TEMPE, Ariz. -- Head coach Bob Bowman and the Arizona State men's swimming team ended the University of Arizona's winning streak, defeating the No. 17 Wildcats 168-132 on Saturday afternoon for the first time since 2002.
“It was amazing," Bowman said. "Rivalries are what make college athletics fun. To be part of one that is so intense as this one is really fun. To come away with the win for the men was really special because it has been a long time.”
Along with the victory, the Sun Devil men broke five school records in front of the sold out crowd of 2,000 at Mona Plummer Aquatic Center. It is the most records set by ASU in a dual meet all-time.
All together, the ASU men won 11 of the 14 swimming events, with junior Richard Bohus tallying the most with three individually and one in the men's 200-yard medley relay.
Bohus clocked one of the ASU records in the men's 100-yard backstroke with a time of 46.74, knocking off the old record that he also set of 47.16. He would go on to win the men's 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle as well.
On a grander scale, Bohus has had a long road back to where he is now and this victory was bittersweet.
“Bob and his staff came here in August and I broke both of my arms a month later," Bohus said. "I had to only kick for three months after having surgery on my left wrist and I just started swimming at the end of December. I was watching the guys every day and I saw them fighting really hard to make this happen and beat Arizona for the first time in fourteen years. They gave me a lot of inspiration and motivation -- especially the pros that were swimming with us. In the last couple of weeks, we have been getting ready for this meet. We wanted to write history and we did it.”
The men's 200-yard medley relay that included Bohus, sophomore Christian Lorenz, junior Tadas Duskinas and sophomore Patrick Park also broke the old school record with a time of 1:25.65.
Out of that group, Lorenz and Park also picked up two individual victories of their own.
Lorenz broke the men's 100 and 200 breaststroke records set by teammate Thibaut Capitaine. His time of 53.18 in the men's 100 was .03 seconds faster, while his 1:54.10 in the 200 was nearly an entire second better.
The fifth record wasn't so much broken as it was tied, as junior Barkley Perry hit the pad at 1:42.50 which he set at the 2015 Pac-12 Men's Championships.
Bowman couldn't have been prouder of his squad and especially the men to accomplish what they did against Arizona in his first season.
“They have been training super well and to be in this environment, which was so special today," Bowman said. "Perfect weather, huge crowd, good energy -- a lot of things going on all contributed to it.”
For the women, senior Jennifer Morgan got to go out in style in her last meet against the Wildcats, picking up a victory in the women's 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:56.68 -- good for an NCAA 'B' standard.
January's Pac-12 Diver of the Month -- sophomore Mara Aiacoboae -- won the women's 1-meter and 3-meter dives as part of the ASU women's three victories as well.
The women fell to No. 14 Arizona 208-88.
Professional swimmers Michael Phelps, Allison Schmitt and other graduated swimmers also participated in exhibition events as part of Senior Day at the 20-minute and 15-minute breaks.
Phelps spoke on how it has been training in Tempe for him and the rest of the Olympians.
“It is completely different than anywhere I have ever been," Phelps said. "Anywhere I have ever trained in my life, this is completely different. Being able to look up into the sky every day and pretty much see nothing but a blue sky and no clouds. It is something that just makes it so much more exciting. We are all so much happier. I think it really is a different feel. We are spoiled every day by seeing the sun here. I think it has been something that has been great for my mind. It has helped make me happy every day. We are all swimming a lot better and we enjoy coming to the pool every day.”
Both Sun Devil squads enjoy time off before the women's swimming and both diving teams head to Pac-12 Championships from Feb. 24-27 in Federal Way, Wash. The men will not compete until March 2-5.