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TOP NCAA MEN'S SWIMMING RECRUITS OF THE PAST DECADE


Seli


TOP 50 NCAA MEN'S SWIMMING RECRUITS, HIGH SCHOOL CLASSES OF 2013-2022

1. Ryan Hoffer (AZ), Class of 2017 (#1) - Cal Golden Bears
Hoffer was an unreal recruit who also fit perfectly in the NCAA format. No junior has even come close to his 50/100 free times since, and he holds four #1-ranked times among swimmers on this list.

3. Andrew Seliskar (VA), Class of 2015 (#1) - Cal Golden Bears
Seliskar was an otherworldly prospect who would probably make this top 50 with any three-event combination outside of distance free. It took until the class of 2020 for anyone to better Seliskar's IM times as a prospect.

5. Reece Whitley (PA), Class of 2018 (#1) - Cal Golden Bears
The top overall breaststroker we've ever ranked by a longshot.

6. Sean Grieshop (TX), Class of 2017 (#2) - Cal Golden Bears
Overshadowed a little by Hoffer in his own recruiting class, Grieshop was a major talent who was also 4:15.6 in the long course 400 IM.

11. Ryan Murphy (FL), Class of 2013 (#2) - Cal Golden Bears
Murphy dropped to 54.9/1:57.8 in long course backstroke in the spring of his junior year. The summer after our cutoff, he would really announce himself on the national stage with times of 53.7 and 1:57.3 at Olympic Trials.

14. Destin Lasco (NJ), Class of 2020 (#3) - Cal Golden Bears

35. Forrest Frazier (IA), Class of 2020 (#7) - Cal Golden Bears

43. Kyle Gornay (CA), Class of 2014 (#3) - Cal Golden Bears
Here's a name you probably haven't heard in awhile. Gornay looked like a relay monster coming out of high school.

49. Jack Alexy (NJ), Class of 2021 (#6) - Cal Golden Bears


TOP JUNIOR/SOPHOMORE TIMES SINCE CLASS OF 2013

50 Free | Ryan Hoffer | 19.06
100 Free | Ryan Hoffer | 41.23
100 Back | Ryan Hoffer | 45.58
100 Breast | Reece Whitley | 51.84
100 Fly | Ryan Hoffer | 45.46

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RANKING THE 2020 MEN'S NCAA RECRUITING CLASSES: #1-4

#4: CAL GOLDEN BEARS

• Top-tier additions: #5 Destin Lasco (NJ back/IM), #17 Forrest Frazier (IA breast), Bjorn Seeliger (Sweden free), HM Dare Rose (NJ free/fly), Matthew Jensen (PA fly/free), Tyler Kopp (TX- distance), Dylan Hawk (CA free)
• The rest: Jack Meehan (NC breast)

Cal loads up yet again with a strong domestic recruiting class, capped with one key international. The Golden Bears add Destin Lasco to their backstroke factory. 45.9 and 1:40.7 out of high school, Lasco follows in the footsteps of a long line of top Cal backstrokers. He'll overlap one year with current standouts Daniel Carr and Bryce Mefford. Lasco is also 1:44.5 in the IM and 1:35.1 in the 200 free, and should find plenty of ways to contribute to relays across his career.

One of the team's top sprinters, Pawel Sendyk, is graduated, but Cal reloads with Sweden's Bjorn Seeliger, an elite long course talent with times of 22.2 and 49.5 in meters. Roughly converted, that should put Seeliger around the 19.2 range it took to earn an NCAA invite last year, and his 100 is probably on the cusp of the 43-second barrier. Seeliger is also a 55-second backstroker in long course and could jump onto multiple relays.

Forrest Frazier joins a strong breaststroking tradition. He's 52.5 and 1:55.3 out of high school, with a 1:45.9 IM to add as well.

Dare Rose out of New Jersey is an intriguing addition. He's an elite long course swimmer (53.9 and 1:58.9 in butterfly, plus 3:51 and 1:49 in free) who hasn't yet transferred that kind of production to short course yards. If Cal can bring around his short course times, though, Rose has ability to be one of the top 10 domestic talents in this entire recruiting class.

