By Riley Overend on SwimSwam
Now that the dust has settled from Bob Bowman’s move from Arizona State to Texas a couple months ago, let’s see where the top Sun Devil Aquatics swimmers ended up based on recent meet entries and hints on social media.
It’s no surprise that the IMers followed Michael Phelps‘ former mentor to Austin, with 400 IM world record holder Leon Marchand (who turned pro last month), reigning 400 IM Olympic champion Chase Kalisz, and reigning 400 IM Olympic silver medalist Jay Litherland officially representing Longhorn Aquatics for the first time at last weekend’s Speedo Grand Challenge in Irvine. Rising junior Hubert Kos, the 2023 world champion in the 200 back (1:54.14), joined them as well after announcing his transfer to Texas last month.
On the women’s side, Olympic medalists Simone Manuel and Regan Smith made the switch to Longhorn Aquatics along with recent ASU graduate Lindsay Looney. Like Smith, Looney also swims the 200 butterfly, placing 8th at the 2023 World Championships behind bronze medalist Smith.
Manuel’s move is more interesting considering most other sprinters chose to stay in Tempe with Herbie Behm, an innovative sprint coach who was promoted to head coach of the Sun Devils in the wake of Bowman’s departure. Manuel is coming off a strong showing in Irvine that saw her swim her fastest 100 freestyle (53.10) since 2019, ranking her 3rd among American women this season behind only Kate Douglass and Torri Huske.
Two-time Olympian Olivia Smoliga, Jack Dolan, and Grant House appear to be staying put in the ASU pro group while rising sophomore Ilya Kharun and rising junior Jonny Kulow look like they’re continuing their college careers with the Sun Devils.
There are still a few question marks remaining. Paige Madden and Drew Kibler traveled to the Speedo Grand Challenge with Bowman’s crew last weekend, but they competed under the New York Athletic Club (NYAC) banner. Meanwhile, Rio 2016 Olympic champion Ryan Held competed with Behm’s squad at the Sun Devil Open two weekends ago, but also as a member of NYAC instead of Sun Devil Aquatics.
Madden moved to Tempe last September after a year-long stint at Loughborough University in England. The 25-year-old University of Virginia graduate (’21) has her second Olympic appearance in her sights as the second-fastest 400 freestyler in the nation this season and the third-fastest 200 freestyler. There are less than a few weeks remaining until the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials in Indianapolis.
Kibler was expected to follow Bowman to Texas since he competed collegiately for the Longhorns from 2018-22. The 24-year-old freestyle specialist said he would train with Carmel Swim Club leading up to the Paris Olympics this summer before moving to Tempe last August.
Held switched to training with ASU after barely missing his second Olympic team in 2021 despite a 6th-place finish in the 100 free at Trials. The 28-year-old NC State graduate has been with the Sun Devils since their pro group consisted of just himself, Smoliga, and two-time Olympic bronze medalist Hali Flickinger, who announced her retirement in January.
NCAA mile champion Zalan Sarkany, a rising junior, entered the transfer portal last month but has not offered any hints on his next destination while training for the Paris Olympics back home in Hungary. Rising junior Owen McDonald, the NCAA runner-up in the 200 IM and ASU’s third-highest scorer behind Marchand Kos, transferred to Indiana last month.
Following Bowman to Texas
Staying at Arizona State
Now Listed Under New York Athletic Club (NYAC)
Transferred Elsewhere
Still Unknown
Read the full story on SwimSwam: Sun Devils Split: Which Swimmers Went Where After Bob Bowman Left Arizona State for Texas