Hoosierland Invite - Day Two

INDIANA MEN

Wins in the 200 medley relay, 100 backstroke, platform diving and 800 free relay by the Hoosiers highlighted day two of the Hoosierland Invitational Saturday night at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center.
 
“I am really pleased with how everyone swam multiple races,” said head swimming coach Ray Looze. “Some people were going in two events, plus relays but I thought we were able to swim well tired.
 
“We are working to swim at a high level in back-to-back races and I think we have taken steps forward in that regard.”
 
Indiana opened the evening session by going 1-2 in the 200 medley relay as Doug Spraul, Tyler Lemert, Ante Zoricic and Bryan Chovanec clocked a time of 1:34.26. Zack Stockman, Aaron Opell, Tim Blue and Titus Knight were second in 1:34.95.
 
Brenden Butler was second in the 400 individual medley, posting a time of 4:04.18. Austin Steel was third with a season best of 4:04.86, followed by Kevin Happ in fourth (4:08.25), Illya Larin in fifth (4:09.55), Sam Trahin in sixth (4:11.60) and Blue in seventh (4:15.62). Happ, Larin and Blue all had season-best swims.
 
Tyler Shedron was second in the 100 butterfly championship final with a time of 50.17, the fastest time by a Hoosier this season. Bleu was third (50.51), with Jon Hueni fourth (51.02), Spraul fifth (51.59), Bryant Honsa sixth (51.81) and Bader Al-Muhana seventh (51.92).
 
Knight placed second in the 200 freestyle, coming home in 1:40.11. Shedron took third (1:40.64), with Steel sixth (1:43.00), Larin seventh (1:43.27) and Honsa eighth (1:44.37). Shedron, Steel and Larin all posted season bests with their swims.
 
Opell was the top IU finisher in the 100 breaststroke with the fastest time by a Hoosier this season at 56.62, taking second. Butler was fourth in 1:00.07, with Tyler Lemert fifth (1:00.21) and Knight eighth (1:03.11).
 
Spraul remained undefeated in the 100 backstroke with a winning time of 50.71. He was followed by Steel in third (52.05), Happ fifth (52.58), Stockman sixth (52.91) and Wetzel seventh (53.81).
 
The Hoosier quartet of Knight, Zoricic, Andrew Taylor and John Schnittker took first in the 800 free relay with a time of 6:52.87. The squad of Shedron, Steel, Larin and Honsa was third in 6:57.30.
 
David Piercy posted a second-place finish in the three-meter springboard competition with a score of 370.80. Zac Nees was third with 367.10 points, followed by Ross Dreher in fourth (330.55). Casey Johnson was seventh with 312.80 points, followed by Mick Dell’Orco in 10th (271.75).
 
In the platform competition Nees took the top spot with 346.60 points, followed by Dell’Orco in second (343.35) and Johnson in third (342.45). Dreher rounded out the finalists in sixth (302.05).


INDIANA WOMEN

Led by victories in the 400 individual medley, 200 freestyle, 100 backstroke, platform diving and 800 free relay, the Indiana women’s swimming and diving team wrapped up competition on day two of the Hoosierland Invitational at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center Saturday night.
 
The meet concludes Sunday with a preliminary session at 9 a.m. and a finals session at 6 p.m.

“I am really pleased with how everyone swam multiple races,” said head swimming coach Ray Looze. “Some people were going in two events, plus relays but I thought we were able to swim well tired.
 
“We are working to swim at a high level in back-to-back races and I think we have taken steps forward in that regard.”

Kate Fesenko, Brittany Barwegen, Donna Smailis and Margaux Farrell combined for second-place finish in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:42.63 IU’s relay team of Ashley Jones, Ashley Specht, Taylor Wohrley and Brittany Strumbel finished fifth in 1:48.51.
 
Allysa Vavra and Ashley Jones went 1-2 in the 400-yard individual medley championship final, with Vavra touching first in 4:16.29, and Jones second in 4:20.05. Strumbel also swam the championship final where she finished sixth (4:29.78).
 
Barwegen was the top Hoosier finisher in the 100 butterfly with a time of 55.56, good for fourth in the championship final. Kim Tracey led the way in the consolation final, placing 10th overall (57.87).
 
