By Karl Ortegon on SwimSwam

We’ll be previewing the top 12 men’s and women’s programs for the 2019-2020 season – stay tuned to our College Swimming Previews channel to catch all 24. Can’t get enough college swimming news? Check out the College Preview issue of SwimSwam Magazine for more in-depth college swimming coverage, including a bird’s-eye view of the flood of coaching changes and our ever-popular rankings of the top 50 individual swimmers in college swimming.

#1 STANFORD CARDINAL

Key Losses: Taylor Ruck (50 NCAA points, 4 NCAA relays), Ella Eastin (54 NCAA points, 3 NCAA relays), Leah Stevens (15 NCAA points)

Key Additions: #12 Alexandra Crisera (CA – back/free), Emma Wheal (TX – free/fly), Kira Crage (CA – sprint free)

GRADING CRITERIA

We’re unveiling a new, more data-based grading criteria in this year’s series. Our grades this year are based on ‘projected returning points’, a stat of our own making. We started with our already-compiled “no senior returning points” (see here and here), which is effectively a rescoring of 2019 NCAAs with seniors removed and underclassmen moved up to fill those gaps. In addition, we manually filtered out points from known redshirts and swimmers turning pro early, while manually adjusting points for outgoing and incoming transfers and adding in projected points for incoming freshmen with NCAA scoring times, as well as athletes returning from injury or redshirts who are very likely NCAA scorers.

Since we only profile the top 12 teams in this format, our grades are designed with that range in mind. In the grand scheme of college swimming and compared to all other college programs, top 12 NCAA programs would pretty much all grade well across the board. But in the interest of making these previews informative, our grading scale is tough – designed to show the tiers between the good stroke groups, the great ones, and the 2015 Texas fly group types.

• 5 star (★★★★★) – a rare, elite NCAA group projected to score 25+ points per event
• 4 star (★★★★) – a very, very good NCAA group projected to score 15-24 points per event
• 3 star (★★★) – a good NCAA group projected to score 5-14 points per event
• 2 star (★★) – a solid NCAA group projected to score 1-4 points per event
• 1 star (★) –  an NCAA group that is projected to score no points per event, though that doesn’t mean it’s without potential scorers – they’ll just need to leapfrog some swimmers ahead of them to do it

We’ll grade each event discipline: sprint free (which we define to include all the relay-distance freestyle events, so 50, 100 and 200), distance free, IM, breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly and diving. Bear in mind that our grades and painstaking scoring formula attempts to take into account all factors, but is still unable to perfectly predict the future. Use these grades as a jumping-off point for discussion, rather than a reason to be angry.

2018-2019 LOOKBACK

The margin was much closer than in 2017 and 2018, which were truly monstrous team efforts, but Stanford still came out on top at the 2019 NCAA Championships to complete the three-peat. This wasn’t as much a meet defined by their stars but one energized by a team effort; out of 20 athletes who competed, 18 scored at least one individual point, and ten contributed individually in the double digits.

Freshmen posted 127 individual points, a commendable effort, with 18 of those coming from divers Daria Lenz andCarolina Sculti. Star freshman Taylor Ruck was just about impactful as expected, racking up 50 points on her own by way of three top-3 finishes and providing exceptional relay swims (like her multiple 45-second free relay legs).

Meanwhile, senior Ella Eastin led the way with a 400 IM gold and silvers in the 200 IM and 200 fly to total 54 points, posing as a backstroker to support the 400 medley relay (and the 200 medley in prelims). Sophomore heavy hitters Brooke Forde and Lauren Pitzer earned 43 and 22 points on their own, respectively, and juniors Katie Drabot andErin Voss, along with senior Leah Stevens, chipped in point totals in the teens.

Stanford’s freshman class really stepped up, earning 42% of the total individual revenue for the Cardinal, and despite having to get a little creative, the relays pulled in enough points to buoy them to another national title.

SPRINT FREE: ★★★★

Losing Ruck for the year is losing their big relay threat to go up against teams like Cal (Abbey Weitzeil) or Tennessee (Erika Brown), but Stanford returns a trio of sprinters who scored in the various sprint free events last year.

Amalie Fackenthal (photo: Jack Spitser)

Leading the way is junior Lauren Pitzer, who won the 200 free B-final last year in a time of 1:42.84. That time would’ve been 5th in the A-final, and with last year’s top three either graduated or red-shirting (including Ruck), Pitzer is looking like an A-final likely and an NCAA title dark horse pick. In the 200 free last year, Katie Drabot (1:44.98) and Morgan Tankersley (1:45.27) were top 24 but just off the 1:44.6 it took to score. Drabot has shown more speed than that, though (1:42.99 leading off the 800 relay in 2018 and 1:43.99 doing so in 2019), and it took 1:43.3 to make it into the A-final last year. Tankersley was 1:44.2 at Pac-12s, so it feels like we’re looking at an A-finalist and two B-finalists here for next year.

The 50/100 free returners are sophomores Anya Goeders (21.98/48.71) and Amalie Fackenthal (22.19/47.95). Goeders scored in the 50 free B-final at NCAAs and Fackenthal in the 100 free B-final. Pitzer was 22.0 in the 50 and 48.1 in the 100 last season, just missing the 100 free B-final while opting for the 500 on day 2 of the meet, while backstroker Lucie Nordmann was 22.4/48.7 last season.

The freshman class is tiny, but there are two sprinters incoming who could be impact players. Alexandra Crisera comes in at 22.4/48.8/1:47.0, albeit times from 2017, while Emma Wheal has been 22.6/49.4 and hit LCM lifetime bests of 25.4/56.7 this summer. She’s not quite there yet, but Kira Crage comes in at 23.0/49.7/1:48.6.

DISTANCE FREE: ★★★★★

Stanford returns six women who were under 4:40 in the 500 free last year. Leading the way is the defending NCAA champ, Brooke Forde, who surged for the win at 4:31.34, and Stanford returns all scorers in that race: A-finalist Lauren Pitzer, who was 4:36.57 but would’ve been third with the 4:34 she went at Pac-12s, and B-finalists Katie Drabot and Morgan Tankersley. Both Drabot and Tankersley are capable of making the A-final, as it took a 4:37-low to make it back there and both have been quicker than that (Drabot has been 4:34.8, Tankersley 4:37.0). They scored over 40 points alone in this event last year, and that number could jump past 50 if they get more into the A.

Lauren Pitzer (photo: Jack Spitser)

Erin Voss and Megan Byrneswere 4:40.6 and 4:41.1 at NCAAs, respectively, a couple of seconds outside of scoring. Voss hit a lifetime best 4:38.2 at Pac-12s and Byrnes was 4:39.1 at Pac-12s and has been as fast as 4:37.7 in 2017. Katie Glavinovich did not make the NCAA roster, but her 4:40.9 from Pac-12s was a lifetime best.

Byrnes and Tankersley return after going under 16 minutes last year at Pac-12s. Both regressed at NCAAs, though Byrnes snagged a point (16:03.6) with Tankersley placing 19th (16:08.3). Byrnes has much more speed than that, though, having gone 15:43.6 in 2018 to place fourth at NCAAs, while Tankersley was 15:59.9 at Pac-12s, which would’ve placed 14th.

BACKSTROKE: ★★★★

Ruck is another tough loss here, as she would’ve been the #2 returner in the country in both backstrokes. But, Stanford has two fantastic backstrokers who will race this season nonetheless: Lucie Nordmann and Erin Voss.

Lucie Nordmann (photo: Jack Spitser)

Both women made the 200 back A-final in 2019, with Voss touching 4th and Nordmann 5th. Allie Szekely was 1:53.2 at NCAAs to place 18th, but her lifetime best from 2018 (1:51.7) would’ve been tenths out of A-final range this past year.

Nordmann and Voss were both in the B-final last year in the 100 back, as both of them hit 51’s. Nordmann is closer to the A-final, having been 51.44 in the B-final last year and touching 11th overall. It took a 51.0 last year to get back in the top 8, though three of the A-finalists from last year don’t return.