The Golden Bears graduate sprinter Michael Jensen but bring in his younger brother Matthew Jensen, a breakout star in Pennsylvania's abbreviated high school state meet. Matthew is 46.5 in butterfly and 1:46.3 in IM, and rising fast. Dylan Hawk (44.5/1:36.0 free) could be a relay contributor down the road, and Tyler Kopp is an interesting free/IM hybrid in the mold of current standout Sean Grieshop, who also left the state of Texas for Berkeley as a recruit. Kopp is 15:08 in the mile and 3:48.8 in the IM

#3: NC STATE WOLFPACK
#2: STANFORD CARDINAL
#1: TEXAS LONGHORNS
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Previously ranked:

• #16: Texas A&M Aggies
• #15: Tennessee Volunteers
• #14: Auburn Tigers
• #13: Indiana Hoosiers
• #12: Florida Gators
• #11: Notre Dame
• #10: USC Trojans
• #9: Virginia Cavaliers
• #8: Alabama Crimson Tide
• #7: Ohio State Buckeyes
• #6: Georgia Bulldogs
• #5: Michigan Wolverines

https://swimswam.com/bjorn-seeliger-breaks-swedish-junior-record-in-50-free/

Cal's 2020 recruiting class is ranked #4 by SwimSwam, but Coach Durden begs to differ. I had the opportunity to speak to Dave recently and explored his view about the 2020 incoming class. In summary, Coach Durden is very excited about the incoming group and mentioned Swedish recruit Bjorn Seeliger as a huge recruit. Based on 2020 results, Seeliger appears to be the top free sprint recruit in the class after converting his long course times to yards. Dave thinks Bjorn will be able to successively transition to yards given his times in short course meters.
Beyond Seeliger, the 2020 class has two other top level 100 yard freestylers in Destin Lasco and Matt Jensen, a top backstroker in Lasco, a top breaststroker in Forrest Frazier, and a talented free/fly distance group in Tyler Kopp, Indy transfer Kai Bathhurst and Dare Rose.

Cal announced 4 new recruits which includes 3 transfers. Seems like Zach Yeadon will be a possible scorer for us.

Quote:

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BERKELEY The California men's swimming & diving program added four newcomers, including a trio of transfers, to its roster this week, further strengthening the Golden Bears' depth heading into the 2020-21 collegiate season.

Former Notre Dame swimmer Zach Yeadon, former Indiana swimmer Kai Bathurst, former Cal Poly diver Tyler Wesson and incoming freshman swimmer Tavis Siebert will make their new homes in Berkeley starting this fall. The four additions round out a group of 13 total newcomers on Cal's 2020-21 roster. Cal previously announced its first nine newcomers in November.

Yeadon, a native of San Antonio, Texas, was a seven-time CSCAA All-American and two-time ACC champion over three years with the Fighting Irish. The distance freestyler scored at both the 2018 and 2019 NCAA Championships and was poised for a strong performance in 2020 before the meet was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic; Yeadon was seeded third in the 500 free (4:10.39) and second in the 1650 free (14:27.93) after earning ACC titles in both events.

As a freshman in 2018, Yeadon equaled Notre Dame's best-ever finish at the NCAAs by placing fourth in the 1650 free (14:35.98). He has qualified for two events at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials.

During his freshman year in Bloomington (2019-20), Bathurst registered a Big Ten Championship A Final appearance with an eighth-place finish in the 200 fly (1:45.55) and added two B Final appearances in the 500 free (14th, 4:23.05) and 200 free (15th, 1:36.55). The Redondo Beach, Calif., native competed for Mira Costa High School at the prep level and was the 2019 CIF Southern Section Division II champion in the 200 free and a USA Swimming Scholastic Academic All-American.

