Imagine the roar of the crowd as ASU clinches victory, not just once, but sweeps the entire 2026 Big 12 West Championships! But the real story isn't just the team win; it's the blazing-fast performance of one swimmer, Ilya Kharun, who's rewriting the record books with splits of 19.12 and 43.16 in the medley relays. This is more than just a win; it's a statement. Let's dive into the details of this electrifying meet.
Big 12 West Championships: A Sun Devil Domination
The 2026 Big 12 West Championships, held on January 16-17 at the Mona Plummer Aquatic Center in Tempe, Arizona, saw Arizona State University (ASU) emerge as the undisputed champion. Competing in Short Course Yards (SCY), the Sun Devils showcased their dominance, taking home the top spot in both the men's and women's team standings.
Here’s a breakdown of the team scores:
Women's Team Scores:
- ASU – 894
- Arizona – 783
- Kansas – 657
- Utah – 544
- BYU – 524
Men's Team Scores:
- ASU – 609
- Arizona – 534
- BYU – 464
- Utah – 459
These championships served as a crucial warm-up for the upcoming Big 12 Championships next month. But here's where it gets controversial... some argue that focusing on mid-season meets distracts from the ultimate goal. What do you think? Does dominating now translate to future success, or is it better to peak later?
Ilya Kharun: A Name Etched in History (Again!)
The ASU victory was fueled by the exceptional performance of junior Ilya Kharun, who continues to solidify his place among the swimming elite. This isn’t just hyperbole; his relay splits are genuinely rewriting the all-time rankings. Kharun's performance was a masterclass in speed and precision, demonstrating his dedication and talent.
Kharun kicked off the meet by swimming the butterfly leg in the men’s 200 medley relay. He blazed through his leg in a blistering 19.12 seconds, helping propel the ASU 'A' team to first place. The team, composed of Lucien Vergnes (20.91), Jon Reiter (24.17), Kharun (19.12), and Jonny Kulow (18.30), finished with a time of 1:22.50, narrowly defeating ASU’s ‘B’ relay, which took second place with a time of 1:22.81.
And this is the part most people miss... that 19.12 split isn't just fast; it ties Kharun's own previous record from the 2024 ASU vs. Cal vs. Stanford meet, making him now hold six of the top ten all-time spots in the 50 fly relay split. Talk about consistency!
Here's an updated look at the Top 10 All-Time Relay Splits in the Men’s 50 Fly:
- 18.78, Ilya Kharun (2025 NCAA Championships)
- 18.89, Ilya Kharun (2024 Wolfpack Elite Invite)
- 18.90, Jordan Crooks (2023 SEC Championships)/ Ilya Kharun (2025 Eddie Reese Showdown)
- --
- 18.97, Josh Liendo (2024 NCAA Championships)
- 19.05, Gui Caribe (2025 NCAA Championships)
- 19.08, Ilya Kharun (2025 ASU vs Arizona)
- 19.10, Michel Arkhangelskiy (2025 ACC Championships)
- 19.12, Ilya Kharun (2024 ASU vs Cal vs Stanford / 2026 Big 12 West Championships)
- --
But Kharun wasn't done there! He followed up with another incredible performance in the men’s 100 fly on ASU’s ‘B’ 400 medley relay. He split a phenomenal 43.16 seconds, which places him 9th all-time. This incredible swim actually bumped one of his own previous splits (a tie of 43.35 from the 2023 NC State Invite and the 2025 CSCAA Dual Meet Tournament) off the list.
His ‘B’ relay team, comprised of Vergnes (46.11), Jordan Tiffany (52.22), Kharun, and Remi Fabiani (41.25), finished second with a time of 3:02.74. The ASU ‘A’ relay team, consisting of Adam Chaney (44.60), Andy Dobrzanski (50.45), Filip Senc-Samardzic (45.36), and Jonny Kulow (41.43), secured first place with a time of 3:01.84.
This latest swim means that Kharun now holds four of the top 10 all-time 100 fly splits in history. It's a truly remarkable achievement showcasing his prowess in the pool.
Here's the updated Top 10 All-Time Relay Splits in the Men’s 100 Fly:
- 42.12, Josh Liendo (2025 SEC Championships)
- 42.46, Josh Liendo (2025 NCAA Championships)
- 42.77, Josh Liendo (2024 SEC Championships)
- 42.80, Ilya Kharun (2025 Eddie Reese Showdown)
- 42.83, Ilya Kharun (2025 NCAA Championships)
- 42.91, Josh Liendo (2023 NCAA Championships)
- 43.15, Ilya Kharun (2025 Big 12s)/Luca Urlando (2025 NCAA Championships)
- --
- 43.16, Ilya Kharun (2026 Big 12 West Championships)
- 43.34, Joe Schooling (2016 NCAA Championships)
Beyond his relay heroics, Kharun also dominated the individual events, winning the 50 free (18.62), 100 fly (44.39), and 200 fly (1:39.30). He was unstoppable!
The Sun Devil men continued their winning streak by capturing the top spot in the other two relays as well. The ‘B’ 200 free relay team, featuring Tolu Young (19.16), Seth Crow (19.19), Kharun (18.37), and Tommy Palmer (18.29), finished first with a time of 1:15.01. However, the ASU ‘A’ relay was disqualified. The 400 free relay was won by the ‘A’ team, consisting of Adam Chaney (42.09), Remi Fabiani (41.20), Tommy Palmer (41.52), and Jonny Kulow (41.13), with a time of 2:45.94. Kharun swam the second leg on the ‘B’ relay, splitting 41.61.