BREASTSTROKE: ★★★★

Stanford has a strong collection of breaststrokers on the roster, though similar to their backstroke group, they’re far stronger in the 200 than the 100.

Freshman Allie Raab led the Cardinal in the 200 breast at 2019 NCAAs with a B-final win with a time of 2:06.85, which would’ve been fourth in the A-final. Freshman Zoe Bartel was 2:08.27 in the B-final, too, along with sophomore Grace Zhao (2:09.32). Bartel has been 2:06.24 and Zhao 2:07.07, and a 2:08.4 made it back last year in the A-final, so there’s certainly potential for three Cardinal caps in the A-final here.

Allie Szekely was 2:10.3 last year not long after her 200 back swim, a pretty rough double, though she’s never broken 2:10 before.

The fastest person on the roster in the 100 is Bartel, who was 58.72 in high school but just 59.89 at NCAAs last season to place 24th. Zhao and Raab were both 59.9’s, while they’ve been 59.7 and 59.6, respectively. It’s trending closer to a 59-low for B-final qualification, so there may not be a scorer here.

BUTTERFLY: ★★★

The 200 fly is still a big strength for Stanford courtesy of Katie Drabot, who returns after a fifth-place finish last year and a World Champs bronze medal in the event in long course over the summer. She’s a dark horse title threat behind favorite Louise Hansson there. Meanwhile, Brooke Fordereturns after placing 10th last year, though she figures into the top 8 when taking out those who are graduated or taking a redshirt year.

By Lucas Hetzel on SwimSwam

Fitter and Faster Swim Clinics is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.

Zach Brewer, a senior at Bishop Moore School and member of Fast Lane Aquatics in Clermont, Florida, has announced his verbal commitment to swim for Penn State in 2020. A distance freestyler, Brewer would have been the 4^th fastest miler for the Nittany Lions in the 2018-2019 season, included in that list is now graduated senior Robbie Dickson.

At last year’s Florida 2A High School State Championship, Brewer took 5^th place in the 200-yard freestyle (1:43.29) and won a bronze medal in the 500-yard freestyle (4:35.29). At the 2019 USA Swimming Futures Championships in Greensboro over the summer, Brewer took 26^th place in the 1,500 LCM freestyle (16:36.12), 24^th in the 800 LCM freestyle (8:37.66), and 21^st in the 400 LCM freestyle (4:07.84).

Top Times in Yards:

• 200 free – 1:42.02
• 500 free – 4:33.38
• 1650 free – 15:50.53

Brewer has improved vastly in his signature events since 2017, dropping from a 4:52.58 in the 500-yard freestyle, a 16:10.77 in the 1,650-yard freestyle, and a 1:49.52 in the 200-yard freestyle. He will join breaststroker Ben Doyle, backstroker Jacob Oberle, and sprinter Branko Kosanovich as the current members of the Nittany Lions’ class of 2024.

If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to Recruits@swimswam.com.

About the Fitter and Faster Swim Tour

The Fitter & Faster Swim Tour produces swim clinics featuring elite stars of the sport and the most innovative teaching platforms. FFT Swim Clinics can be customized to meet age and skill level of every team and community. Call 786-837-6880 or visit http://www.fitterandfaster.com/ to learn more.

FFT SOCIAL

Instagram – @fitterandfasterswimtour

Facebook – @fitterandfastertour

Twitter – @fitterandfaster

^{FFT is a SwimSwam partner.}

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Floridian Zach Brewer Has Committed To Penn State For 2020

By Lucas Hetzel on SwimSwam

Fitter and Faster Swim Clinics is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.

Syd Paglia, a senior at Avon Grove High School and Suburban Seahawks Club in Newton Square Pennsylvania, has committed to swim for the Naval Academy in Annapolis starting in the fall of 2020. A backstroker and sprint freestyler, Paglia will be joining a Navy team that is fresh off a Patriot League Championship season.

“I’m excited to announce my commitment to continue my academic and swimming career at the US Naval Academy class of 2024. I would like to express my gratitude to my family, coaches and friends for your help thru this process.  I feel blessed for the opportunity to serve our country and be a part of this amazing team. Go Navy Beat Army.”

Over the summer at the Middle Atlantic Senior Long Course Championships, Paglia took 5^th place in both the 50 and 100 LCM freestyles (27.09/58.82). In March at the Middle Atlantic Senior Short Course Championships, she won a pair of silver medals in the 100-yard backstroke and freestyles (55.73 and 51.65 respectively) and a pair of bronze medals in the 100-yard butterfly and 50-yard freestyle (55.96 and 23.81 respectively).

Top Times in Yards:

• 50 free – 23.45
• 100 free – 51.54
• 200 free – 1:52.04
• 100 back – 55.73
• 200 back – 2:04.15

With her current best times, Paglia would have qualified for the ‘A’ final in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke. Navy’s 200-yard freestyle relay was .11 seconds off of the winning time at the 2019 Patriot League Championship meet with a 23.37 rolling split from Alexa Kozlina, which suggests that the ceiling for this Navy team is quite high with the addition of Paglia. She will join Grace Hastings, Emily Morrissey, Gabi Baldwin, Chloe Skogg, Theresa Milio, and Hannah Pratt as members of the class of 2024. Syd is the only sprint specialist on the team, while Morrissey and Baldwin are both sub 2:00 backstrokers.

If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to Recruits@swimswam.com.

About the Fitter and Faster Swim Tour

The Fitter & Faster Swim Tour produces swim clinics featuring elite stars of the sport and the most innovative teaching platforms. FFT Swim Clinics can be customized to meet age and skill level of every team and community. Call 786-837-6880 or visit http://www.fitterandfaster.com/ to learn more.

FFT SOCIAL

Instagram – @fitterandfasterswimtour

Facebook – @fitterandfastertour

Twitter – @fitterandfaster

^{FFT is a SwimSwam partner.}

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Pennsylvania Sprinter Syd Paglia Commits to the Naval Academy for 2020

By Jared Anderson on SwimSwam

We’ve got bracket fever here at SwimSwam. After our ISL logo bracket pulled in huge amount of poll numbers, we’re cooking up another bracket, this time to test swimming’s age-old question: which event is hardest?

See also:

• ISL Bracket Challenge: Round 1
• ISL Bracket Challenge: Round 2
• ISL Bracket Challenge: Round 3
• ISL Bracket Challenge Results

Some formatting notes:

• We’re starting with NCAA events for this bracket – so all races are in short course yards.
• We used all the NCAA events we could dig up – in order to come up with a more even 16 team bracket, we included both the 1000 free (used in college dual meets and in Divisions II) and the 100 IM (approved for inclusion in the NCAA, even if it’s not commonly used).
  • Still, that’s only 15 events, so one event is going to wind up with a first-round bye.
• We pulled out 8 events as “seeded” events, at the top of each first-round bracket. There’s no perfect way to set up the bracket fairly, but we gave ‘seeds’ to the eight events specifically mentioned in our 2017 series where 25 coaches and 25 swimmers shared what they thought were the hardest events.
  • From there, we ordered the 8 seeded events and the 8 unseeded events (including the first round bye) using a random number generator.

Hardest NCAA Event Bracket

Round 1 Polls

200 Breaststroke vs 100 Butterfly

200 Butterfly vs 100 Backstroke

200 Freestyle vs 200 IM

1650 Freestyle vs 100 Freestyle

200 Backstroke vs 1000 Freestyle

400 IM vs 100 Breaststroke

50 Freestyle vs 100 IM

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Bracket Challenge: Which NCAA Event Is Hardest?

By Anne Lepesant on SwimSwam

Fitter and Faster Swim Clinics is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.

