Leon Marchand and Bob Bowman: Every NCAA Championship and All-American Honor Bagged by Sun Devils in 3 Days

After a string of historic performances, Arizona State University’s Men’s Swim and Dive team has ambitiously clinched their first-ever NCAA Championship in the program’s history. ASU’s Sun Devils swimming team was leading with 523.5 points, followed by California, Florida, Indiana, and NC State in the top five. Two key names associated with this victorious triumph are that of head coach Bob Bowman and French swimmer Léon Marchand, among others. Marchand took to break his own NCAA record this time in the 200 breaststroke final.

After years of relentless pursuit, this breakthrough victory was indeed a redeeming moment for the Sun Devils. Setting a new NCAA, American, U.S. Open, and pool record with a time of 2:57.32, the team managed to achieve an impressive time. Under Coach Bob Bowman, the team has shown a consistent trajectory of improvement as they also won back-to-back Pac-12 championships.

Sun Devils break multiple records

The official Twitter account of Sun Devil Swim/Dive, @ASUSwimDive took to cherish its phenomenal victory mentioning in the post, “That winning feeling 🏆. The Sun Devil men win their first NCAA Championship off a week of historic performances!” Furthermore, it dissected the honors received by the Sun Devils team members.

As the post mentions, 14 Sun Devils have now received All-American honors for their outstanding performances at the meet. Léon Marchand has been the standout athlete leading the charge, he secured his third consecutive NCAA title in the 200 breaststroke. He clocked a time of 1:46.35 and now holds the highest count of individual titles in Sun Devil history. He altogether has accumulated eight NCAA titles.

Furthermore, the Sun Devils have broken nine school records and three NCAA records. Across four days they won seven event titles. Zalan Sarkany is now the first Sun Devil to win the 1650 freestyle NCAA championship. Freshman athlete Ilya Kharun has bagged his first NCAA title in the 200 butterfly. Moreover, Hubert Kós and Owen McDonald secured second and third place in the 200 backstroke.

Even the 400 free relay, which included participation from Marchand, Jack Dolan, Patrick Sammon, and Jonny Kulow also broke the NCAA record, as they clocked a time of 2:43.40.

Bowman applauds Marchand for his performances

It was back in 2015 when the Sun Devils hired Bob Bowman at Tempe as head coach. Contributing to nine seasons at ASU, the momentum of the Sun Devils steadily accelerated with the arrival of French swimmer Leon Marchand in 2021.

Talking about this victory, Bowman adds, “I’m incredibly grateful for all the people who believed…that maybe one day we can do it. There were a lot of mistakes made and a lot of good times and a lot of sad times and frustration…when he (Marchand) came in, it took off. He’s the guy that made it happen.” Bowman elaborately praised Marchand for his streak of victories.

With record-breaking performances, the Sun Devils have marked their dominance in the pool.

Also read: Who Is Nikki Hiltz Dating? All You Need To Know About the Olympic Champion’s Girlfriend