TEMPE, Ariz. – What a 2022-23 season it was for the Sun Devils, who stormed to a national runner-up finish, crushed a number of school records and revealed themselves to the swimming world as perennial contenders next year and beyond.
Men's Event Records | Women's Event Records
Men's Postseason Finishes | Women's Postseason Finishes
Men's Conference Champions | Women's Conference Champions
BOB BOWMAN/SEVENTH SEASON (EIGHTH YEAR AT ASU/SEVENTH SEASON)
NAMED HEAD COACH: APRIL 24, 2015
MEN'S POSTSEASON FINISHES: NCAA/2ND, PAC-12/FIRST
WOMEN'S POSTSEASON FINISHES: NCAA/27th, PAC-12/5th
A season that began with plenty of promise and excitement delivered just that. In 2022-23, the Sun Devils received an overwhelming boost from underclassmen in addition to veteran talents like Grant House, Lindsay Looney, Alex Colson and Jadé Foelske. It was evident early on that these Sun Devils were on the doorstep of reaching new horizons.
Head diving coach Marc Briggs tripled his roster size from a season ago, as returners Zachory Lundgren and Thomas Wesche were joined by newcomers Amayah Wiley, Ashlyn Kirsch, Lane Stallworth and Caleb Liban.
When it was all said and done, the Sun Devils set a new standard for themselves and the program at-large.
KEY MOMENTS
- Men take first, Women place third at the NC State Invite in Greensboro in mid-November, as the Sun Devils broke four school records in the process.
- It parlayed into the Sun Devil Men earning the No. 1 ranking in the nation by the CSCAA for the first time in program history in mid-December.
- The Sun Devil Women grab their first win of the season in a 206-56 thrashing over Washington State on January 14. They won every event of the afternoon, with Charli Brown, Lindsay Looney and Ieva Maluka combining for six of 14 wins.
- The Sun Devils swept No. 2/11 Cal in the penultimate dual meet of the regular season in front of a terrific crowd at the Mona Plummer Aquatic Center. The Sun Devils won 22 swimming events in front of the home faithful, highlighted by Léon Marchand's NCAA record-setting 400 IM at 3:31.84.
- Two weeks later, the Sun Devils kept their foot on the gas by sweeping in-state rival Arizona. In addition to the Sun Devils winning every swimming event, the 165-point margin of victory by the Men and the 123-point margin of victory by the Women is the largest over Arizona since at least 1998.
- Lindsay Looney became the fourth Women's swimmer of the Bob Bowman era to win an individual Pac-12 Championship. She won both the 200 fly and 500 free, marking the third Sun Devil in the last four years to win the latter event. The Sun Devil Women took fifth overall at the conference meet in Federal Way. In the final of the Men's platform event, junior Thomas Wesche scored 283.65 to place sixth overall, a career-best finish for the Flagstaff native.
- A week later, the Sun Devil Men cruised to the first Pac-12 Championship title in program history. They won nine times, broke eight program records and never once let go of their clutch of first place. It snapped a streak of five consecutive Pac-12 Championships by the Cal Golden Bears.
- A total of 18 Sun Devils qualified for the NCAA Championships between both Men's and Women's teams. Lindsay Looney had a career-best fourth-place finish in the 200 fly in addition to a 13th-place effort in the 500 free.
- The Sun Devil Men were national runners-up for the best finish in program history. Marchand won three times – 200 breast, 200 IM and 400 IM – to become the winningest individual in Sun Devil Men's history. The Sun Devils had previously never finished better than sixth at the national championships. Their two best showings, both sixth-place efforts, came in 1982 and 2022. They scored just 236 points at last year's championship, a number they cleared after the 10th event this week.