Alyssa Sorensen, one of six siblings from Spring, Texas, has verbally committed to swim for Brigham Young University beginning next fall. Her brother Ryan Sorensen is a junior this year after having taken two years off for a mission to Monrovia, Liberia. Older siblings Chad Sorensen and Allie Sorensen also swam for the Cougars. Alyssa Sorensen is a senior at The Woodlands High School. She swims year-round for Magnolia Aquatic Club and specializes in breaststroke and IM. Sorensen competed at 2019 Texas UIL 6A State Championships, placing 11th in the 100 breast with 1:05.52. She swam a lifetime best earlier in the high school season and notched PBs in the 50/100/200 free, 200 back, 100/200 fly, and 400 IM at the beginning of junior year. This summer, she improved her best LCM times in the 50 free, 50/100 breast, and 200 IM. She swam at Des Moines Futures and finished 55th in the 100 breast, 52nd in the 200 breast, and 101st in the 100 fly.

Top SCY times:

• 100 breast – 1:05.29
• 200 breast – 2:23.66
• 200 IM – 2:10.02
• 400 IM – 4:40.66
• 100 fly – 1:01.08

BYU women finished 4th out of 8 teams at the 2019 MPSF Championships. Sorensen’s top times would have qualified her for the C finals of the 100 breast, 200 breast, and 400 IM. It took 2:07.08 to get a second swim in the 200 IM.

View this post on Instagram

I’m thrilled to announce my verbal commitment to swim and study at my dream school, Brigham Young University!!! A big thank you to all my coaches, friends, family, and teachers who helped me with this amazing process! GO COUGS

By SwimSwam on SwimSwam

Courtesy: Kentucky Athletics

LEXINGTON, Ky.– The intrasquad rivalry lived up to the hype on Friday, as the University of Kentucky swimming and diving program inaugurated its season at the annual Blue-White scrimmage inside Lancaster Aquatic Center. The blue squad led for majority of the meet, but the white team forced a lead after the final individual event that produced a 298-295 win.

“It was a great day of competition for the Wildcats,” said head coach Lars Jorgensen. “The white team prevailed 298 to 295 in a spirited and fun competition. It’s a good way to kick off the season and see where we are right now, and it was a lot of fun.

“We need to be a lot better against really good Indiana and Notre Dame teams in about 10 days. For October, it’s always fun just to compete and get started. We look forward to the rest of the semester.”

The Wildcats competed in 32 events on Friday, including four diving events. Remarkably, the program broke 12 meet records in the friendly contest – seven women’s records and five men’s records – including the women’s 50, 100 and 200 freestyle, men’s 50 freestyle, men’s and women’s 100 backstroke, men’s 200 breaststroke, men’s 100 butterfly, men’s and women’s 200 IM, women’s 200 medley relay and women’s 400 freestyle relay.

Freshmen set three of the 12 new meet records.

“I thought we had pretty good competition, and it was a good chance to see where we are at,” said head diving coach Ted Hautau. “We had some good scores for the team not getting to do optional dives, rather practicing required dives. I liked the competitiveness I saw, especially in Kyndal (Knight) and Emma (Dellmore). We’ve got a lot of work to do though, and we still have some basic technique work that we’ve got to do.

“In general, I like the attitude of the team. I love how hard they’re working … I love everybody’s attitude, and Coach David (Morton) has been a huge help. So, I like that and we’re just looking forward to putting some work in.”

Next on the Schedule
The men’s and women’s teams will host perennial-program Indiana and Notre Dame on Oct. 9 at 10 a.m., at the Lancaster Aquatic Center. Last season, the Wildcats opened its season on the road in Bloomington, Indiana, to compete in a quad meet featuring Indiana, Notre Dame and Missouri. Kentucky earned just one win in the meet – UK and Missouri did not compare scores – with the UK men defeating Notre Dame, 154.5-143.5.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: White Team Prevails in Kentucky Blue & White Scrimmage

By SwimSwam on SwimSwam

Courtesy: Georgia Tech Athletics

Results

ATLANTA– The gold team outlasted the white team, 135-127, at the annual Georgia Tech swimming and diving White vs. Gold intrasquad meet, Friday at the McAuley Aquatic Center.

“It was great to get back in the pool and see our team competing at a high level,” head coach Courtney Shealy Hart said. “Even against ourselves, the team was focused and wanted to get better today, which I thought they did. Now we’ll take this and apply it to training as we prepare for the regular season.”

Gold Team Highlights

Highlighting the day was freshman Dylan Scott, who set a new meet record in the first individual race of the day, turning in a time of 9:28.42 in the 1000 free. Junior Christian Ferraro set a meet record in the 100 fly, finishing first with a time of 48.89. He also won the 200 fly, finishing in 1:49.08.

Sophomore Kyle Barone finished first in the 100 backstroke, setting a new meet record with a time of 49.09. Barone also finished second in the 100 fly with a time of 50.22. And senior Kristen Hepler finished first in the 200 breaststroke, earning a meet record with a time of 2:21.53.

Amanda Hoejberg and Imane El Barodi finished first and second, respectively, in the 50 free. Hoejberg came in at 24.45, while El Barodi finished just behind at 24.70. Freshman Daniel Kertesz came out on top in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 57.24.

Senior Brennan Day took the 400 IM, swimming a time of 4:05.49. Sophomore Tanner Doan and Day finished first and second, respectively, in the 200 IM. Doan finished in 1:52.35 while Day swam a time of 1:54.59.

The team of Barone, Kertesz, Ferraro and senior Aidan Pastel took the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:30.56.

Barone won the 200 backstroke with a time of 1:51.02, just ahead of fellow gold team member freshman AJ Carroll, who came in at 1:51.63.

Junior Lindsay Wallace took first in the 500 freestyle, turning in a time of 5:08.34, followed by sophomore Maddie Hadd with a time of 5:11.06.

The women’s 200 free relay team took first with a time of 1:37.80, nearly a full three seconds ahead of the white team, led by Hoejberg, El Barodi, junior Allie Paschal and senior Chloe Miller.

White Team Highlights

The white team also set a number of meet records. Junior Catriona MacGregor set a new meet record in the 200 IM, finishing first with a time of 2:04.53. MacGregor also won the 100 breaststroke, finishing in 1:04.82.

The white team also had a strong performance from its freshmen. McKenzie Campbell took first in the 200 fly, with a meet-record time of 2:03.34. She also won the 100 fly with a time of 56.46.

SeniorCaroline Lee won the 100 backstroke, setting a new meet record with a time of 55.80.

The team of juniors Caio Pumputis and Corben Miles, and sophomores Darren Lim and Tyler Branscombe, won the 200 freestyle relay, setting a meet record with a time of 1:22.48. Lim and Miles also finished first and second, respectively, in the 50 free. Lim finished with a time of 20.74, with Miles finishing just behind at 20.88. Pumputis took first in the 200 freestyle, swimming a time of 1:39.24. He also won the 500 free, finishing in 4:36.80.

The relay team of Lee, MacGregor, Campbell and freshman Kyrsten Davis won the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:45.00. Davis also won the 200 free, finishing in 1:53.44.

Junior Albert Zhi took first in the 200 breaststroke, with a time of 2:06.51, one spot ahead of juniorJonathan Yang, who finished in 2:07.80.

Tech Tidbits

* Dylan Scott made a splash in his debut, setting a new meet record in the first individual race of the day, turning in a time of 9:28.42 in the 1000 free.

* Christian Ferraro set a meet record in the 100 fly, finishing first with a time of 48.89.

* Kyle Barone finished first in the 100 backstroke, setting a new meet record with a time of 49.09.

* Kristen Hepler finished first in the 200 breaststroke, earning a meet record with a time of 2:21.53.

* Catriona MacGregor set a new meet record in the 200 IM, topping her old record and finishing first with a time of 2:04.53.

* McKenzie Campbell took first in the 200 fly, with a meet-record time of 2:03.34.

* Caroline Lee won the 100 backstroke, setting a new meet record with a time of 55.80.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Gold Tops White at Georgia Tech Intrasquad Meet

By SwimSwam on SwimSwam

Saint Louis vs. Washington University

• Sept. 27, 2019
• Women: SLU 136-105
• Men: WashU 149-74
• Results

Courtesy: SLU Athletics

ST. LOUIS– The Saint Louis women’s swimming and diving team collected seven 1st-place finishes and defeated Washington University 136-105 Friday evening.

