Last year, the ASU men’s swim and dive team made school history by winning the Pac-12 Championships. Then, they earned their highest placement ever at the NCAA Men's Swimming Championships, finishing second.
They came back this year and won the Pac-12 yet again, and now are going full steam ahead into the NCAA's, hoping to scratch another initial into the record books.
This group of swimmers and coaches has many accomplishments on all levels, but as Sun Devils, they have never won an NCAA title. With such impressive resumes for this team, some could think an NCAA title is just another trophy on the shelf, but it is quite the opposite.
Junior world record holder Léon Marchand discussed why this title is vital to him and what makes it special compared to his other accomplishments.
"Winning the NCAAs is just very different; it’d be amazing for the team," Marchand said. "I’ve won some stuff like myself, just individually. The first thing I wanted to do was share stuff with my family, my coach, or my teammates. That’s what NCAAs is about. If we win, it’s all together."
Marchand also talked about the stress of the NCAAs. He said it’s very intense because he is swimming for the team and doesn’t want to do something that gets them disqualified.
Head coach Bob Bowman said they follow a process after every meet, and that’s what they are doing after the Pac-12s to help them prepare for the championship meets.
He said that the group takes the feedback from their swims, in this case from the Pac-12 meets, and uses it to improve for the next competition.
"We swam well, we've been swimming consistently quite well," Bowman said. "We're very happy to win the last Pac-12s. We put our name in the history books for that, but what we really want to do is take the swimming that we did there and learn from it and then come back into the training and use that information to be better next time when we swim in Indy."
The Sun Devils have been at the top of the rankings all year, making them the team to beat. Still, Bowman said the team has no concern about anyone’s thoughts besides their own.
He said his team will focus on what they will do, and other people can "think whatever they want." He continued to say that all that matters is whether they are prepared when they need to be. If the team can give its best effort and be the best version of themselves, Bowman is confident.
Sophomore Hubert Kós, who set the NCAA record for the 200 backstroke at the Pac-12s, said that after winning the conference meet, the team was thrilled. However, they knew what was coming up would not be easy for them. Kós does think his team is ready to step up to the plate and give it a good shot at the NCAA.
"There's a new level of focus that we're bringing to the table this year that we didn't have last year, and I hope that it's going to help us succeed," Kós said.
Since 2010, only two teams other than California or Texas have won or been runner-up at NCAAs, and one of those teams was ASU last year. This month, California and Texas were ranked top 10 in the country. ASU is looking to dethrone them and win the national title for the first time ever.
NCAAs officially start on March 27 in Indianapolis. Marchand will be competing in three individual events, including the 500 freestyle, the 200 breaststroke and the 400 individual relay. Kós will be competing individually in the 100 and 200 backstroke and the 200 individual relay.
Edited by Alfred Smith III, Walker Smith and Shane Brennan
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