SwimSwam Pulse is a recurring characteristic monitoring and analyzing the outcomes of our periodic A3 Efficiency Polls. You may forged your vote in our latest ballot on the SwimSwam homepage, about midway down the web page on the correct facet.
Our most up-to-date ballot requested SwimSwam readers if there’s one swimmer who sweeps the backstroke occasions on the Males’s NCAA Championships, who will or not it’s?
Query: Who’s probably to brush the backstroke occasions at NCAAs in 2025?
RESULTS
After Ryan Murphy‘s otherworldly run that noticed him win eight consecutive backstroke nationwide titles, claiming the 100 and 200 in all 4 of his NCAA Championship appearances for Cal from 2014 to 2017, just one different swimmer has swept the backstroke occasions at Males’s NCAAs.
Shaine Casas did the double in 2021, and though it appeared like Destin Lasco or Hubert Kos would possibly get the job performed final yr, Brendan Burns pulled off a repeat victory within the 100 again, spoiling both swimmer’s hopes.
Lasco gained his third straight crown within the 200 again, whereas Kos fell shy of profitable a person title, although he’s coming off claiming Olympic gold within the occasion.
With Lasco and Kos slated to lock horns as soon as once more this season, the backstroke occasions promise to be must-see at NCAAs as soon as once more. The depth was solely ramped up with the announcement that Ksawery Masiuk, a two-time World Championship bronze medalist within the 50 again, might be becoming a member of Kos on the College of Texas in January, simply in time for the run-up to NCAAs.
Including Masiuk to the combo introduced us to the query: who’s extra prone to sweep the backstroke occasions at NCAAs? Lasco? Kos? Masiuk? Another person?
We introduced it to the SwimSwam ballot, the place it was Kos rising because the overwhelming favourite with 63.1% of the votes.
The Hungarian does personal the quickest 100 again greatest time within the NCAA coming into the season after ripping a 43.75 on the 2024 Pac-12 Championships, and with one other yr underneath Bob Bowman at his new residence in Texas, the momentum from his Olympic victory, and extra time to dial in his coaching within the yards pool, it stands to motive Kos might be even quicker this yr.
Within the 200 again, he’s a detailed second to Lasco when it comes to greatest occasions, although it’s noteworthy that Kos didn’t swim both of his private greatest occasions final yr at NCAAs—they have been each from Pac-12s.
Backstroke Contenders Finest Occasions
Lasco earned simply over 1 / 4 of the votes, maybe a surprisingly low mark given his dominance within the 200 again all through his profession. After going 1:35.99 as a freshman and ending 2nd to Casas, he’s run the desk at NCAAs and final season, lastly grabbed maintain of Murphy’s American, U.S. Open and NCAA Report in 1:35.37.
Florida’s Jonny Marshall was a standout final season as a freshman in what was his first time swimming yards. He was as quick as 44.12/1:36.68 within the backstrokes, and is driving some momentum after making the semi-finals of the 100 again on the Olympics for Nice Britain.
Marshall was the clear #3 within the ballot, with Owen McDonald and Masiuk trailing.
McDonald was Kos’ teammate final yr at ASU, and has moved on to Indiana. Can he stick with it the Burns custom in Bloomington of pulling off upset wins at NCAAs? He was third final yr within the 200 again behind Lasco and Kos, and was sixth within the 100 again.
Like Marshall, McDonald would want continued enchancment to get into the extent of Kos and Lasco, which is 43/1:35 territory.
Readers aren’t satisfied Masiuk will be capable to slide into faculty competitors and win NCAA titles inside a couple of months. He owns an elite greatest time of 52.58 within the 100 again in lengthy course, and has been a decent 1:56.48 within the 200.
Maybe the actual fact his greatest occasions briefly course meters (50.84/1:52.86) aren’t fairly on par along with his LCM occasions performs an element in him receiving so few votes, although he hasn’t raced SCM in almost two years.
Kos confirmed good early-season kind on Thursday, posting 45.48/1:40.61 backstroke occasions on the Texas Orange/White Intrasquad meet.
Under, vote in our new A3 Efficiency Ballot, which asks: Are one of the best groups within the NCAA changing into too dominant?
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