In the men’s meet, WashU claimed a 149-74 victory.

Event winners for the Billiken women were Natalie Daniel in the 100 freestyle (54.10); Emily Smith in the 100 backstroke (59.00); Claire Koh in the 500 freestyle (5:11.28); Marianna Kania in 3-meter diving (192.90); Lauren Payton in the 1000 freestyle (10:43.55); Tessa Horan in the 200 IM (2:12.48); and the 200 freestyle relay team of Mary First, Sophie Kishish, Daniel and Payton (1:39.63).

The Saint Louis men received victories from Janssen Gamilla in the 100 butterfly (50.76) and Collin O’Brien in the 200 IM (1:56.39).

The Billikens compete in the Butler Duals Sunday, Sept. 29.

Courtesy: Washington University Athletics

ST. LOUIS, Mo.– Washington University in St. Louis swimming & diving opened the 2019-20 season Friday evening against Saint Louis University in the I.E. Millstone Pool. The men secured 11 first place finishes out of 13 events competed while the women claimed six event titles over the Division I Billikens.

MEN

The Bears swam to first place finishes in the first four events, including the opening event of the year the 200 medley relay. Sophomore Barclay Dale, senior Matthew Yang, senior James Hardy and senior Chase Van Patten posted a winning time of 1:34.24. Dale was also victorious in the 50 freestyle (21.44) and the 100 backstroke (52.84).

Senior Simon Deshusses won the 200 freestyle (1:45.44) and was the anchor of the winning 200 freestyle relay (1:27.36) to close out the night. Freshmen Jonathan Ma, Michael Kincheloe and Sammy Risma swam the first through third legs of the 200 free relay.

Freshman Mason Kelber also won multiple events. He won in the 1,000 freestyle (9:44.57) and 500 freestyle (4:42.23). Senior Chase Van Patten claimed the 100 freestyle (47.88). Senior Vincent Huang was victorious in the 100 breaststroke (59.35).

Junior Matthew Grottkau was the lone male diver and posted scores of 213.25 from one-meter and 193.85 from the three-meter board.

WOMEN

Sophomore Kiki Bonetta-Misteli, senior Stephanie Li, freshman Sandra Meszaros and senior Mollie Seidner posted a winning 200 medley relay time of 1:48.58 to begin the year. Meszaros had a strong start to her career, as she also was victorious in the 200 freestyle (1:56.04) and the 100 butterfly (57.77).

Freshman Noelle DiClemente captured the 50 freestyle (24.83). Li posted the winning time in the 100 breaststroke (1:05.82). Freshman Rosie Finglass earned a first place finish in the one-meter dive (206.15) over three additional competitors.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: SLU Women, WashU Men Win in Friday Clash

By SwimSwam on SwimSwam

Davidson, UNC Asheville, Georgia Southern at Queens

• Charlotte, North Carolina
• Sept. 27, 2019
• Results

Courtesy: Queens Athletics

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Queens University of Charlotte women’s swimming team began its national title defense in dominant fashion on Friday night, winning nine races in a quad meet against NCAA Division I institutions Davidson College, Georgia Southern University and UNC Asheville inside the Levine Aquatic Center.

The Royals, winners of the last five NCAA Division II Swimming National Championships, were led by junior Francesca Bains who won the 200-, 500-, and 1,000-Yard Freestyle events. Her time of 10:20.99 in the 1,000-Yard Freestyle was good enough to qualify for an NCAA B Standard.

Freshman Danielle Melilli won her first collegiate race, the 50-Yard Freestyle, with an NCAA B cut time of 24.03, while fellow freshman Yuliia Stadnyk set a pool record in the 200-Yard Butterfly with a winning time of 2:05.84.

Senior Polina Lapshina, the 2019 CSCAA Female Swimmer of the Meet, picked up right where she left off, winning the 100-Yard Freestyle with a Division II B Standard time of 50.49, while Melilli followed close behind with a ‘B’ cut time of her own in the race. SophomoreBobbie Gichard was the team’s final individual winner, reach the wall in 2:05.86 to take the top spot in the 200-Yard Backstroke.

Queens also won both relay events, starting with the 400-Yard Medley Relay. Junior Rachel Massaro, sophomore transfer Hannah Foster, senior Georgia DaCruz, and Lapshina won with a time of 3:49.83. Lapshina, Massaro, Melilli, and DaCruz combined for a mark of 1:36.23 to win the 200-Yard Freestyle Relay.

The Royals are back in action again on Saturday, Oct. 19 when the team hosts NCAA Division III powerhouse Emory University at 10 a.m. in the Queen City.

Courtesy: Davidson Athletics

CHARLOTTE, N.C.— The Davidson women’s swimming and diving team opened the season Friday night with a four-team meet at Queens University.

And the Wildcats turned in a number of notable swims — including from freshmen making their college debuts — in a meet that will finalize its scoring with diving Saturday in Cannon Pool, while the Davidson men swim against Queens.

Through 11 events, Davidson leads UNC-Asheville 128-76 and Georgia Southern 149-55 in head-to-head scoring, while trailing Queens, the five-time defending NCAA Division II national champions, 138-66.

The Wildcats posted two overall wins Friday as junior Sarah Helen Shepherd set the pace in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:24.69), and freshmanShelby Stanley won the 200 individual medley (2:05.85).

Sophomore Hannah Gould touched the wall second in the 200 breast (2:26.94), while Stanley placed second in the 200 butterfly (2:08.47), and freshman Kate Pottle was second in the 200 freestyle (1:57.01).

Shepherd added third-place finishes in the 200 IM (2:07) and the 200 back (2:07.24), while sophomore Siena Senn was third in the 500 free (5:15.56), freshman Abby Francis took third in the 50 free (24.34) and freshman Marissa Lassell placed third in the 200 free (1:57.10).

Fourth-place finishes came from Francis in the 1,000 free (52.88) and in the 400 medley relay (4:00.49).

Courtesy: UNC Asheville Athletics

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – UNC Asheville’s swim and dive team defeated CCSA rival Georgia Southern, 142-62, Friday evening in the swimming portion of a quad meet hosted by Queens University. The Bulldogs fell to Davidson and Queens during the swimming portion of the meet. The meet will continue with the diving event Saturday at 11 a.m.

The meet began with the 400 medley. UNC Asheville’s relay A, made up of Christa Jones, Amelia Ham, Madison Rogan and Hannah Bruno, paced the Bulldogs with a sixth place finish with a time of 4:05.1. The quartet was less than a second off from a top five finish.

Skylar Rogan picked up a third place finish in the 1000-yard freestyle with a time of 10:52.09. Catherine Allen finished right on her heels at 10:54.85 with a fourth place finish.

Adee Weller secured a top five finish in what was a tightly contested race in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:57.79. The Boulder, Colo. native finished in fourth place but was less than a second away from a second place finish. NoraSegurola Larrinaga and Jessie Frank finished seventh and eighth, respectively, in the event. Segurola Larrinaga raced a time of 1:58.84 while Frank finished with a 1:58.86. Less than two seconds separated second through eighth place in the 200-yard freestyle event.

Three Bulldogs finished in the top 10 in the 200-yard IM with Madison Rogan leading the way with a fifth place finish. The senior swimmer completed the event with a time of 2:13.56, while Christina Marshall made her Bulldog debut with a sixth place finish with a time of 2:13.93. Ellis Nelson rounded out the top 10 finishes in the event for the Bulldogs with a time of 2:15.63.

Catherine Allen, Madison Rogan and Anna Nabors all finished within three seconds of each other in the 200 butterfly. Allen finished fourth with a time of 2:09.47, while Rogan swam a 2:10.95 with a fifth place finish. Nabors secured a sixth place finish with a time of 2:12.96.

