Ilya Kharun Wins Three Times as Arizona State Sweeps All-Arizona Quad Meet
Ilya Kharun picked up three individual wins Saturday as Arizona State swept the inaugural All-Arizona Quad Meet. The meet convened the state’s four Division I programs (three on the men’s side) for a day of racing in Tempe in odd-distanced events.
The Sun Devils racked up two decisive wins on the men’s side while rolling to three women’s victories. Arizona beat Grand Canyon in the other men’s meet, while topping both Northern Arizona and GCU on the women’s side. NAU topped Grand Canyon, 144-137, in the only tight meet.
Men’s Scores
- Arizona State 202, Arizona 79
- Arizona State 230, Grand Canyon 51
- Arizona 197.5, Grand Canyon 82.5
Women’s Scores
- Arizona State 201, Arizona 80
- Arizona State 218, Northern Arizona 63
- Arizona State 211, Grand Canyon 70
- Arizona 201, Northern Arizona 79
- Arizona 184, Grand Canyon 97
- Northern Arizona 144, Grand Canyon 137
Kharun, the dual bronze medalist at the Paris Olympics, was in fine form. He led off the victorious Sun Devil’s 400 medley relay in 45.33, teaming with Andy Dobrzanski, Filip Senc-Samardzic and Quin Seider. Kharun won the 150-yard butterfly in 1:12.29, then blitzed a 19.94 50 fly. He wrapped it up with a 100 individual medley that he won in 46.91.
The Sun Devils showed some sprint depth in the 50, Tommy Palmer winning in 19.83, .06 up on Tolu Young, with Christian Ostendorf at 20.02. Jonny Kulow was second in the 50 fly in 21.47 behind Kharun and second to Patrick Sammon in the 150 free. Sammon also won the 300 free, and Reece Grady led a sweep of the 600 free.
Freshman Lucien Vergnes edged veteran Jack Wadsworth in the 50 backstroke (21.75), and bested Dobrzanski in the 150 breast. Also winning was grad student Jono Adam in the 150 backstroke.
Arizona picked up a pair of individual swimming wins, via Bryan Wong in the 300 IM and Daniel Young in the 50 breast. Gage Dubois scored 330.45 to win diving, the height mercifully kept at 1 meter.
Even in the unusual events, the women’s distance swimmers still supplied the most engaging races of the day. The pinnacle was Alexa Reyna and Deniz Ertan tying for the win in the 300 free in 2:46.40. Just .34 back was teammate Charli Brown, with Arizona’s Malia Rausch leading at the 250 mark before finishing fourth in 2:46.82. Reyna had won the 600 free earlier in the meet ahead of Ertan, who won the 150 fly.
Brown won the 100 IM and was second in the 300 IM to teammate Sonia Vaishani. Miriam Sheehan led off the Sun Devils’ winning 400 medley relay, then won the 50 back ahead of that relay’s anchor, Caroline Bentz, who claimed the 150 back. Zoe Summar led a sweep in the 150 breast. Julia Ulmann won the 50 fly ahead of Sheehan. Ulhmann was second to Ellie Straume in the 150 free.
Arizona got a win via Eleni Gewalt, who went 28.09 in the 50 breast. Brooke Earley was the top diver, ahead of North Arizona’s Victoria Knapp.
Grand Canyon notched a victory via Kenyan Olympian Maria Brunlehner, who went 22.57 to win the 50 free ahead of Arizona’s Lexi Duchsherer. Rapha Nakashima was second to Gewalt in the 50 breast.
NAU’s Elsa Musselman was second in the 150 fly.
The meet was on Saturday.
Clarifications:
Miriam Sheehan’s 50 Backstroke (:24.29) was an ASU Record (2017, :24.30, Jonsdottir).
Kharun’s 50 Fly, #2 all-time behind Liendo 2024 NCAA Split (faster than Dressel)
His 100 IM was #3, behind only Casas and Marchand. Vergnes was also :47.99.
Kulow was actually 3rd in the 50 fly behind Kharun and ASU frosh Leo Verschooten at :21.44; another ASU freshman, Fiji Olympian Tolu Young was just 0.01 behind Kulow at :21.48.
The 400 Medley Relay, with the swimmers you note, was a B cut 3:05.89, Kharun(:45.33), Dobrzanski(:51.77); Senc-Samardzic(:45.73); Seider (:43.06);
Sammon’s 150 win was very speedy, 1:07.24(:43.83); Patrick, Pac-12 2024 Champ and 2023 NCAA ‘A’ finalist, had never split below 1:08. Kulow was quite close behind at 1:07.75; his best 200 is 1:33.67 from 2022 Pac-12, where he split 1:09.40.Three 108s followed: Daleiden(UofA) 1:08.13; Lukminas (UofA) 1:08.55; Behar was 1:08.92. Also notable was the 1:10.20 by Freshman Quin Seider, 0.10 faster than his split in winning the California HS Champs at 1:34.89.
Jono Adam, ASU first year from Great Britain, in his 2nd SCY meet was :46.75 in Relay LO after failing to break :48 last week. His 150 Back win was 1:14.64(:48.25), ahead of 1:15.10 2024 NCAA 200 Back Invitee Jack Wadsworth and surging sophomore Quinlan Gould 1:15.15.
Vergnes 150 Breast: 1:24.07.
Straume in the 150 Free, 1:18.73
Lukminas :42.06R
Caroline Bentz was an A finalist in the 200 Back at 2024 NCAAs; her 1:22.78 was faster than her NCAA split.
The top three in the Women’s 150 Breast were all 1:36+; Summar, 1:36.22; Gehlert 1:36.48; Adame 1:36.62.
All in all I thought it was a good meet for all teams!