TEMPE, Ariz. – Fresh off helping the Sun Devils to their first NCAA Championship last week, Léon Marchand and Ilya Kharun will be taking home additional hardware. Marchand has been named the Pac-12 Men's Swimmer of the Year, while Kharun was selected as the Freshman of the Year, the conference announced Thursday.
Marchand, a junior, is the league's best swimmer for the third consecutive season, while Kharun becomes the third Sun Devil in a row to win Freshman of the Year as ASU is the only school to have three Freshman of the Year in a row.
ASU's Pac-12 Major Award History | Full Pac-12 Release
Marchand, who was named the College Swimming Coaches Association of America's (CSCAA) Men's Swimmer of the Year earlier in the week, swept the three individual events he raced in at the recent NCAA Championships. He additionally was a part of the 400 medley relay and 400 free relay that won NCAA titles, breaking NCAA records in each of those races.
He won the 500 free (4:02.31), 200 breast (1:46.35) and 400 IM (3:32.12), setting NCAA records in the 500 free and the 200 breast. His eight career individual NCAA titles are the most among all Sun Devils ever.
At the Pac-12 Championships in early March, Marchand won the 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 breast, 200 medley relay, 400 medley relay, 400 free relay and 800 free relay to help the Sun Devils capture back-to-back conference championships. Now a perfect 9-for-9 in individual events at Pac-12s, he was also named the Swimmer of the Meet for the third straight year.
Paired with Marchand's excellence, the Sun Devils were also boosted by the efforts of Kharun, who was terrific in his first trips to the Pac-12 and NCAA Championships. At Pac-12s in early March, Kharun won the 100 fly, 200 fly, 400 medley relay, 400 free relay, 200 free relay and 200 medley relay.
The Las Vegas product won his first event title in the 200 fly (1:38.26) and became a First-Team All-American at the NCAA Championships in five events (400 Medley Relay, 200 Fly, 200 Medley Relay, 200 Free Relay, 100 Fly) in addition to Second-Team honors in the 50 free.
In the team's final three dual meets of the season against Stanford, Cal and Arizona, Kharun tallied three individual wins and three top-three finishes, paving the way for a postseason breakout.
Given the Sun Devils did not compete at the 2021 Pac-12 Championships, they have now won Freshman of the Year honors in each of the past four conference meets they've raced in.
Kharun joins Kulow (2023), Marchand (2022), Jack Dolan (2020) and Cameron Craig (2017) in winning Freshman of the Year honors.
SUN DEVIL MEN'S PAC-12 SWIMMER OF THE YEAR
Léon Marchand, 2024
Léon Marchand, 2023
Léon Marchand, 2022
Francisco Sanchez, 1996 (co-winner with California's Ugur Taner)
Mike Orn, 1983 (co-winner with Stanford's Dave Bottom)
SUN DEVIL MEN'S PAC-12 FRESHMAN/NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Ilya Kharun, 2024
Jonny Kulow, 2023
Léon Marchand, 2022
Jack Dolan, 2020
Cameron Craig, 2017
Marchand, a junior, is the league's best swimmer for the third consecutive season, while Kharun becomes the third Sun Devil in a row to win Freshman of the Year as ASU is the only school to have three Freshman of the Year in a row.
ASU's Pac-12 Major Award History | Full Pac-12 Release
Marchand, who was named the College Swimming Coaches Association of America's (CSCAA) Men's Swimmer of the Year earlier in the week, swept the three individual events he raced in at the recent NCAA Championships. He additionally was a part of the 400 medley relay and 400 free relay that won NCAA titles, breaking NCAA records in each of those races.
He won the 500 free (4:02.31), 200 breast (1:46.35) and 400 IM (3:32.12), setting NCAA records in the 500 free and the 200 breast. His eight career individual NCAA titles are the most among all Sun Devils ever.
At the Pac-12 Championships in early March, Marchand won the 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 breast, 200 medley relay, 400 medley relay, 400 free relay and 800 free relay to help the Sun Devils capture back-to-back conference championships. Now a perfect 9-for-9 in individual events at Pac-12s, he was also named the Swimmer of the Meet for the third straight year.
Paired with Marchand's excellence, the Sun Devils were also boosted by the efforts of Kharun, who was terrific in his first trips to the Pac-12 and NCAA Championships. At Pac-12s in early March, Kharun won the 100 fly, 200 fly, 400 medley relay, 400 free relay, 200 free relay and 200 medley relay.
The Las Vegas product won his first event title in the 200 fly (1:38.26) and became a First-Team All-American at the NCAA Championships in five events (400 Medley Relay, 200 Fly, 200 Medley Relay, 200 Free Relay, 100 Fly) in addition to Second-Team honors in the 50 free.
In the team's final three dual meets of the season against Stanford, Cal and Arizona, Kharun tallied three individual wins and three top-three finishes, paving the way for a postseason breakout.
Given the Sun Devils did not compete at the 2021 Pac-12 Championships, they have now won Freshman of the Year honors in each of the past four conference meets they've raced in.
Kharun joins Kulow (2023), Marchand (2022), Jack Dolan (2020) and Cameron Craig (2017) in winning Freshman of the Year honors.
SUN DEVIL MEN'S PAC-12 SWIMMER OF THE YEAR
Léon Marchand, 2024
Léon Marchand, 2023
Léon Marchand, 2022
Francisco Sanchez, 1996 (co-winner with California's Ugur Taner)
Mike Orn, 1983 (co-winner with Stanford's Dave Bottom)
SUN DEVIL MEN'S PAC-12 FRESHMAN/NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Ilya Kharun, 2024
Jonny Kulow, 2023
Léon Marchand, 2022
Jack Dolan, 2020
Cameron Craig, 2017