Freshman Bela Stuart Vieira paced the Bulldogs in the seventh event of the meet. The Brazil native finished the 100 freestyle in fifth place with a time of 54.56, while senior Adee Weller was right behind with a time 54.95 and a seventh place finish. Jessie Frank finished eighth with a time of 55.32 and Skylar Rogan secured a time of 55.56.

Nora Segurola Larrinaga led the Bulldogs in the 200 backstroke with a time of 2:11.00 while Christa Jones and Christina Marshall finished with times 2:15.99 and 2:17.29, respectively.

In the 500 freestyle, Skylar Rogan secured a top five finish with a time of 5:17.35, while Adee Weller finished sixth with a 5:18.74.

The swimming portion of the meet concluded with the 200 freestyle relay where UNC Asheville’s relay A, consisting of Delaney Carlton, Hannah Bruno, Bela Stuart Vieira and Anna Nabors, finished fourth with a time of 1:40.53.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Division II Champs Queens Wins 9 Races in Quad vs. Division I Foes

By SwimSwam on SwimSwam

Courtesy: Nebraska Athletics

The Nebraska swimming and diving team opened its 2019-20 season with the annual Scarlet and Cream Intrasquad meet at the Devaney Natatorium on Friday afternoon. The Cream defeated the Scarlet, 103-90.

The Cream squad won the 200-meter medley relay with Berkeley Livingston, Gwen Worlton, Maggie Berning and Kimberly Lanaghen racing to victory.

In the 200-meter freestyle, junior Rachel Powers took first for the Cream followed by sophomore Audrey Coffey for the Scarlet. Coffey returned the favor with a win for the Scarlet over Power’s and the Cream in the 400-meter free.

Senior Tori Beeler took first in the 200-meter IM for the Scarlet, just ahead of freshman Berkeley Livingston for the Cream. Livingston, a Lincoln Southwest High School graduate, later claimed a victory in the 100-meter free, ahead of Scarlet sophomore Taylor Acheson.

Junior captain Izzie Murray gave the Scarlet a victory in the 50-meter freestyle, while junior Sutton Marvin finished second for the Cream. Freshman Kaitlyn Barth added a third-place finish for the Scarlet.

In the 100-meter butterfly, freshman Kimberly Lanaghen captured a win for Cream in front of junior Madison Coughlen for the Scarlet.

In the 100-meter backstroke, senior Lindsey Stalheim took the title for the Cream ahead of the Scarlet’s Allison Kopas.

Worlton swam to victory in the 100-meter breaststroke ahead of Beeler, before the Scarlet closed the meet with a win in the 200-meter freestyle relay (Lindsay Helferich, Carla Gonzalez-Garcia, Clara Walstad, and Murray) ahead of the Cream team (Kopas, Savannah Savitt, Stalheim and Allie Worrall).

On the diving front, sophomore Hallie Roman won the one-meter diving competition for the Cream ahead of fellow sophomore Sara Troyer.

The Huskers will be back in action to open the regular season when they travel to Brookings to take on South Dakota State on Friday, Oct. 11. Last season, the Huskers defeated the Jackrabbits, 156-63, and hold a 14-0 record all-time against the Jacks.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Cream Edges Scarlet in Nebraska Intrasquad Matchup

By SwimSwam on SwimSwam

Courtesy: Arizona State Athletics

TEMPE, Ariz. – In a competition that came down to the final race, Sun Devil swimming kicked off their season on Friday with their annual Intrasquad. This time around, the Maroon squad took the victory by a slim margin, 260-254.

Gearing up for yet another competitive season in Pac-12 swimming and diving, the team uses the Intrasquad to introduce freshmen to the high level of swimming and organization demanded in a collegiate meet. The group did not disappoint, as four rookies took first place including Jack Dolan (200 free), Lindsay Looney (200 fly), Alex Colson (200 fly) and Julian Hill (500 free).

Aside from the freshmen showing out, several upperclassmen also dominated in the scrimmage. Chloe Isleta (100 back, 200 back), Zach Poti (100 back, 200 back) andNora Deleske (200 breast, 200 IM) all won multiple events this evening.

“I was pleased with the effort, energy and team spirit the teams showed today,” head coach Bob Bowman said. “Our freshmen stepped up and raced well this afternoon.”

Both squads remained within striking distance of each other throughout the meet with the victory quickly coming down to the wire. Heading into the final event of the 400 free relay, Maroon squad held a slim 10-point lead with two chances to build on their advantage.

Maroon’s A squad stepped up to the occasion featuring an all-underclassmen foursome in sophomores Ethan Luc and Cody Bybee, junior Carter Swift and freshman Jack Dolan. Bybee anchored the relay to a win, securing the victory for team maroon.

The Sun Devils return to training before kicking off the regular season on the road against Utah.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Maroon Edges Gold in Annual Arizona State Intrasquad Meet

By SwimSwam on SwimSwam

Courtesy: Auburn Athletics

AUBURN, Ala. – Friday’s Orange & Blue Meet from the Martin Aquatics Center was only an intrasquad meet, a tune-up before the real season begins in two weeks. But you wouldn’t have known that by looking at the athletes, who were jumping up and down and cheering on their teammates for every event.

When Auburn head coach Gary Taylor announced that Team Blue had won, there was a celebration right there on the pool deck.

“Elite programs like to compete all the time,” Taylor said. “That’s what we’re starting to see. I’ve seen a big change in that from one year to the next. They were really vocal. They were getting really competitive, really vocal and really loud. So I love that team vibe and emotion. People were caring about the outcome, and to me that’s really important.”

Taylor was also happy with how the Tigers looked in the pool. Team Blue avenged last year’s loss in the Orange & Blue Meet with a 296-282 win over Team Orange. But through 32 events, there were plenty of positives to take away from both sides.

“I couldn’t have really asked for more from the staff and the team itself,” Taylor said. “I thought we had some really strong performances both on the men’s and the women’s sides.

“We had some freshmen getting that opportunity to wear the ‘AU’ for the first time in their career and really stepped up and showed out. There were definitely some positive surprises from our freshmen class, and I also saw a lot of our upperclassmen continuing to grow and progress and take steps from last year right into this year.”

Auburn’s women will open the regular season on Friday, Oct. 11 with a trip to Dallas to compete in the SMU Women’s Classic. Then both the men and the women will return to the Martin Aquatics Center on Saturday, Oct. 19 for a home meet against LSU.

This Saturday, the 2009 Auburn Swimming and Diving Team, who won the national championship, will be recognized on the field at halftime of the Auburn-Mississippi State football game.

“The ’09 team is what I want Auburn Swimming and Diving to be all about,” Taylor said. “They came to Auburn with championship expectations and aspirations. They wanted to be coached hard. They worked hard. They desired to be really elite. And at the end of the day, even now 10 years later, they’re all in for Auburn and they’re all in for that Swim and Dive family.”

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Team Blue Win’s Auburn’s Orange & Blue Intrasquad Tuneup

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

Tickets for the Budapest stop of the International Swimming League (ISL) are now on sale. This means that all regular season meets now have tickets on sale, with only tickets for the finale at the 12,000 seat Mandalay Bay Resort Events Center in December awaiting release.

The Duna Arena (Danube Arena in English) is a 5,000 seat venue in Budapest, making it the largest capacity for the regular season of the meet. It actually sat at 12,500 seats when it hosted the swimming portion of the 2017 World Championships. The facility has 2 long course pools, a diving well, and a short course training pool.

The meet will be held from October 26th-27th in the evening in Budapest. The participating teams will be those from Group B: the LA Current, New York Breakers, London Roar, and the Budapest-based Team Iron. This will be the group’s 2nd regular season meet after they race a week earlier in Lewisville. Teams will then split up into their respective continental derbies.

• See the full 2019 ISL schedule here.
• See up-to-date ISL rosters for 2019 here.

