FEDERAL Way, Wash. – Stanford diver Jack Ryan placed second and swimmer Ron Polonsky fifth at the NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships on Thursday at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center.
Ryan, a senior, earned his highest NCAA finish by scoring 417.45 points in the 1-meter diving final, giving Stanford its’ best placing in that event since Olympic medalist Kristian Ipsen was second in 2014. Ryan also joined Ipsen as the only divers in school history to collect three or more first-team All-America honors at 1-meter.
Polonsky tied his best individual NCAA finish by placing fifth in the 200-yard individual medley in a personal best 1:39.84. The time strengthens Polonsky’s hold on the No. 2 spot in Stanford history.
Stanford’s 200 medley relay team placed seventh in Heat 3 of 4 and 15th overall in 1:15.78. The team of Andrei Minakov, Kaihan Gu, Avery Voss, and Jonathan Tan earned second-team All-America honors. It was the first All-America recognition for Tan, a sophomore Olympian from Singapore.
Though he didn’t make a final, Aaron Sequeira moved up to No. 8 on Stanford’s all-time list in the 200 IM with a personal best time of 1:42.48. He placed 23rd overall, behind Rick Mihm in 20th in a season-tying best of 1:42.24.
Nothing is a given in diving, not even for someone as talented as Ryan, who was fourth in 2024 and third in 2023 at 1-meter. In the prelims, a low score dropped him to 10th after three of six rounds, with only eight advancing to the final. However, Ryan hit his remaining three dives to place second and advance.
In the final, Ryan was fourth after one round and second to Indiana’s Quentin Henninger, after three. Ryan and Henninger were partners in the 3-meter synchronized event at the USA Winter Nationals in December, and won. This time, they were locked in a dual for an NCAA title.
In the fourth round, Ryan nailed a back 2 ½ somersault tuck for 78.00 points – his highest score of the final – to take the lead by 3.45 points. Only for Henninger to retake it in the fifth round and maintain his edge to the finish. Henninger finished with 434.65.
Polonsky, 12th in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in the 200-meter IM, moved up throughout the NCAA 200-yard IM final. He was seventh through the butterfly (21.87 split), sixth through the backstroke (24.58), fifth through the breaststroke (28.61), and maintained that position through the freestyle (24.79). It signified Polonsky’s 20th All-America honor.
NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships
At Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center
Thursday’s results
Team leaders (Day 2 of 4) – 1, Texas 190; 2, California 159.5; 3, Indiana 146; 4, Tennessee 114; 5, Arizona State 111; 6, Florida 101; 7, Georgia 92; 8, North Carolina State 90; 9, Stanford 81; 10, Michigan 43.
50-yard freestyle – Prelims: 38, Kaihan Gu (Stanford) 19.36; 44, Andres Dupont Cabrera (Stanford) 19.45 (PB).
500 free – Prelims: 20, Henry McFadden (Stanford) 4:14.19; 37, Liam Custer (Stanford) 4:16.60 (PB).
200 individual medley – 5, Ron Polonsky (Stanford) 1:39.84 (PB; No. 2 Stanford AT). Prelims: 6, Polonsky 1:40.03; 20, Rick Mihm (Stanford) 1:42.24; 23, Aaron Sequeira (Stanford) 1:42.48 (PB; No. 8 Stanford AT); 37, Gibson Holmes (Stanford) 1:43.41.
1-meter diving – Final: 2, Jack Ryan (Stanford) 417.45. Prelims: 2, Ryan 390.40; 41, Misha Andriyuk (Stanford) 275.60.
200 free relay – 15, Stanford (Andrei Minakov, Kaihan Gu, Avery Voss, Jonathan Tan) 1:15.78.
PB = personal best
AT = all-time
Stanford’s Schedule
Friday
10 a.m. (Prelims)
100 fly (Kaihan Gu, Andrei Minakov)
400 IM (Liam Custer, Gibson Holmes, Josh Zuchowski)
200 free (Andres Dupont Cabrera, Henry McFadden)
100 breast (Zhier Fan, Daniel Li, Rick Mihm, Ron Polonsky)
100 back (Aaron Sequeira, Josh Zuchowski)
3-meter diving (Hunter Hollenbeck, Jack Ryan)
6:03 p.m. (Finals)
100 fly
400 IM
200 free
100 breast
100 back
3-meter diving
400 MR (Stanford)
Saturday
10 a.m. (Prelims)
200 back (Aaron Sequeira, Josh Zuchowski)
100 free (Andres Dupont Cabrera, Kaihan Gu, Henry McFadden)
200 breast (Zhier Fan, Daniel Li, Rick Mihm, Ron Polonsky)
200 fly (Gibson Holmes, Andrei Minakov)
Platform diving (Misha Andriyuk)
6:03 p.m. (Finals)
1,650 free (Liam Custer)
200 back
100 free
200 breast
200 fly
Platform diving
400 MR (Stanford)