Friday, September 22
San Luis Obispo, CA
11 A.M.
vs
Cal
Cal Poly Hosts Queen and King of the Pool Friday to Open Season
9/20/2023 7:30:00 PM | Swimming and Diving
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — The Cal Poly swimming and diving program opens its 2023-24 season at 11 a.m. Friday when they host the annual Queen and King of the Pool pentathlon against Cal at the Anderson Aquatic Center.
During Friday's pentathlon, each swimmer will take part in five 100-yard races, including butterfly, breaststroke, individual medley, backstroke and freestyle. The swimmers with the best combined time from each school will be crowned Queen and King of the Pool. Sophomore Courtney Cross will look to defend her Queen of the Pool title, after capturing the crown last year as a true freshman.
Cal is widely regarded as one of the most successful swimming and diving programs in the country. Last year, the Golden Bears captured their second straight NCAA Championship on the men's side and eighth overall.
Cal Poly returns 40 swimmers and divers from last year's squad — 21 men and 19 women. Among the notable returners for the Mustangs are four swimmers who earned All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Second Team honors a year ago — seniors Kelly McDermott, Joshua Billotte and Ryan Trichler and sophomore Drew Huston.
Huston earned the highest individual finish by a Mustang at the 2023 MPSF Championships, placing fifth in the men's 100-yard backstroke by swimming the third-fastest time in school history (48.30 seconds). The Fox Island, Wash. native built off that impressive freshman campaign this summer, swimming a lifetime best in the 100-meter backstroke (55.48) at the 2023 Speedo Junior National Championships to qualify for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in the event.
Trichler secured sixth in the 400 individual medley at the 2023 conference championships with the fourth-fastest time in program history (3:52.61) while Billotte took sixth in the 1650 freestyle.
McDermott was the lone All-MPSF honoree on the women's side a year ago, finishing eighth in the 400 IM at the MPSF Championships. She also swam the fourth-fastest 200 backstroke time in school history (2:01.34) at the meet.
Despite the experience the Mustangs have coming back this season, the team still has plenty of new faces — 17 freshmen and one sophomore transfer.
This will be the final year Cal Poly competes in the MPSF as the Big West is set to bring back swimming and diving for the 2024-25 season. It will mark the first time since 2009-10 that the Big West will sponsor men's and women's swimming and diving.
Following the Queen and King of the Pool, the Mustangs will remain at home to host a pair of opponents next week. The Cal Poly women will battle San Diego State in a dual at noon on Friday, Sept. 29, at the Anderson Aquatic Center. Then the following day at 10 a.m., the Mustang women are set to face the Aztecs and Fresno Pacific, while the men take on the Sunbirds in a dual.
During Friday's pentathlon, each swimmer will take part in five 100-yard races, including butterfly, breaststroke, individual medley, backstroke and freestyle. The swimmers with the best combined time from each school will be crowned Queen and King of the Pool. Sophomore Courtney Cross will look to defend her Queen of the Pool title, after capturing the crown last year as a true freshman.
Cal is widely regarded as one of the most successful swimming and diving programs in the country. Last year, the Golden Bears captured their second straight NCAA Championship on the men's side and eighth overall.
Cal Poly returns 40 swimmers and divers from last year's squad — 21 men and 19 women. Among the notable returners for the Mustangs are four swimmers who earned All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Second Team honors a year ago — seniors Kelly McDermott, Joshua Billotte and Ryan Trichler and sophomore Drew Huston.
Huston earned the highest individual finish by a Mustang at the 2023 MPSF Championships, placing fifth in the men's 100-yard backstroke by swimming the third-fastest time in school history (48.30 seconds). The Fox Island, Wash. native built off that impressive freshman campaign this summer, swimming a lifetime best in the 100-meter backstroke (55.48) at the 2023 Speedo Junior National Championships to qualify for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in the event.
Trichler secured sixth in the 400 individual medley at the 2023 conference championships with the fourth-fastest time in program history (3:52.61) while Billotte took sixth in the 1650 freestyle.
McDermott was the lone All-MPSF honoree on the women's side a year ago, finishing eighth in the 400 IM at the MPSF Championships. She also swam the fourth-fastest 200 backstroke time in school history (2:01.34) at the meet.
Despite the experience the Mustangs have coming back this season, the team still has plenty of new faces — 17 freshmen and one sophomore transfer.
This will be the final year Cal Poly competes in the MPSF as the Big West is set to bring back swimming and diving for the 2024-25 season. It will mark the first time since 2009-10 that the Big West will sponsor men's and women's swimming and diving.
Following the Queen and King of the Pool, the Mustangs will remain at home to host a pair of opponents next week. The Cal Poly women will battle San Diego State in a dual at noon on Friday, Sept. 29, at the Anderson Aquatic Center. Then the following day at 10 a.m., the Mustang women are set to face the Aztecs and Fresno Pacific, while the men take on the Sunbirds in a dual.
Players Mentioned
Free, IM, Fly, Back
/ Swimming and Diving
Free, IM
/ Swimming and Diving
Fly, Free, IM
/ Swimming and Diving
IM, Fly
/ Swimming and Diving
Fly, IM
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