Teams participating in Budapest (athletes to be confirmed):

• LA Current (Nathan Adrian, Kathleen Baker, Matt Grevers, Leah Smith, Andrew Seliskar, Ryan Murphy, Chase Kalisz)
• New York Breakers (Michael Andrew, Pernille Blume, Lia Neal, Jack McLoughlin, Clyde Lewis, Marco Koch, Jacob Pebley)
• Team Iron (Katinka Hosszu, Ranomi Kromowidjojo, Kira Toussaint, Vlad Morozov, Kristof Milak, Gunnar Bentz, Alia Atkinson)
• London Roar (Kyle Chalmers, Bronte Campbell, Cate Campbell, Adam Peaty, Duncan Scott, Mireia Belmonte, Kirill Prigoda)

You can find ticket sales by following this link. Ticket prices in Budapest range from 1500 HUF ($5) to 5900 HUF ($20), which makes this one of the least expensive meets to attend.

Other Meet Prices

ITALY (PER SESSION PRICES)

• Stand. C DX: €22 ($24)
• Stand. B DX: €16.50 ($18)
• Stand. B SX: €16.50 ($18)

LONDON (PER SESSION PRICES)

INDIANAPOLIS & DALLAS (PER SESSION PRICES):

WASHINGTON (PER SESSION PRICES):

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Tickets for Budapest Stop of International Swimming League Now on Sale

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

Ashley Twichell and Haley Anderson will represent the United States in open water swimming at the inaugural version of the World Beach Games from October 12th-16th in Doha, Qatar. They are part of a 69-athlete roster (27 men, 42 women) that will represent the US at the newly-conceived event.  In total, the event will feature 13 sports and 14 disciplines, with the United States competing in all 13 sports.

• See the full US roster here.

The event revolves around sports that can or will be competed on beaches or just off shore. It has drawn a roster with bigger names than we typically see for inaugural versions of new events like this, including World Champions and Olympians. The US won’t send any male open water swimmers.

Twichell and Anderson are the United States’ representatives in women’s open water swimming after finishing in the top 10 in the 10km race at the 2019 World Championships. Twichell finished 7th in the 5km race and 6th in the 10km race in Gwangju, while Anderson took silver in the premier 10km event. Anderson was the 2012 Olympic silver medalist over 10 kilometers.

The open water racing will be held on October 13th, and will be a 5 kilometer swim.

Full Sports Listing, 2019 World Beach Games:

• Basketball (3×3)
• Beach soccer (football)
• Beach handball
• Karate kata
• Sailing (Kiteboarding)
• Park skateboarding
• Sport climbing (bouldering)
• Swimming (open water swimming)
• Beach Tennis
• Triathlon (aquathlon – swim and run only)
• Volleyball (4×4 beach volleyball)
• Watersking (Wakeboarding, Water jumping)
• Wrestling (beach wrestling)

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Ashley Twichell and Haley Anderson Will Rep. US at 2019 World Beach Games

By SwimSwam on SwimSwam

Queens at Davidson

• Davidson, North Carolina
• Sept. 28, 2019
• Queens 153-65
• Results

Courtesy: Queens Athletics

DAVIDSON, N.C.– The Queens University of Charlotte men’s swimming team took to the road on Saturday morning to begin its NCAA Division II National Championship defense, competing against NCAA Division I institution Davidson College.

The Royals, winners of the last five NCAA Division II titles, won 11 events en route to a dominating performance against the Wildcats. Senior Dmytro Sydorchenko led the way with two race wins, claiming the top spot in the 50- and 100-Yard Freestyle.

Sophomore Luke Erwee was also a two-time winner in distance events, taking first place in both the 500- and 1,000-Yard Freestyle. The team’s third multiple race winner was fellow sophomore Skyler Cook-Weeks who won both the 200-Yard Freestyle and 200-Yard Backstroke, while another sophomore, Jan Delkeskamp, also won two races by earning gold in the 200-Yard I.M. and the 200-Yard Breaststroke.

Second-year swimmer Alex Kunert won the 200-Yard Butterfly to tally Queens’ final individual win of the meet. In the relays, the Royals opened with a victory in the 400-Yard Medley Relay from the foursome of Finn Howard, Delkeskamp, Kunert, and Brody Heck. The final relay win of the day came via the 200-Yard Freestyle Relay team of Sydorchenko, Marcus Rogers, Howard, and Cook-Weeks.

The Royals are back in action again on Saturday, Oct. 19 when the team hosts NCAA Division III powerhouse Emory University at 10 a.m. in the Queen City.

Courtesy: Davidson Athletics

DAVIDSON, N.C.— A tough test right out of the gates and an early-season measuring stick.

That’s what Davidson swimming coachJohn Young wanted for his Wildcat men in their season debut, and Saturday’s matchup with five-time Division II national champion Queens proved to be just that in Cannon Pool, as the Royals posted a 153-65 win.

The Wildcats’ best performance came in the 200-yard freestyle, as Ian Hentenaar (1:46.15) took second and was followed by teammates Ty McLaren (1:46.71) and Brian Hynes (1:48.91) in third and fourth.

Owen Corkery swam to second in the 200 backstroke (1:56.31) and the 400 medley relay team of Kevin Andrews, Will Tabor, Alex Strasser and Hynes (3:33.94) also placed second. Davidson took second and third in the 200 freestyle relay as the quartet of Hentenaar, Kilian Quinn, Andrews and McLaren posted a 1:25.76, and Jacob Jung, Patrick Kelly, Griffen Younger and Strasser touched the wall in 1:29.63.

Third-place finishes were turned in by Quinn in the 50 free (21.93), Kelly in the 200 individual medley (1:59.15), Hynes in the 100 free (48.33) and Drake Wielar in the 200 breaststroke (2:15.18).

The Wildcats picked up additional points in diving, as Daniel Valmassei and Drew Sheldon scored 309.85 and 291.05 in the 1-meter competition. In the 3-meter, Valmassei totaled 300.60 and Sheldon 250.05.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Queens Men Top Davidson 153-65

By SwimSwam on SwimSwam

Arkansas-Little Rock at North Texas

• Denton, Texas
• Sept. 28, 2019
• Women: North Texas 213-84
• Results

Courtesy: North Texas Athletics

DENTON, Texas – North Texas swimming and diving opened up the 2019-20 campaign in dominating fashion taking 15 of 16 events in a dual meet with Arkansas-Little Rock and winning by a final score of 213-84.

“It was a good day,” head coach Brittany Roth said. “Really proud of the girls, we’ve been training hard for a month now so I know right now in their training cycle they’re really tired, but to see them fighting all the way through to the end of a meet is really encouraging.”

The Mean Green were led by junior Leigh Faires McGee who took first place in the 100, 200 and 500-freestlye races, and was a member of the first place 200-freestyle relay team.

Sophomore Brooke Beddingfield took first place in the 100 and 200-Breaststroke, while junior Robyn Lee finished in first in the 200 Back and 100 Fly. Other top finishes by North Texas are as followed: Junior Meghan Miller (1-Meter and 3-Meter Diving), sophomore Bryanna Vasquez (1000 freestyle), senior Jowita Sienczyk (100 back), freshman Kaitlyn Carr (50 free), and sophomore Karigan Stanley (400 IM) and Sienczyk and Stanley teamed up with freshmen Jenny Holwell and June Harris to take home the 400 medley relay.

North Texas debuted 12 freshmen during the opening meet of the season. The rookies combined for seven top-3 finishes with Carr, Harris and Holwell taking home first place finishes.

“This is a lot of composure trying to race in a dual meet,” Roth said in regards to the slew of freshmen on the team. “This experience is a good first step in their careers here.”

North Texas divers took home seven top-5 finishes with Miller taking home the individual titles for both diving events.

“Overall I think our divers did well for our first meet,” diving coach Mark Murdock said. “We took a huge step with confidence in our dives, especially from our four freshmen divers who were very confident on the board and in their dives.”

What’s Next?
The Mean Green will host their annual Green versus White Alumni Meet on October 12 before traveling to SMU for a dual with the Mustangs and LSU on November 2.

