FEDERAL WAY, Wash. – Stanford earned eight podium finishes on Day Three of the four-day Pac-12 Men's Swimming Championships, but a conference championship remained elusive on Friday at the King County Aquatic Center.
Closest to victory was freshman Henry McFadden, who clocked 1:32.03 in the 200-yard freestyle to come within 0.16 seconds of Arizona State's Patrick Sammon in first. The time put McFadden into the No. 2 slot in school history. It was his second personal best of the day, following his 1:32.42 in the prelims.
Stanford, which had four runner-up finishes Friday, strengthened its hold on second place in the team race. Arizona State leads with 725, with the Cardinal next at 505.5, and Cal third at 406.
Also second was Ron Polonsky, who came within 0.03 of his own school 100 breaststroke record of 51.14, and Rafael Gu in the 100 butterfly in 45.00.
The 400 medley relay team of Rex Maurer, Ron Polonsky, Rafael Gu, and Luke Maurer was Stanford's final runner-up, clocking a season-best 3:03.55 to achieve the NCAA A standard of 3:04.96.
Andrei Minakov, who entered the meet as the two-time defending 100 fly champion qualified for the A final with a relatively slow time, but ultimately did not compete because of an illness.
Rex Maurer continued his strong freshman season, capturing third in the 400 individual medley with the second of his lifetime bests set during the day, a 3:38.10 that puts him firmly at No. 2 in school history in that event.
Aaron Sequeira earned two thirds -- in the 100 butterfly (45.09), and 100 backstroke in a lifetime best 45.23, placing him No. 6 at Stanford all-time.
Zhier Fan was third in the 100 breast in 51.29, a personal best that places him at No. 2 in Stanford history.
In a single day, the Cardinal set 23 season bests, 12 personal bests, and made nine improvements or additions to Stanford's all-time top-15 lists.
Saturday's conference conclusion features five finals – in the 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, 200 fly, and 400 free relay. Stanford is seeking its 45th top-two team finish since the Pac-12 first held men's swimming championships in 1961.
Stanford's 400 medley relay team (l. to r.): Rex Maurer, Ron Polonsky, Rafael Gu, Luke Maurer. Photo by Chuckarelei/Pac-12.
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Pac-12 Men's Swimming Championships
At King County Aquatic Center
Winners and all Stanford results
Team scores (thru 15 events): 1, Arizona State 725; 2, Stanford 505.5; 3, Cal 406; 4, Arizona 372; 5, USC 288.5; 6, Utah 167.
400-yard individual medley – A final: 1, Leon Marchand (ASU) 3:34.66; 3, Rex Maurer (Stanford) 3:38.10 (PB; No. 2 Stanford AT); 8, Rick Mihm (Stanford) 3:44.05. Prelims: 5, R. Maurer 3:40.99 (PB; No. 4 Stanford AT); 6, Mihm 3:41.92 (PB; No. 5 Stanford AT); 15, Liam Custer (Stanford) 3:49.07.
100 butterfly – A final: 1, Ilya Kharun (ASU) 44.32; 2, Rafael Gu (Stanford) 45.00; 3, Aaron Sequeira (Stanford) 45.09. B final: 12, Avery Voss (Stanford) 46.47. C final: 18, Ethan Harrington (Stanford) 47.42. Unplaced: Ethan Hu (Stanford) 46.58. Prelims: 2, Gu 44.99 (PB; No. 4 Stanford AT); 3, Sequeira 45.20; 4, Andrei Minakov (Stanford) 45.31; 14, Voss 46.41 (PB); 18, Harrington 47.34; 21, Hayden Kwan (Stanford) 47.56; 24, Matt Fenlon (Stanford) 47.98. Unplaced: Ethan Hu (Stanford) 46.71.
200 freestyle – A final: 1, Patrick Sammon (ASU) 1:31.87; 2, Henry McFadden (Stanford) 1:32.03 (PB; No. 2 Stanford AT); 6, Luke Maurer (Stanford) 1:32.90. B final: 11, Gibson Holmes (Stanford) 1:34.47 (PB); 14, Jonathan Tan (Stanford) 1:36.18. C final: 19, Andrew Matejka (Stanford) 1:37.27. Prelims: 3, McFadden 1:32.42 (PB; No. 3 Stanford AT); 6, L. Maurer 1:33.01; 13, Holmes 1:34.87 (PB); 16, Tan 1:36.16; 19, Matejka 1:36.86; 22, Gabe Machado (Stanford) 1:37.44; 23, Preston Forst (Stanford) 1:37.96.
100 breaststroke – A final: 1, Liam Bell (Cal) 50.89; 2, Ron Polonsky (Stanford) 51.17; 3, Zhier Fan (Stanford) 51.29 (PB; No. 2 Stanford AT). B final: 13, Ethan Dang (Stanford) 52.72; 15, Hayden Zheng (Stanford) 53.02. Prelims: 3, Polonsky 51.55; 4, Fan 51.93; 10, Dang 52.64; 13, Zheng 52.79 (PB; No. 13 Stanford AT).
100 backstroke – A final: 1, Hubert Kos (ASU) 43.75; 3, Aaron Sequeira (Stanford) 45.23 (PB; No. 6 Stanford AT). B final: 11, Josh Zuchowski (Stanford) 46.83; 15, Hayden Kwan (Stanford) 47.61. Prelims: 3, Sequeira 46.01; 14, Zuchowski 47.18; 16, Kwan 47.45.
400 medley relay -- 1, Arizona State 2:58.49; 2, Stanford (Rex Maurer, Ron Polonsky, Rafael Gu, Luke Maurer) 3:03.55 (new NCAA A standard).