daniel Roy • Breast • 5-8 • 155 • Spokane, Washington • Gonzaga Prep
Noah Vigran • Diving • 5-10 • 165 • Cincinnati, Ohio • Indian Hill
A Busy Summer
DeVine and Shoults each earned places on Team USA at the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships in August after outstanding showings at the Phillips 66 National Championships in July. DeVine (1:57.41) finished second in the 200-meter individual medley while Shoults (3:46.90) punched his ticket with second place in the 400-meter freestyle.
Also at Phillips 66 Nationals, LeVant (1:46.39) set a world junior record in the 200-meter freestyle, while Roy's (2:09.76) sixth-place finish in the 200-meter breaststroke was the fastest U-18 time in the world in 2018. LeVant was named Junior Swimmer of the Meet by SwimSwam with Stanford picking up an honorable mention for Team of the Meet.
Eight All-Americans Return
Eight All-Americans return from last year's team, which finished seventh at the NCAA Championships. DeVine, the reigning 400-yard individual medley national champion, leads a senior class which also includes All-Americans Matt Anderson (200-yard medley relay, 400-yard medley relay), Ryan Dudzinski (200-yard backstroke, 200-yard medley relay, 400-yard medley relay) and Brad Zdroik (200-yard freestyle relay).
Shoults enters his junior season having finished fourth in the 500-yard freestyle in each of his first two seasons, as well as All-America honors in the 800-yard freestyle relay and 1,650-yard freestyle – classmate True Sweetser also owns two All-America honors in the 1,650 free, while James Murphy was an All-American in the 800 free relay.
Sophomores Alberto Mestre (200 free relay, 400-yard freestyle relay) and Brennan Pastorek (100-yard breaststroke) also return for Stanford.
Leaders in the Classroom
Last season, Stanford was the only program to finish top-10 at the NCAA Championships with more than nine Academic All-Americans – the Cardinal led the nation with 11 first-team selections, including Anderson, Johannes Calloni, Dudzinski, Benjamin Ho, Pastorek, Hank Poppe and Sweetser. Glen Cowand, Jordan Greenberg and Matthew Hirschberger picked up honorable mentions.
"Our student-athletes are encouraged to challenge themselves academically while still having the opportunity to compete for NCAA championships," said Knapp. "Year after year, Stanford sets the standard for scholar-athleticism in college swimming."
The Cardinal's 17 Pac-12 All-Academic selections were the most of any school, led by Anderson, Dudzinski, Poppe and Sweetser on the first team.
Team Captains
Senior Jack Walsh and junior James Murphy were named captains for the 2018-19 season, as selected by a vote of their teammates – it is the first season as team captain for either student-athlete.
Three to Worlds
Stanford is the only men's program with multiple current student-athletes slated to represent Team USA at the 2019 FINA World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea. Abrahm DeVine, Jack LeVant and Grant Shoults were named to the roster, which includes just seven collegiate swimmers. The championship is the final major international competition before the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Sweetser and Roy join the trio on Team USA for the 2018-19, while Goldman Family Director of Men's Swimming Ted Knapp and assistant coach Jeff Kostoff were named Team USA coaches.