Courtesy: Arkansas-Little Rock Athletics

DENTON, Texas– The Trojan swimming and diving team began their 2019-20 slate this weekend, facing a tough North Texas team. While Little Rock fell 213-84, the meet not only provided a solid starting point to build upon for the upcoming season, but also gave several new faces a chance to step up and perform.

“There is a lot of potential in this group, and they gave their all ’til the end,” said head coach Amy Burgess. “We’re looking forward to taking what we saw and improving each day as we move into the next weeks.”

Relays
The meet opened with the 400 medley relay, where the squad of freshman Fer Moussier, junior Palmer Ristroph, sophomore Carolyn Godwin, and freshman Anna Grom combined to post a third-place finish with a time of 4:04.09. To conclude the meet, the A 200 freestyle relay of Godwin, Redzuan, Lawrence, and Grom touched the wall third, clocking in at 1:41.84 to secure team points.

Diving
Junior Sierra Thain led the way for the Trojan divers on each board, finishing third on the 1-meter with a score of 203.70 before collecting second on the 3-meter with a score 229.43, less than three points behind the winner. Classmate Coy Jones also grabbed team points of her own with 190.28 points on the lower board and a score of 208.65 on the higher.

Freestyle Events
Two freshmen represented the Trojans in the longest event of the day, the 1000 freestyle. Emma Bleasdell touched the wall at 11:05.23 for third, while Fernanda Gamez also earned points in 11:11.51, good for fifth. The two also raced again in the 500, joined by classmate Asmalia Redzuan. The trio finished right after one another, with Bleasdell at 5:26.28, Redzuan at 5:26.48, and Gamez at 5:27.84.

On the other end of the spectrum, junior Regan Lawrence and Grom raced in the shortest event, the 50 free, collecting points for the team with times of 25.88 and 26.22, respectively. Lawrence and Godwin returned in the 100 free, finishing within tenths of each other. Godwin posted a time of 56.41 while Lawrence was 56.62. Redzuan took third in the 200 freestyle, stopping the clock at 2:00.00 exactly, while sophomore Lea Zengerling was right behind in 2:00.98.

Backstroke Events
In the 100 back, upperclassmen put points on the board for Little Rock: junior Mia Gibson in 1:03.84 and senior Charis Won at 1:03.97. The longer backstroke event, the 200, saw Moussier place third overall at 2:10.77, while Zengerling touched the wall at 2:16.23.

Breaststroke Events
Ristroph made another appearance in her signature event, the 100 breast, to register a time of 1:08.66. Freshman Taylor Baldacci also scored in the 100 with her 1:12.45. The junior also was the top Trojan in the 200, finishing at 2:33.96, while another freshman followed: this time Nicole Burek in 2:39.47.

Butterfly Events
Moussier returned in the 200 butterfly, winning the event by over a second in 2:08.40. Senior Rachel Maradyn scooped up a point, posting a 2:17.87. In the shorter fly event, Godwin stole second place by a little over three tenths, recording a 1:01.29. Freshman Brianna Ridings and sophomore Katelyn White also were awarded points, with times of 1:02.12 and 1:03.73, respectively.

400 IM
Not to be forgotten, Ashleigh Green led the Trojans in a race meant for perhaps the most versatile and tough swimmer. The freshman finished at 4:50.61 after a strong front half.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: North Texas Takes 15 of 16 Events in Dual with Arkansas-Little Rock

By Anne Lepesant on SwimSwam

Fitter and Faster Swim Clinics is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.

Katie Cross, a senior at Lake Washington High School in Kirkland, Washington, has verbally committed to The University of Kansas for 2020-21. She will join prospective teammates Brooke Dalbey, Ellie Wehrmann, Emma Walker, and Taylor Conley in the class of 2024.

“With exceptional athlete support, amazing staff, deeply rooted traditions and an excellent academic experience there was no other place for me than KU! I am in love with the team culture and the beautiful campus in Lawrence, Kansas. I can’t wait to be a Jayhawk, Rock Chalk!”

As a freshman at the 2016 Washington Girls 3A State Championships, Cross placed 5th in the 100 back with a school-record time of 58.06. She then took a year off of high school swimming to concentrate on club swimming at Bellevue Club Swim Team. She later explained to the Kirkland Reporter, “It was more of a year of focusing on my strokes and focusing on my technique, speed and all that good stuff. So then when I came back, I would be even better.” The strategy paid off. As a junior, she took 4th in the 100 back (57.07) and 4th in the 100 free (52.75) at the 2018 WIAA Girls 3A State Championships. She also led off the 3rd-place medley relay with a 26.14 backstroke and anchored the 3rd-place 400 free relay in 52.52.

Cross is a Winter Juniors qualifier in the 100 back and a Futures qualifier in breast, free, and IM. She competed at 2018 Winter Juniors West in the 100/200 back and 200 IM. The Bellevue Club Swim Team took second in the girls’ meet, and the boys and girls combined finished second overall. The following week, Cross earned PBs in the 50 back and 50 free at Washington State Senior Short Course Championships. She notched a PB in the 100 breast at Federal Way Sectionals in March.

Cross has a lot of versatility and, with her improving breaststroke, could develop into a 200 IM-100 back-200 back asset for the Jayhawks. Backstrokers Manon Manning (53.70/1:57.52), Dewi Blose (54.66/1:59.75), Sydnie Horne (55.80/1:59.77), and Lauryn Parrish (56.86/1:57.99) will still be in Lawrence when Cross arrives, as will IMers Kate Steward, Dannie Dilsaver, Paige Riekhof, and Kaitlyn Witt.

Top SCY times:

• 50 back – 26.01
• 100 back – 55.57
• 200 back – 2:01.95
• 100 breast – 1:05.64
• 200 IM – 2:08.17
• 50 free – 24.33
• 100 free – 52.75

If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to Recruits@swimswam.com.

About the Fitter and Faster Swim Tour

The Fitter & Faster Swim Tour produces swim clinics featuring elite stars of the sport and the most innovative teaching platforms. FFT Swim Clinics can be customized to meet age and skill level of every team and community. Call 786-837-6880 or visit http://www.fitterandfaster.com/ to learn more.

FFT SOCIAL

Instagram –@fitterandfasterswimtour

Facebook – @fitterandfastertour

Twitter – @fitterandfaster

^{FFT is a SwimSwam partner.}

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Winter Juniors Qualifier Katie Cross Verbally Commits to Kansas

By SwimSwam on SwimSwam

Courtesy: Iowa Athletics

IOWA CITY, Iowa— The University of Iowa swimming and diving team held its annual intrasquad meet Saturday at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center, where the gold team posted a 109-83 victory.

EVENT BREAKDOWN
The Black team started out hot with wins in the women’s 200-medley relay (1:47.79) and men’s 200-medley relay (1:31.48). Freshman Millie Sansome (1:52.88) and senior Allyssa Fluit (1:53.01) continued the streak of wins with a 1-2 finish in 200 free.

The gold team retaliated during the men’s 200 free, putting sophomores Aleksey Tarasenko (1:40.27) and Mateusz Arndt (1:42.03) on top. Sophomore Lauren McDougall edged out junior Sarah Schemmel by .02 hundredths of a second in the 50 free to take the event in a time of 23.91.

The gold Hawkeyes started a dominating run during the men’s 50 free with seniors Will Scott (20.78) and Steve Fiolic (21.00) taking the top two spots. Juniors Kelsey Drake (2:07.30) and Lexi Horner (2:10.46) continued the trend in the 200 IM.

The black team pushed back in the men’s 200 IM with sophomores Anze Fers Erzen (1:53.89) and Dolan Craine (1:54.91) coming out on top. The men’s and women’s diver 50 free was a clean sweep for gold, with senior Thelma Strandberg (31.52), sophomore Sam Tamborski (32.72), and freshman Mohamed Neuman (26.25) all taking tops spots in the respective events.

Drake took the top spot again for the gold team in the 100 fly with a time of 55.94 followed by senior Amy Lenderink for the black team in a time of 1:01.33. Seniors Michael Tenney (49.50) andJohn Colin (53.23) took the 100 fly for the gold team.

