Ilya Kharun Shows off 500 Free as Arizona State Sweeps Grand Canyon
Arizona State celebrated senior day with some unconventional swims in a sweep of Grand Canyon on Saturday.
The No. 2 Sun Devils men’s team claimed a 208-91 victory. The women’s team, ranked 18th, prevailed 224.5-74.5.
The Sun Devils mixed it up with some different events. Among them was Ilya Kharun, who went 20.89 in backstroke off the front of the 200 medley relay. He teamed with Jonny Kulow (23.49 in breaststroke), Adam Chaney and Andy Dobrzanski (19.79 on the freestyle anchor) to go 1:25.35.
Kharun also won the 500 free with a time of 4:21.16. It’s just the second time the junior has swum it in college competition, the Canadian international’s best time a 4:20.55 from Speedo Juniors in 2021 in his Sandpipers of Nevada days.
More conventionally, Kharun went 41.77 on the anchor of the winning 400 free relay, the Sun Devils splitting three relays that raced within a second of each other.
Arizona State feted 21 seniors and graduate students, including Chaney, Kulow and Dobrzanski, the latter two part of their national championship team.
The big winner Saturday, though, was grad student Jordan Tiffany. He won the 200 free in 1:34.72, with Kulow second and Chaney third. Tiffany edged senior Tommy Palmer in the 100 free with a time of 43.75, then he bested fellow grad students Remi Fabiani (by .03 seconds) and Chaney to win the 100 individual medley in 47.85.
Harrison Smith beat teammate Hayden Hakes by .01 seconds to win the 400 IM in 3:57.18. Filip Senc-Samardzic won the 100 breast. Lucien Vergnes went 19.83 to win the 50 free. Mattia Mauri won the 200 back in 1:46.65, three tenths up on Michael Hochwalt. Dobrzanski won the 200 breast and Chaney claimed the 100 fly.
Grand Canyon had its memorable moments. Alex Volkov went 46.90 to win the 100 backstroke. He was second in the 100 fly. Mario Perez edged Hochwalt in the 200 fly.
Sprinter Guillermo Carrey was second in the 50 free and third in the 100 free. Carter Dooling was second in the 100 breast and third in the 200 breast. Omar Elsayed swept both diving titles, scoring 429.45 on 3-meter.
On the women’s side, it was a freshman that led the way. Albane Cachot won the 200 free in 1:46.38, the 50 free in 22.43 and 49.11 in the 100 free. She anchored he 400 free relay in 48.75.
Alexa Reyna won the 200 back and was second in the 200 free. Grace Lindberg paired a win in the 400 IM with a silver in the 100 free. Jordan Greber won the 100 back and was second in the 500. Lucie Vasquez won the 100 breast and was second in the 200. Julia Ullmann was the runner-up in the 100 breast before winning the 100 IM. Kayden Hayes swept both diving events.
Grand Canyon’s Paula Martinez did the fly double. She went 1:58.85 in the 200 fly and 53.34 in the 100. Taylor Stasny won the 200 breast.
