ATHENS, Ga. – Eighteen student-athletes made their ASU debuts in the program's season-opening meet against Georgia, but neither Sun Devil squad emerged victorious from a battle with the Bulldogs at the Gabrielsen Natatorium on Friday afternoon.
The Men's team fell, 46-44, in a tilt that was nearly flipped in the final event of the meet, while the Women's team dropped its contest, 62-28.
Léon Marchand tallied the first individual win of his sophomore campaign, by claiming the 150 breast at a breezy 1:24.25. The Sun Devils went 1-2-3-4 in the event, as Marchand was followed by David Schlicht, John Heaphy and Cale Martter.
Marchand was also a member of the winning 400 yard back/breast relay (Jack Dolan-Owen McDonald-Heaphy-Marchand) plus the 3x200 yard IM relay (Marchand-Schlicht-Grant House).
The Sun Devils wound up winning four of six Men's relays.
Freshman Amayay Wiley, the first diver to compete for the Women's team since 2018-19, scored a 236.10 in the 1-meter event to place second.
Zachory Lundgren and Thomas Wesche went second and fourth, respectively, in the 1-meter. Lundgren went 286.05; Wesche scored 270.45.
The trio of Sun Devil divers was a welcomed sight for a program that competed without divers for a good chunk of last season.
Of the 18 newcomers who debuted, 13 were freshmen, and the Sun Devils' youth movement was especially impressive in a number of events. In the Men's 200 medley relay, rookies Andy Dobrzanski, Jonny Kulow and McDonald teamed up for a third-place finish alongside Alex Colson.They were the second Sun Devil relay to place top-three in the event.
Elsewhere, in the Women's 3x200 IM, freshmen Ieva Maluka and Zoe Summar joined forces with sophomore Charli Brown, as the trio went 6:12.77 for a second-place effort.
Daniel Matheson, Max McCusker, Jack Wadsworth, Laura Garcia and Audrey Reimer also suited up for the first time as Sun Devils.
GEORGIA HOMECOMING
Four Sun Devils returned to their home state to compete against the Bulldogs on Friday in freshmen Owen McDonald (Alpharetta) and Cale Martter (Atlanta) and redshirt juniors Jade Foelske (Brookhaven) and Savannah Mitchell (Atlanta).
McDonald reached the podium in his first taste of collegiate action, winning the 400 yard back/breast relay and placing third in the 150 back. The veteran Foelske won the 150 fly and placed second in both the 200 medley relay and 400 fly/free relay.
UP NEXT
It's a quick turnaround for the Sun Devils, as they'll remain in Athens to compete in Saturday's tri-meet against Georgia and the Missouri Tigers. Competition is slated to begin at 7 a.m. MST, and fans can tune into the action via live results and a live stream.