Wesson, a rising sophomore from Morgan Hill, Calif., earned a pair of top-10 finishes for Cal Poly at the 2020 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Diving Championships, taking eighth place in both the 3-meter (291.25) and 1-meter (282.75). He later finished 21st overall in the 3-meter (274.95) at the NCAA Zone E Championships.

Siebert hails from Scottsdale, Ariz., and graduated from ASU Preparatory Academy this past spring. A 2018 USA Swimming Scholastic All-American, Siebert also swam club for Pitchfork Aquatics. He won the 200-meter fly at the USA Swimming Futures Championships and the 100-yard back at the Arizona Short Course Senior Open Championships in 2019.

2020-21 NEWCOMERS
NAME
EVENT
HT/WT
CLASS
HOMETOWN
PREVIOUS SCHOOL
Kai Bathurst
Free/Fly
6-3/185
So.
Redondo Beach, Calif.
Indiana/Mira Costa HS (Calif.)
Forrest Frazier
Breast/IM
6-2/195
Fr.
Iowa City, Iowa
City HS
Dylan Hawk
Free
6-8/210
Fr.
Los Gatos, Calif.
Los Gatos HS
Matthew Jensen
Free/Fly/IM
6-4/190
Fr.
Upper Dublin, Pa.
Upper Dublin HS
Tyler Kopp
Free
5-10/145
Fr.
Katy, Texas
James E. Taylor HS
Destin Lasco
Free/IM/Back
6-2/194
Fr.
Linwood, N.J.
Mainland Regional HS
Jack Meehan
IM/Free
6-0/160
Fr.
Charlotte, N.C.
Charlotte Catholic HS
Dare Rose
Free/Fly
6-2/165
Fr.
Jersey City, N.J.
Packer Collegiate Institute
Bjrn Seeliger
Free/Fly/Back
6-8/190
Fr.
Sdertlje, Sweden
Ronninge Gymnasium
Tavis Siebert
Fly/Free/IM/Back
6-4/175
Fr.
Scottsdale, Ariz.
ASU Preparatory Academy
Max Valasek
Diving
6-0/150
Fr.
Palo Alto, Calif.
Palo Alto HS
Tyler Wesson
Diving
5-8/150
So.
Morgan Hill, Calif.
Cal Poly/Archbishop Mitty HS
Zach Yeadon
Free
6-5/170
Sr.
San Antonio, Texas
Notre Dame/Reagan HS (Texas)

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https://calbears.com/news/2020/7/30/mens-swimming-diving-impact-additions.aspx

Zach Yeadon, a Notre Dame senior transfer, looks like impact swimmer in the 500 & 1650 free style events. He is 6-5 and hails from Texas. GO BEARS!

Looks like the 2020-2021 roster is now up. Another transfer Kai Bathurst free/fly from Indiana (sorry if he was already mentioned previously). Lots of new faces.

https://calbears.com/sports/mens-swimming-and-diving/roster

.There are eight seniors with six being primetime scorers for the team. The talent of these half dozen stars will be difficult to replace. Cal needs to win the NCAA Championship this season. GO BEARS!

Zach Yeadon explains why he transferred to Cal, instead of staying at ND or even Texas where he is from. Long interview.

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REECE WHITLEY SWIMS 1:48.5 IN 200 BREASTSTROKE AFTER 8 MONTHS WITHOUT RACING

• Full Meet Results (PDF)

After the women's teams got their first crack at competition, the Cal and Stanford men renewed their rivalry on Saturday afternoon at the Cal pool.

While many of the Stanford men entered 2 races each at the meet, the Cal men each swam only a single event, leaving the meet feeling more lopsided in results than it actually was.

The highlight of the day was a 1:48.53 in the 200 yard breaststroke from Cal junior Reece Whitley. That swim, which is a lifetime best for him, is a best time for him by 1.3 seconds and is the 3rd-fastest swim in history.

Only former Texas Longhorn swimmer Will Licon has been faster in the event. That means Whitley breaks both Andrew Seliskar's Cal school record of 1:48.70 and Kevin Cordes' Pac-12 Record of 1:48.66.