McDougall brought black back in contention with a win in the 100 free (51.60) before Tarasenko (45.27) and Steve Fiolic (45.95) of the gold team took the men’s 100 free.

The black team attempted a comeback late in the meet, but the gold team overpowered them in the 100 backstroke, 500 free, 100 breast, 1-meter diving, and 200 free relay events.

UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes host Michigan State on Oct. 3 at 6:30 p.m. (CT) in its Big Ten opener and Northern Iowa and Michigan State on Oct. 4 at 11:30 a.m. (CT). Admission is free.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Gold Tops Black 109-83 in Iowa Intrasquad Battle

By Anne Lepesant on SwimSwam

Fitter and Faster Swim Clinics is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.

AJ Huskey has announced his verbal commitment to Missouri State University’s class of 2024, joining James Doromal who committed earlier this month. Huskey will make the 3-hour drive from his home in Columbia, Missouri to Springfield in the fall of 2020.

“I chose Missouri State because as soon as I stepped on campus I felt like I was a part of the family. I couldn’t see myself going anywhere else. Bear up!”

Huskey is one of the top high school swimmers in Missouri, with national time standards in 200 back, 200 fly, 200 IM, and 400 IM. He swims for Columbia Swim Club and Battle High School, where he is a senior. At the 2018 MSHSAA Class 1 Boys State Championships last November, he won the 200 IM (1:49.64) and 100 fly (50.46), single-handedly putting Battle at 19th place in the boys’ standings. He had an outstanding long-course season, culminating in new PBs in the 50/100 free, 200 back, 200 breast, 100/200 fly, and 200/400 IM at NCSA Summer Championship. He placed 3rd in the 200m IM, 10th in the 400m IM, 11th in the 200m fly, and 23rd in the 200m back. In short-course season, he won the 400 IM at Columbia Sectionals, three months after placing 20th in the same event at Winter Juniors East. Also at Columbia Sectionals, he finaled in the 200 back (9th), 200 breast (11th), 100 fly (13th), 200 fly (9th), and 200 IM (4th), and left the meet with new times in the 200 free, 200 back, 200 breast, 100/200 fly, and 200/400 IM.

Huskey will be an immediate-impact player for the Bears. His times would already have scored in myriad A-finals at 2019 MAC Championships: he would have joined Artur Osvath and Thomas Heye in the 200 IM;Antonio Thomas, MinkiKang, and Bryce Blattner in the 400 IM; Osvath and Mohamed Abdelbaky in the 200 fly; and Heye, Connor Ripp, and Blattner in the 200 back. He would have been the team’s fastest 400 IMer and the second-fastest performer in the 200 IM, 200 fly, and 200 back.

Top SCY times:

• 200 IM – 1:49.15
• 400 IM – 3:52.10
• 200 fly – 1:48.63
• 100 fly – 50.29
• 200 back – 1:48.54
• 200 breast – 2:05.04

If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to Recruits@swimswam.com.

About the Fitter and Faster Swim Tour

The Fitter & Faster Swim Tour produces swim clinics featuring elite stars of the sport and the most innovative teaching platforms. FFT Swim Clinics can be customized to meet age and skill level of every team and community. Call 786-837-6880 or visit http://www.fitterandfaster.com/ to learn more.

FFT SOCIAL

Instagram –@fitterandfasterswimtour

Facebook – @fitterandfastertour

Twitter – @fitterandfaster

^{FFT is a SwimSwam partner.}

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Missouri State Secures Verbal Commitment from In-state Standout AJ Huskey

By SwimSwam on SwimSwam

Tulane at LSU

• Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• Sept. 28, 2019
• LSU defeats Tulane 192-105

Courtesy: LSU Athletics

BATON ROUGE, La.– Five different Lady Tigers brought home victories on Saturday at the LSU Natatorium as the LSU Women’s Swimming and Diving Team defeated Tulane by a final score of 192-105.

IN THE POOL

Five Lady Tigers won a total of eight events in route to the Tigers’ first dual meet victory of the new season. Jolee Liles won the 200-Yard Butterfly with a time of 2:03.41. Olivia Taylor touched the wall first in the 50-Yard Freestyle with a time of 23.54 and Helen Grossman won the 100-Yard Butterfly after swimming a 54.95.

Two Lady Tigers won multiple events. Junior Cassie Kalisz claimed the top spot in both the 100 and 200-Yard Backstroke. She touched the wall in 55.23 in the 100-Yard and 1:58.92 in the 200-Yard.

Freshman Summer Stanfield finished the meet with three victories. She touched the wall in 51.99 to win the 100-Yard Freestyle, 1:51.42 to win the 200-Yard Freestyle, and 2:02.53 in the 200-Yard IM.

In the 400-Yard Medley Relay, the team of Kalisz, Olivia Paskulin, Grossman, and Katarina Milutinovich touched the wall in 3:44.38 to win.

“We had a really great week of training so I knew we had put the work in leading up to this meet,” said LSU head swim coach Dave Geyer. “The women stepped up today. We took a huge step starting with the relay and just went from there.”

A total of seven underclassman finished in the top three of their respective events while six upperclassman followed suit. That combination stands out in the mind of Coach Geyer.

“We had that huge senior class last year that featured a lot of talent, and a lot of times it’s easy to stay in the shadows of a class like that. With that class gone, we needed some people to step up and really find out what this team is going to be this year. From the senior class and all the way down to the freshman, today gave me a good picture of what we could be and I like it.”

ON THE BOARDS

On the One-Meter Springboard,Aimee Wilson took the top spot after diving to a score of 319.88. Anne Tuxen finished second with a 294.83, and Hayley Montague rounded up the trio of Lady Tigers in the top-three with a 259.35.

All three Lady Tigers finished in the top-three again on the Three-Meter Springboard. This time however, Tuxen took the top spot with a score of 337.88. Wilson dove to a score of 329.40 to finish second, and Montague finished with a 318.30 to place third.

“I saw huge improvement today from our Intrasquad Meet last weekend,” said LSU head diving coach Doug Shaffer. “It’s so early in the season that I just wanted them to focus on being relaxed, having fun, setting their dives up, and then just go do what they do. With that, we have three divers in a total of six events with five NCAA Zone qualifying scores. We just want to continue to build on those steps as we move forward in the season.”

Courtesy: Tulane Athletics

BATON ROUGE, La.– The Tulane University swimming and diving team fell to LSU by a final score of 192-105 in its 2019-20 season opener Saturday morning at the LSU Natatorium.

Despite the loss, second-year head coach Leah Stancil was pleased with a number of Tulane’s strong performances, as the Green Wave finished with four individual victories and one relay win.

“We had some great swims today from Olivia Johnson, Kate McDonald and Lilly Byrne,” Stancil said. “I think we have a good starting point for the direction that we need to move toward.”

McDonald led the way for the Green Wave, as she won a pair of races, claiming the 100 and 200 breaststroke events, posting times of 1:03.39 and 2:16.93, respectively.

Johnson opened her senior season on a high note by winning the 1,000 freestyle event, finishing in a time of 10:13.57.

The Green Wave also picked up a winning performance from newcomer Byrne, who opened her collegiate career with a first-place finish in the 500 freestyle (4:57.39).

“I think our freshmen had a good experience from being able to learn and then move on, so I’m excited to see how the season progresses,” Stancil said.

Tulane closed out the dual meet with a victory in the 200 freestyle relay, as it clocked a time of 1:39.15. Freshman Drew Petereit, junior Courtney Barker, sophomoreIza Pelka and freshman Madison Cummings guided Tulane to the winning performance.

“I think our team handled today’s environment really well,” Stancil said. “They stepped up to the challenge and raced really well. They were also very supportive of one another and showed a lot of energy. I have no question about their approach to things and I really think they stepped up to the challenge wonderfully.”

Tulane returns to action on Thursday, Oct. 3 at 10 a.m., as it heads to Houston.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Five Tigers Win Event Titles as LSU Downs Tulane 192-105