Lasco, California defend titles at NCAA championships

MINNEAPOLIS — California's California’s Destin Lasco won his second consecutive 200-yard backstroke title and the defending-champion Golden Bears won the team title at NCAA swimming and diving championship Saturday night at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center.

Cal has finished in the top two at the previous 13 NCAA championships – including six national titles in 2011, ’12, ‘14 ‘19, ’22 and '23. The Golden Bears finished with 482 points, 52 ahead of second-place Arizona State, the Pac-12 champion, and Texas was third with 384 points.

Lasco won the 200 backstroke in a personal-record 1:35.87 and Hugo Gonzalez, his Golden Bears teammate, finished second. Arizona State freshman Hubert Kos was third in 1:37.96.

Leon Marchand of Arizona State broke his own NCAA record in the 200-yard breaststroke, finishing in 1:46.91 to win the sophomore’s second consecutive title. Caspar Corbeau of Texas, who set a personal record of 1:49.15, was second. Marchand also won the 400 individual medley Friday and 200 IM on Thursday.

Florida freshman Josh Liendo finished in 40.28 to win the 100 freestyle. Cal’s Jack Alexy and Bjorn Seeliger came in second and third, respectively.

N.C. State's Will Gallant won the 1,650-yard freestyle in 14:28.94 and his teammate Ross Dant finished second, 3.5 seconds ahead of third-place Jake Magahey at 14:33.82.

Indiana's Carson Tyler had a personal-best 476.30 points to take home the platform diving title and fellow Hoosier Quintin Henninger finished third. Bryden Hattie of South Carolina was second with 455.10 points.

Sophomore Aiden Hayes of N.C. State won the 200 butterfly title, rallying to beat Indiana's Brendan Burns, the defending NCAA champion who finished in 1:38.97, by 0.18 seconds.

Florida broke the NCAA record in the 400 freestyle relay, winning in 2:44.07 and beating second-place Cal by a hundredth of a second. Arizona State finished third in 2:45.12. N.C. State set the previous record of 2:44.31 in 2018.