The meet was loaded with fast times. That includes an 18.97 in the 50 free from the defending NCAA Champion Ryan Hoffer. That jumps Texas' Daniel Krueger, who swam 19.16 earlier this season, as the best time in the country this season.

His freshman teammate Bjorn Seeliger from Sweden established himself as a strong second for Cal with a 19.23. With the graduation of Pawel Sendyk at the end of last season, that will be an important role for Seeliger to fill for the defending NCAA Champions from Cal. His best time coming out of high school was 45.93 done back in 2018.

Destin Lasco also had a huge debut for the Cal men. He won the 100 back in 45.21, which already climbs him to 4th all-time in program history behind only Ryan Murphy, Daniel Carr, and Tom Shields. That time by Lasco would have been the 12th-best swim in the NCAA last season.

Daniel Carr, the Bears' top returning backstroker, won the 200 back in 1:40.28, just ahead of his teammate Bryce Mefford in 1:40.45.

• Zach Yeadon, who has transferred from Notre Dame to Cal for his senior season, won the 500 free in 4:14.90. That's almost as fast as the 4:14.31 he swam in the 500 free at his mid-season invite last season before tapering to a 4:10 at the ACC Championships.

• Cal's Trenton Julian won that 200 fly in 1:39.93. His first time under 1:40 and a best time by 7-tenths of a second, he jumps Andrew Seliskar and Michael Thomas as the 3rd-fastest swimmer in program history. He now ranks behind only Tom Shields (1:39.65) and Zheng Wen Quah (1:38.83).

• Cal senior Sean Grieshop swam 3:42.69 to win the 400 IM. That's only half-a-second slower than he swam at last year's Pac-12 Championship meet and would have been his 2nd-best time of the season in 2019-2020. At his early-November dual meet in 2019, he was 3:54.39 almost 12 seconds slower.

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2020-2021 NCAA MEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING POWER RANKS: DECEMBER EDITION



#5: GEORGIA BULLDOGS +8 (FINAL 2020 POWER RANK: 13TH)
#4: FLORIDA GATORS -1 (FINAL 2020 POWER RANK: 3RD)
#3: INDIANA HOOSIERS +2 (FINAL 2020 POWER RANK: 5TH)

#2: TEXAS LONGHORNS -1 (FINAL 2020 POWER RANK: 1ST)
Texas returns 11 projected NCAA-scoring swimmers from last year. And their legendary depth means that even the four projected scorers who graduated are likely to be replaced by in-house candidates who already would have earned NCAA berths last year if they weren't cut off by roster limits. The big issue for Texas last year was that they couldn't bring all their NCAA qualifiers, but the qualifiers they did bring were often only seeded to score in one or two events. They'll need to find a few more three-event powerhouses to contend with a very versatile Cal roster.
Drew Kibler is a clear leader there, with the nation's best 200 and 500 free times. They've got a loaded free group with Daniel Krueger manning the sprints, and Alvin Jiang is swimming great in the 100 fly and 100 back.
Distance man David Johnston has been sensational for Texas in the little we've seen him so far this year. They bring in the nation's best freshman group, including Olympic hopeful IMer Carson Foster. But that class took a hit with star Canadian diver Laurent Gosselin-Paradis not joining the team this year.

#1: CAL GOLDEN BEARS +1 (FINAL 2020 POWER RANK: 2ND)
The bright side for Cal: they return 8 individuals seeded to score on last year's NCAA psych sheets, with just one projected senior scorer. And that doesn't include two-year scorer Bryce Mefford, who was one of multiple key Golden Bears expected to move way up from seed.
Adding elite distance transfer Zach Yeadon probably keeps them ahead of Texas in the short-term. The big question mark is star IMer Hugo Gonzalez, who still appears on the roster, but has been competing in Spain so far this fall.
In the meantime, Reece Whitley is going off, with a 1:48.5 in the 200 breast already. And freshman Destin Lasco is looking like an immediate-impact swimmer, nailing lifetime-bests of 45.2 and 1:39.6 in the backstrokes this fall.

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