By Robert Gibbs on SwimSwam
2021 MEN’S PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Sunday, February 28 – Wednesday, March 3
- Houston, TX (Central Time Zone)
- Defending Champion: Cal (3x) (results)
- Prelims: 11:00 AM Central Time (Days 2-4); Finals: 6:00 PM Central Time (Days 1-4)
- Championship Central
- Live Results
- Live Stream
Cal senior Trenton Julian broke both Cal Bears record and the Pac-12 record tonight with his 4:09.49 victory in the 500 free tonight on Day 2 of the 2021 Pac-12 Men’s Championships. We’ve seen plenty of fast swimming already this season, and that trend has continued in the 500 free, where four men nation-wide have been under 4:10, the first time that’s happened since the 2016-2017 season.
Julian came into today with a lifetime best of 4:11.30, a time which he hit in winning the B-final of the 2019 NCA Championships. He clocked a 4:14.54 this morning before going sub-4:10 this evening, breaking a pair of records held by two other men swimming the same heat tonight as Julian.
Julian broke the Cal record of 4:10.29, which his classmate Sean Grieshop set while taking 2nd at the 2019 NCAA Championships. Grieshop finished 6th tonight with a time of 4:16.05. Julian also broke the meet record of 4:10.67, which Stanford’s Grant Shoults set as a freshman in 2017. Shoults had won this event each of the three years he’s competed at this meet, and finished 4th tonight with a 4:13.73.
Additionally, tonight’s swim makes Julian the fourth college swimmer to get under 4:10 this season. He joins Kieran Smith (4:06.32), Jake Magahey (4:06.71), and Drew Kibler (4:08.26), with once major conference meet (Big Ten) left to go before NCAAs.
Going back to the 2007-2008 season, this is only the second time that four men have been under 4:10 in the same season, and the only time it’s happened before NCAAs. This sets the stage for what should be a thrilling race in Greensboro later this month.
In Greensboro, Julian will have a shot at the overall Pac-12 record, a 4:08.92 set by Jean Basson of Arizona back in 2009.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: Julian Sets Cal, Meet Records With 4:09 500 Free, 4th Man Under 4:10 in ’21