Individual Brilliance Shines Through
The ASU men not only dominated the relays but also claimed victory in most of the individual events, with several swimmers achieving personal best times. Andy Dobrzanski, for example, won both the 100 and 200 breaststroke events, setting new personal bests in both. He swam 51.00 in the 100 and 1:50.95 in the 200, improving upon his previous bests of 51.14 and 1:51.63, respectively. His times will move him up to 9th nationally in the 100 breast and 7th in the 200 breast. Dobrzanski also broke Leon Marchand’s pool record in the 100 breaststroke by 0.01, set in 2023.
Mattia Mauri also set a personal best among the Sun Devil event champions, winning the 500 free in 4:16.54, almost six seconds ahead of the competition. His previous best was 4:17.96 from the Tennessee Invite last month.
Other Notable ASU Men's Event Winners:
- 100 free: Jonny Kulow – 41.60
- 200 free: Remi Fabiani – 1:32.86
- 1650 free: Noah Mudadu – 15:15.39
- 100 back: Adam Chaney – 44.68
- 200 back: Adam Chaney – 1:41.46
- 200 IM: Lucien Vergnes – 1:44.53
The only men’s swimming event that didn’t go to ASU was the 400 IM, where Utah’s Strahinja Maslo finished first in 3:50.59, just ahead of ASU’s Hayden Hakes, who finished second in 3:51.09. Maslo currently ranks 31st in the country this season with a time of 3:43.91 from the SMU Invite.
Arizona's Luke Hernandez showcased his diving skills, winning both men’s diving events on day one with scores of 332.45 on the 1-meter and 369.30 on the 3-meter. On day two, Hernandez did not compete, and Arizona teammate Gage Dubois won the 1-meter event with a score of 363.75.
Women's Meet: Sun Devils Soar High
The ASU women also delivered a stellar performance, securing the overall victory and taking the top spot in two of the four relays. They started strong with a win in the 200 medley relay. The team of Miriam Sheehan (23.90), Lucie Vasquez (27.46), Julia Ullmann (23.10), and Albane Cachot (22.23) swam 1:36.69, a new personal best. They finished almost two seconds ahead of Arizona’s ‘A’ team, which finished second in 1:38.54.
ASU concluded the meet with a first-place finish in the 400 freestyle relay. The team of Jordan Greber (49.34), Grace Lindberg (49.30), Gerda Szilagyi (48.36), and Albane Cachot (48.07) swam 3:15.07, just shy of their season-best time of 3:14.66 from the ASU vs. USC meet. The ASU ‘B’ team finished second in 3:16.37, about four-tenths of a second ahead of Arizona’s ‘A’ team, which finished in 3:16.80.
The University of Arizona Wildcats claimed victory in the other two relays. On day one, they won the 200 freestyle relay in 1:28.76 with the team of Riley Botton (22.28), Patricija Kondraskaite (22.22), Charlie Millard (22.74), and Julia Wozniak (21.52), defeating the ASU ‘A’ team, which finished second in 1:29.54.
They followed that up with a win in the 400 medley relay, finishing in 3:33.30. The team of Julia Smurzynska (53.55), Eleni Gewalt (59.32), Kayman Neal (52.64), and Julia Wozniak (47.79) beat the ASU ‘A’ team, which finished in 3:33.86.
The ASU women also benefited from strong performances from mid-season addition Albane Cachot. In addition to her contributions to the winning relays, she split 47.91 on the freestyle leg of the 400 medley and 22.15 as the anchor on the 200 freestyle relay.
Cachot also won the 200 free in a personal best 1:45.63 and the 100 free in a personal best 48.32. Cachot also earned a silver medal in the women’s 50 freestyle with a time of 22.44, finishing behind Arizona’s Riley Botton, who touched in 22.18.
The only other women’s individual event winner to set a personal or season-best time was Arizona’s Kelsey Wasikowski, who won the 200 breaststroke in 2:10.95, a new personal best. ASU’s Sonia Vaishnani finished second in 2:11.29, and Kansas’s Ryan Johnston swam 2:12.26 for third. Both Vaishnani and Johnston also set new personal bests.
ASU’s Julia Ullmann was one of the only two-event winners, taking the top spot in both fly events. She touched in 51.83 in the 100 and 1:57.04 in the 200, winning both by more than a second.
Fellow Sun Devil Deniz Ertan was the other two-event winner, sweeping the distance events, winning the 500 in 4:45.86 and the 1650 in 16:18.92.
Other ASU Women's Event Winners:
- 100 Back: Miriam Sheehan – 52.15
- 200 IM: Jordan Greber – 1:59.56
- 400 IM: Sonia Vaishnani – 4:12.56
The remaining two individual swimming events went to the University of Arizona. Kayman Neal took the top spot in the 200 backstroke with a time of 1:54.43, finishing half a second ahead of second place. Eleni Gewalt won the 100 breaststroke in 59.86, the only swimmer to finish under 1:00 in the event.
Finally, both diving events on day one were won by Kansas junior Shiyun Lai. She scored 315.20 on the 1-meter and 314.20 on the 3-meter boards. Lai did not participate in the day two 1-meter event, which was won by ASU’s Amayah Wiley with a score of 257.05.
So, what are your thoughts on ASU's dominant performance? Is Ilya Kharun on track to become a legendary swimmer? And how do you think these results will impact the upcoming Big 12 Championships? Share your opinions in the comments below!
