2022 MEN’S NCAA SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Cal redshirt-senior Hugo Gonzalez has elected to stick with his Pac-12 occasion lineup for NCAAs later this month. The 23-year-old shall be competing within the 200 IM, 400 IM, and 200 breast in Atlanta, and is instantly a title menace in all 3.
Gonzalez is the #12 seed within the 200 IM (1:42.04), #3 within the 400 IM (3:36.54), and #5 within the 200 breast (1:50.57). It’s the identical lineup the Spanish Olympian swam eventually yr’s NCAAs. On the 2021 NCAA Championships, Gonzalez took 2nd within the 200 IM (1:39.99) and third within the 200 breast (1:51.20). He additionally swam a 3:36.73 to win the B ultimate of the 400 IM, a time which might have been quick sufficient to win the NCAA title, had he swum quick sufficient in prelims to qualify for the A ultimate.
Is Hugo Gonzalez actually a title contender in all three occasions? Effectively, sure. He kind of flies underneath the radar at instances, however make no mistake, Gonzalez is among the premier swimmers at the moment within the NCAA. He’s a traditionally quick NCAA swimmer, who has additionally been very constant all through his collegiate profession.
In fact, it goes with out saying that Gonzalez could have his arms full within the IMs with ASU’s Leon Marchand and Texas’ Carson Foster additionally within the combine. The 200 breast can also be a really robust area this yr, that includes Cal teammate Reece Whitley, Minnesota’s Max McHugh, Penn’s Matthew Fallon, and Leon Marchand, all of whom are prime 10 swimmers all-time within the occasion.
Listed below are Gonzalez’s private bests in his NCAA occasions:
- 200 IM – 1:39.99 (#9 performer all-time)
- 400 IM – 3:35.76 (#5 performer all-time)
- 200 breast – 1:50.57 (#12 performer all-time)
It’s attention-grabbing that Gonzalez has been excelling most in backstroke, significantly the 100 again, in his LCM swimming, however the 200 breast appears to be the place he’s enhancing essentially the most in SCY racing. Competing for his dwelling nation of Spain this previous summer time, Gonzalez took sixth within the 100 again on the Tokyo Olympics, swimming a brand new private better of 52.76.