The Hoosiers dominated the 200 free final as Fesenko just missed an NCAA B cut with a winning time of 1:49.61. Smailis was second in 1:49.71, followed by Strumbel in fourth (1:51.35), Ashley Jones in fifth (1:51.90) and Nikki White in eighth (1:55.15).
 
Barwegen posted her second individual top-five finish of the night with a second-place showing in the 100 breaststroke, finishing in 1:04.52. Specht was fourth (1:05.56), with Vavra sixth (1:07.11) and Amilee Smith seventh (1:07.29).
 
Fesenko was 1/10th of a second away from an NCAA A cut in the 100 backstroke with a winning time of 53.15, her fastest time of the season to date. Smailis was third in 56.08, with Wohrley eighth (59.77). Farrell won the consolation heat with a time of 58.39.
 
The team of Strumbel, White, Fesenko and Smailis combined to win the 800 free relay in the final event of the evening in 7:28.70. IU also took the second spot with Farrell, Vavra, Ashley Jones and Wohrley finishing in 7:32.98.
 
In women’s 1-meter diving competition, Logan Kline took second with a score of 296.05, while Gabby Agostino was third (295.55) and Christina Kouklakis fourth (285.40). Also competing in the final were Amy Korthauer (7th- 273.10), Amy Cozad (11th- 254.40) and Nicole Brehm (12th- 253.15).
 
On the platform it was Korthauer taking the top spot with a score of 388.95, a personal best. Kouklakis was third (301.80), with Cozad fourth (295.15), Heidi Mahnken fifth (294.50), Kline sixth (292.00), Agostino seventh (265.30) and Cassidy Kahn eighth (243.05).


NOTRE DAME

Three races were won by the Notre Dame women’s swimming and diving team Saturday during the second day of Indiana’s Hoosierland Invitational. Samantha Maxwell continued her impressive streak of breaststroke performances with an individual win in the 100 version of the event and Kim Holden tacked on a victory in the 100 fly.

The Irish wrap up the three-day event at Cousilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center on Sunday (Nov. 22). Live stats will be available at UND.com.

--

200 Medley Relay: The night commenced with a close battle between the leading Irish and Hoosier relays until the final leg … Amywren Miller streamed into the wall a full second ahead of Indiana’s Margaux Farrell snapping up the first win of the night for Notre Dame in 1:41.63 … a battle with Cincinnati for third place ended with the Irish on top as Delia Cronin overtook the Bearcat relay and locked in the finishing time of 1:45.87 for the bronze distinction.

400 Individual Medley: The A-final was loaded with Irish and Hoosier swimmers fighting to shave time from the morning session … Indiana’s Allyssa Vavra and Ashley Jones pulled away from Ashlee Edgell during the breaststroke to eventually claim respective 1-2 finishes in 4:16.29 and 4:20.05 … Edgell followed up with a third-place claim in 4:21.85.

100 Butterfly: This quickly developed into a tight race as the top five competitors were vying for gold neck-and-neck … Kim Holden and Katie Casey struck out to a slight lead in the final length and claimed the top two spots in respective times of 55.00 and 55.11 … teammate Kellyn Kuhlke carried home the third spot in 55.30.

200 Freestyle: The event started with a battle for distinction coming out of the second turn … the Hoosier tandem of Kate Fesenko and Donna Smailis finally gained clear distinction as pack leaders during the third lap … the gap increased as the Indiana pair split a full second faster than the rest of the field to claim victory with Fesenko in at 1:49.61 and Smailis following in 1:49.71 … Megan Farrell was next into the wall with a time of 1:50.98.

100 Breaststroke: Samantha Maxwell struck out to an early lead which she continued to build on throughout the race … Maxwell dominated the field as the Hoosiers gave chase, eventually claiming the top honors in 1:02.83 followed by Indiana’s Brittany Barwegen in 1:05.10.

100 Backstroke: Fesenko and Holden cruised to early advantages over the rest of the heat … Fesenko gradually pulled away throughout the ensuing lengths, slamming the wall first with a time of 53.15 … Holden followed in at 54.72 seizing the runner-up spot.

800 Freestyle Relay: The Hoosier relays were immediately off to strong starts due to the efforts of Brittany Strumbel and Margaux Farrell … Indiana’s women continued to pull away from the field as anchor swimmers Smailis and Taylor Whorley locked in respective first and second finishes in 7:28.70 and 7:32.98 … the Irish followed up in 7:34.76.