PAC-12 CHAMPIONS
Léon Marchand, 200 breast, 400 IM, 200 IM, 200 medley relay, 400 medley relay 800 free relay
Lindsay Looney, 500 free and 200 fly
Grant House, 200 free, 800 free relay, 400 medley relay
Jack Dolan, 50 free, 200 medley relay, 400 medley relay
Zalan Sarkany, 1650 free
Julian Hill, 800 free relay
Max McCusker, 200 medley relay, 400 medley relay
Jonny Kulow, 200 medley relay
Patrick Sammon, 800 free relay
NCAA CHAMPIONS
Léon Marchand, 200 IM, 200 breast, 400 IM (set new NCAA records in each event)
ALL-AMERICANS
Alex Colson (200 Fly)
Jack Dolan (100 Back, 100 Free (2nd Team), 200 Free Relay, 200 Medley Relay, 400 Free Relay, 400 Medley Relay, 50 Free)
Andrew Gray (200 Fly, 200 Free, 500 Free)
Julian Hill (200 Free, 800 Free Relay)
Grant House (100 Free, 200 Free, 200 Free Relay, 200 IM, 400 Free Relay, 800 Free Relay)
Hubert Kos (200 Back, 200 IM, 400 IM)
Jonny Kulow (100 Free, 200 Free Relay, 200 Medley Relay, 400 Free Relay, 400 Medley Relay)
Lindsay Looney (200 fly, 500 free)
Léon Marchand (200 Breast, 200 IM, 200 Medley Relay, 400 Free Relay, 400 IM, 400 Medley Relay, 800 Free Relay)
Daniel Matheson (1650 Free)
Max McCusker (200 Free Relay, 200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay)
Owen McDonald (100 Back, 200 Back)
Patrick Sammon (200 Free, 800 Free Relay)
Zalan Sarkany (1650 Free)
David Schlicht (200 Breast, 200 IM, 400 IM)
HONORS & ACCOLADES
Léon Marchand – CSCAA Division I Men's Swimmer of the Year, Pac-12 Men's Swimmer of the Year, CSC Second-Team Academic All-American
Jonny Kulow – Pac-12 Freshman of the Year
Owen McDonald, Zalan Sarkany, Hubert Kos, Kulow – Highest scoring freshman class (81 points) at the NCAA Championships
Alex Colson – CSC Second-Team Academic All-American
Charli Brown – CSC Academic All-District
Emma Gehlert – CSC Academic All-District
Andrew Gray – CSC Academic All-District
Lindsay Looney – CSC Academic All-District
TOP TWEETS/MOMENTS FROM 2022-23
Building something special.
— Sun Devil Swim/Dive (@ASUSwimDive) April 3, 2023
Zalan Sarkany, Owen McDonald, Jonny Kulow and Hubert Kos teamed up to become the highest-scoring freshman class at the NCAA Championships ?? pic.twitter.com/I0CkuqRVdj
Sun Devil dominance ??
— Sun Devil Swim/Dive (@ASUSwimDive) March 30, 2023
Léon Marchand, Pac-12 Men's Swimmer of the Year ??
Jonny Kulow, Pac-12 Men's Freshman of the Year ??
Congrats, boys ??
?? https://t.co/4VCgLPCWZC pic.twitter.com/PMQ6DxYxu7
In a league of his own.
— Sun Devil Swim/Dive (@ASUSwimDive) March 27, 2023
For the second straight season, Léon Marchand has been named the @CSCAA Men's Swimmer of the Year ??
?? https://t.co/wJLTQyYBgt | ?? Emma Jorgensen pic.twitter.com/B6GGVQnnFz
LINDSAY LOONEY WINS THE 500 FREE AT 4:38.29 ??
— Sun Devil Swim/Dive (@ASUSwimDive) February 24, 2023
?? @Pac12Network | #Pac12Swim pic.twitter.com/C6e1wY8BeD
HISTORY IN MINNEAPOLIS ??
— Sun Devil Swim/Dive (@ASUSwimDive) March 26, 2023
The Sun Devils finish second at the NCAA Championships for the highest finish in program history ??
?? @espn | #ForksUp pic.twitter.com/PT7Y5NO3nh
Lindsay Looney takes fourth in the 200 fly ??
— Sun Devil Swim/Dive (@ASUSwimDive) March 18, 2023
She goes 1:52.25 to set a new school record ??
?? @espn | #ForksUp ?? pic.twitter.com/vbXSW4EGqN
??????
— Sun Devil Swim/Dive (@ASUSwimDive) February 9, 2023
For the first time this season, both the Sun Devil Men & Women earn national rankings ??#ForksUp | #O2V ?? pic.twitter.com/0iVD36bzsW
Beat our rival ?
— Sun Devil Swim/Dive (@ASUSwimDive) February 7, 2023
Defend our state ?
Sweep the @pac12 Swimmer of the Week honors ?
S/O to Léon Marchand & Lindsay Looney ????
?? https://t.co/dTJqJt3tGw pic.twitter.com/ZpyDT7xDHb
BEAT THE CATS? BEAT THE CATS ?
— Sun Devil Swim/Dive (@ASUSwimDive) February 4, 2023
Sun Devils sweep the Wildcats ??
The 165-point margin of victory by the Men and the 123-point margin of victory by the Women is the largest over Arizona since at least 1998 ?? pic.twitter.com/eMFtoeW3f0
Mona Magic in the air ?? pic.twitter.com/7YfZRf6glw
— Sun Devil Swim/Dive (@ASUSwimDive) October 23, 2022
Two weeks until our Maroon & Gold meet and we're officially flipping out ?? pic.twitter.com/aGc0YJliEJ
— Sun Devil Swim/Dive (@ASUSwimDive) September 9, 2022
Nothing quite like a day at Mona. pic.twitter.com/RlpfiqEeVk
— Sun Devil Swim/Dive (@ASUSwimDive) October 23, 2022