University Southern California Trojans
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Senior butterflyer Alex Valente
Photo by: Paul Goldberg
No. 10 Trojans Headed To Washington For Pac-12 Championships
March 05, 2019 | Men's Swimming & Diving, Features
Seniors Patrick Mulcare, Carsten Vissering seeking second Pac-12 titles.
The No. 10 USC men's swimming and diving team, led by senior All-Americans Carsten Vissering, Patrick Mulcare and Kyle Grissom, is set for the 2019 Pac-12 Men's Swimming and Diving Championships, Wednesday through Saturday (March 6-9), in Federal Way, Wash.
The six-team Pac-12 Championships include No. 1 California, No. 7 Stanford, No. 10 USC, No. 15 Arizona State, No. 16 Arizona and No. 20 Utah. The Trojans enter it after finishing the regular season 5-2 overall, 3-2 in the Pac-12.
CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE, RESULTS
Events kick off on Wednesday (March 6) with timed finals of the 200y medley and 800y free relays that begin at 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday (March 7-9), prelims begin at 11 a.m. and finals start at 6 p.m. each day. Thursday's schedule features the 500y free, 200y IM, 50y free and 200y free relay. Friday features the 400y IM, 100y fly, 200y free, 100y breast, 100y back and 400y medley relay. Saturday's finale includes a timed final of the 1650y free, 200y back, 100y free, 200y breast, 200y fly and the 400y free relay. The Pac-12 Men's Diving Championships were held currently with the women's meet last week.
BROADCAST INFO
Pac-12 Arizona, Pac-12 Los Angeles, Pac-12 Mountain and Pac-12 Washington will air live coverage on Friday at 6:30 p.m. while Pac-12 Bay Area & Pac-12 Washington will carry it live at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. The swimming will also be available to authenticated users on Pac-12.com and the Pac-12 Now app on Friday and Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIPS NOTES
The Trojans, who in 2015 won their first Pac-12 title since 1979 with a program record 818.5 points, finished second in 2016 and third the last two years. In 2018, USC won four events, including the 400y free relay as well as the 100y fly and co-winners in the 100y back. USC, which has 18 Pac-12 team titles overall, came from behind in 2015 on the final night to overtake Stanford (809.5) while defending champion California was third (673). The last time the meet had been decided by nine or less points was 1999, when Stanford edged Cal by eight points … Senior Carsten Vissering is seeking his second 100y back title after winning his first in 2017. Senior Patrick Mulcare is also looking for his second career conference crown, looking for a win in the 200y back to compliment his one in 2016 … USC has won at least one Pac-12 individual title for 22 consecutive seasons (1997-2018) and has 253 individual conference crowns overall ... USC had its conference-best streak of seven Pac-12 200y free titles in row snapped in 2017 but has still claimed it 12 times since 1997 … The Trojans hadn't won a Pac-12 backstroke title since 1998 before Mulcare and recent graduate Ralf Tribuntsov ended the drought in 2016 … A win by Vissering in the 100 breast would give USC six titles overall in the race. Before its win in the 400y free relay last year, USC last won relay titles in 2015 when it captured the 400y and 800y free relays and the 400y medley relay. Troy has never won a title in the 200y medley relay.
FAST TIMES
Season Honors
Patrick Mulcare earned Pac-12 Swimmer of the Week honors for the week ending Jan. 19 after posting wins in the 100y and 200y back and the 200y IM in USC's win over Minnesota. Henry Fusaro earned Diver of the Month honors in November.
Freshman Victor Johansson was named Sweden's Male Swimmer of the Year for 2018. He was a finalist at the 2018 European Championships, finishing fifth in the 400m free (3:47.74). He also tied for ninth in the 800m free (7:54.31) and was 15th in the 1500m free (15:15.75). At the Swedish Nationals in April, he set a pair of national records with a 7:49.77 in the 800m and a 15:03.74 in the 1500m free.
TEAM OUTLOOK
The Trojans' men's team is coming off of sixth place finish at the 2018 NCAA Championships and a third at the Pac-12s and will be led by a pair of returning 2018 individual All-American in seniors Patrick Mulcare and Carsten Vissering.
Mulcare is a three-time NCAA finalist in the 200y back while Vissering is a two-time finalist in the 100y breast and the only returning member of USC's 2018 NCAA title-winning 200y medley relay. Both were 2017 Pac-12 champions in their specialties.
Senior co-captain Kyle Grissom is USC's only other returning All-American as part of Troy's 200-yard freestyle relay. Junior diver Henry Fusaro is Troy's lone returning 2018 Pac-12 champion (3-meter) and is a two-time NCAA Championships qualifier while senior Pac-12 butterfly finalist and veteran NCAA participant Alex Valente is back, too.
Salo brought in a talented class of newcomers to bolster the Trojans' lineup, led by Swedish distance freestyler Victor Johansson, freestyler Alexei Sancov and freshman butterflyer and medley swimmer Ariel Spektor.
Seniors Billy Monjay and Grissom serve as men's team co-captains.
The six-team Pac-12 Championships include No. 1 California, No. 7 Stanford, No. 10 USC, No. 15 Arizona State, No. 16 Arizona and No. 20 Utah. The Trojans enter it after finishing the regular season 5-2 overall, 3-2 in the Pac-12.
CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE, RESULTS
Events kick off on Wednesday (March 6) with timed finals of the 200y medley and 800y free relays that begin at 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday (March 7-9), prelims begin at 11 a.m. and finals start at 6 p.m. each day. Thursday's schedule features the 500y free, 200y IM, 50y free and 200y free relay. Friday features the 400y IM, 100y fly, 200y free, 100y breast, 100y back and 400y medley relay. Saturday's finale includes a timed final of the 1650y free, 200y back, 100y free, 200y breast, 200y fly and the 400y free relay. The Pac-12 Men's Diving Championships were held currently with the women's meet last week.
BROADCAST INFO
Pac-12 Arizona, Pac-12 Los Angeles, Pac-12 Mountain and Pac-12 Washington will air live coverage on Friday at 6:30 p.m. while Pac-12 Bay Area & Pac-12 Washington will carry it live at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. The swimming will also be available to authenticated users on Pac-12.com and the Pac-12 Now app on Friday and Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIPS NOTES
The Trojans, who in 2015 won their first Pac-12 title since 1979 with a program record 818.5 points, finished second in 2016 and third the last two years. In 2018, USC won four events, including the 400y free relay as well as the 100y fly and co-winners in the 100y back. USC, which has 18 Pac-12 team titles overall, came from behind in 2015 on the final night to overtake Stanford (809.5) while defending champion California was third (673). The last time the meet had been decided by nine or less points was 1999, when Stanford edged Cal by eight points … Senior Carsten Vissering is seeking his second 100y back title after winning his first in 2017. Senior Patrick Mulcare is also looking for his second career conference crown, looking for a win in the 200y back to compliment his one in 2016 … USC has won at least one Pac-12 individual title for 22 consecutive seasons (1997-2018) and has 253 individual conference crowns overall ... USC had its conference-best streak of seven Pac-12 200y free titles in row snapped in 2017 but has still claimed it 12 times since 1997 … The Trojans hadn't won a Pac-12 backstroke title since 1998 before Mulcare and recent graduate Ralf Tribuntsov ended the drought in 2016 … A win by Vissering in the 100 breast would give USC six titles overall in the race. Before its win in the 400y free relay last year, USC last won relay titles in 2015 when it captured the 400y and 800y free relays and the 400y medley relay. Troy has never won a title in the 200y medley relay.
FAST TIMES
USC's fall semester of swimming netted a slew of NCAA A and B cuts and spots in the nation's top 25 list.
Seniors Patrick Mulcare (1:38.91 in the 200y back) and Carsten Vissering (50.88 in the 100y breast) both own the nation's second-fastest times – and NCAA A cuts -- in their respective specialties. Mulcare also has a B time in the 200y IM (1:45.19) and the 100y back (45.90) while Vissering also has a B cut in the 200y breast (1:45.22). Others with multiple B cuts include senior Alex Valente in the 100y (45.95) and 200y fly (1:44.33), freshman Alexei Sancov in the 100y (43.54), 200y (1:34.22) and 500y free (4:21.91), freshman Victor Johansson in the 500y free (4:17.06) and the 1650y free (14:55.57), sophomore Nikola Miljenic in the 50y (19.36) and 100y free (42.91) and the 100y fly (47.06), junior Mario Koenigsperger in the 100y (52.54) and the 200y breast (1:56.31), senior Kyle Grissom in the 50y free (19.35) and the 100y fly (46.80) and freshman Owen Kao in the 500y (4:21.59) and 1650y free (15:25.91). Others with single B cuts include sophomore Mark Jurek in the 200y fly (1:45.29) and senior Walker Bell in the 200y fly (1:45.82).
USC's 200y medley relay of Mulcare, Vissering, Grissom and Miljenic (1:23.84) and its 400y medley relay with Mulcare, Vissering, Miljenic and Sancov (3:06.39) are both NCAA A cuts.
Texas Invitational
Seniors Patrick Mulcare (1:38.91 in the 200y back) and Carsten Vissering (50.88 in the 100y breast) both own the nation's second-fastest times – and NCAA A cuts -- in their respective specialties. Mulcare also has a B time in the 200y IM (1:45.19) and the 100y back (45.90) while Vissering also has a B cut in the 200y breast (1:45.22). Others with multiple B cuts include senior Alex Valente in the 100y (45.95) and 200y fly (1:44.33), freshman Alexei Sancov in the 100y (43.54), 200y (1:34.22) and 500y free (4:21.91), freshman Victor Johansson in the 500y free (4:17.06) and the 1650y free (14:55.57), sophomore Nikola Miljenic in the 50y (19.36) and 100y free (42.91) and the 100y fly (47.06), junior Mario Koenigsperger in the 100y (52.54) and the 200y breast (1:56.31), senior Kyle Grissom in the 50y free (19.35) and the 100y fly (46.80) and freshman Owen Kao in the 500y (4:21.59) and 1650y free (15:25.91). Others with single B cuts include sophomore Mark Jurek in the 200y fly (1:45.29) and senior Walker Bell in the 200y fly (1:45.82).
USC's 200y medley relay of Mulcare, Vissering, Grissom and Miljenic (1:23.84) and its 400y medley relay with Mulcare, Vissering, Miljenic and Sancov (3:06.39) are both NCAA A cuts.
The Trojans won two individual races as well as a relay in the 2018 Texas Invitational. Patrick Mulcare claimed the 200y back in a nation's leading 1:38.91 while Carsten Vissering won the 100y breast in 50.88, breaking his school record also en route to the top time in the country … Troy's 200y medley relay of Mulcare, Vissering, Kyle Grissom and Nikola Miljenic won the 200y medley relay in 1:23.84 … Alex Valente was third in the 100y fly (45.95) while Miljenic was second in the 50y free (19.36) and fourth in the 100y free (42.91).
Season Honors
Patrick Mulcare earned Pac-12 Swimmer of the Week honors for the week ending Jan. 19 after posting wins in the 100y and 200y back and the 200y IM in USC's win over Minnesota. Henry Fusaro earned Diver of the Month honors in November.
Freshman Victor Johansson was named Sweden's Male Swimmer of the Year for 2018. He was a finalist at the 2018 European Championships, finishing fifth in the 400m free (3:47.74). He also tied for ninth in the 800m free (7:54.31) and was 15th in the 1500m free (15:15.75). At the Swedish Nationals in April, he set a pair of national records with a 7:49.77 in the 800m and a 15:03.74 in the 1500m free.
TEAM OUTLOOK
The Trojans' men's team is coming off of sixth place finish at the 2018 NCAA Championships and a third at the Pac-12s and will be led by a pair of returning 2018 individual All-American in seniors Patrick Mulcare and Carsten Vissering.
Mulcare is a three-time NCAA finalist in the 200y back while Vissering is a two-time finalist in the 100y breast and the only returning member of USC's 2018 NCAA title-winning 200y medley relay. Both were 2017 Pac-12 champions in their specialties.
Senior co-captain Kyle Grissom is USC's only other returning All-American as part of Troy's 200-yard freestyle relay. Junior diver Henry Fusaro is Troy's lone returning 2018 Pac-12 champion (3-meter) and is a two-time NCAA Championships qualifier while senior Pac-12 butterfly finalist and veteran NCAA participant Alex Valente is back, too.
Salo brought in a talented class of newcomers to bolster the Trojans' lineup, led by Swedish distance freestyler Victor Johansson, freestyler Alexei Sancov and freshman butterflyer and medley swimmer Ariel Spektor.
Seniors Billy Monjay and Grissom serve as men's team co-captains.
Wednesday, July 08
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