Alabama
The Alabama swimming and diving teams got off to a fast start on day one of the H2Okie Invitational, decimating the field in the men’s 50 freestyle, going 1-2-3 and posting the two fastest times in the nation this season, as well as winning three of the day’s four relays.
Sophomore Kristian Gkolomeev won the 50 freestyle with a 19.11, the fastest time in the nation this season and just 16-hundredths of a second off his school-record time of 18.95, which won the NCAA titles last season. With Thursday’s time, Gkolomeev has punched his ticket for the 2015 national championships by a bettering the NCAA’s automatic standard.
Junior Brett Walsh took second in the 50 with a career-best 19.74, which ranks him second in the nation this season. Walsh’s time ties him for fourth all-time at Alabama with four-time Olympic gold medalist Jon Olsen. Sophomore Alex Gray also posted a career-best time in the 50, finishing third with a 20.03, which ranks him seventh all-time at Alabama.
In the women’s 50 freestyle, freshman Temarie Tomley won the B final with a 23.34 while junior Justine Panian won the C final with a 23.36. Tomley’s and Panian’s times were the fourth and fifth fastest of the meet, respectively.
The Crimson Tide also won both the men’s and women’s 200 freestyle relays. Sophomore Bailey Scott, freshman Temarie Tomley along with juniors Justine Panian and Emma Saunders combined to win the women’s race with a 1:30.95. In the men’s 200 freestyle relay, Gkolomeev, Gray, freshman Luke Kaliszak and Walsh touched the wall with a 1:18.47 for the win.
Alabama’s men also won the 400 medley relay when sophomores Connor Oslin and Pavel Romanov combined with Walsh and Gkolomeev to post a 3:11.16. The Tide was second in the women’s 400 medley relay when Saunders, senior Kaylin Burchell, sophomore Leah Bird and Tomley swam a 3:39.74.
Junior Brian Westlake took fifth in the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:29.51. Sophomores Anton McKee and Jack Hadjiconstantinou along with freshman Will Freeman and junior Travis Kerner went 1-2-3-4, respectively in the B final of the 500 freestyle. McKee won the B final with a 4:28.83.
On the women’s side of the slate, freshmen Mia Nonnenberg, Karolina Szczepaniak and Paige Matherson went 1-2-3 in the B final of 500 freestyle. Nonnenberg's 4:49.54 was the fourth fastest time of the day and ranks her fifth all-time at Alabama. Szczepaniak's 4:51.67 ranks her eighth all time at Alabama while Matherson's 4:52.94 ranks her 10th.
Burchell won the B final of the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:00.69, which ranked at the third fastest time of the meet overall.
Liberty
Liberty opened the 2014 Virginia Tech Invitational against a strong field on Thursday at Christiansburg Aquatic Center.
The Lady Flames currently sit in seventh place while competing against three teams that appeared in the latest CollegeSwimming.com Power Rankings. Host Virginia Tech leads the standings with 420 points, while Alabama holds a narrow one-point lead (200-199) over SEC foe South Carolina for second place. Villanova (146 points) and William & Mary (122) round out the top five. Ohio is sixth with 72 points, while Liberty’s 48 points rank seventh.
The meet features a similar event program as the 2015 CCSA Swimming and Diving Championships. However, unlike the conference championships, the Hokie Fall Invitational allows for unlimited entries, leading to multiple relays and extra individuals scoring per school.
Senior Cori Gary earned a B Final swim in the 50 free, swimming 23.82 in preliminary heats. She then tied for 12th place overall with a season-best 23.70 during the B Final. Junior Kendall Hough qualified for the 50 free consolation final in 23.90, before tying for 23rd overall in 24.00.
Liberty’s A 200 freestyle relay, consisting of Hough, freshman Ashlee Sall, Gary and Meghan Babcock, clocked a 1:35.57 for a ninth-place showing.
Babcock tied for 28th in the 50 free, swimming 24.11. Sall swam 24.65 for 40th place, while senior Chloe Thomas finished in a tie for 42nd with a 24.76 clocking. Freshmen Kendall Hart (24.78 – 44th), Chelsea Pond (24.81 – 45th), Rachel Rippey (25.36 – 56th), Danielle Boother (25.38 – 57th) and Sydney Archuleta (26.24 – 61st) all competed in the 50 free as well.
The Liberty A 400 medley relay placed 18th, as Hough, freshman Prudence Rooker, Hart and Gary clocked a season-best time of 3:54.00.
Junior Hannah Wakeley placed 40th in the 500 free with a season-best 5:11.38. Senior Emily Duff took 42nd in 5:11.86, while junior Kristin VanDeventer went 5:12.77 for 43rd place. Freshman Sarah Browning’s 5:16.08 clocking placed 47th, while Rachel Hoeve (5:25.84) finished in 52nd place.
Rooker clocked Liberty’s best 200 individual medley time of the day, claiming 38th place in 2:09.52. Freshman Rachel Wasko’s season-best 2:12.71 earned her 49th place. Junior Ranndi Grubbs touched the wall in 2:14.02 for 52nd, while Hart finished one spot behind Grubbs with a 2:14.04 showing. Junior Natalie Beale (2:14.69) place 55th, one spot ahead of Boothe (2:15.00). Senior Jennifer Garzinski’s 2:19.43 placed 63rd, while sophomore Victoria Tschoke placed 64th in 2:22.26.
South Carolina
Junior Marwan El Kamash and redshirt sophomore Kevin Leithold both recorded wins for the Gamecocks on the opening day of the Virginia Tech Invitational. El Kamash claimed first in the 500 freestyle final with a NCAA B cut time of 4:20.82 while Leithold took first place in the 200 IM final with a NCAA B cut time of 1:47.16.
Host Virginia Tech leads the both the men and women’s competitions with scores of 422 and 420, respectively. Alabama is currently in second place with 290 points on the men’s side and 200 on the women’s side. Both the South Carolina men and women finished the day in third place; the men tallied 228 points while the women have 199 points.
Freshmen Tomas Peribonio and Travis Morrin both advanced to the A final of the 500 freestyle and finished third and eighth, respectively. Peribonio recorded an NCAA B cut time of 4:23.71, which is a new personal record and ranks ninth in school history. Morrin also recorded a new personal record with a time of 4:34.08. Freshman Patrick McCrillis finished 13th overall (4:37.51) after advancing to the B final and sophomore Robert Gilchrist (4:39.43) placed 18th overall after advancing to the C final.
Freshman Nils-Wich Glasen advanced to the championship final in the 200 IM, where he finished sixth overall, after setting a new personal record in the preliminary heat with a NCAA B cut time of 1:48.81. Freshman Bryce Kananowicz placed eighth in the final with a new personal record of 1:49.33. Swimming in the B final, freshmen Jeremiah Bohon and Caleb Tosh finished 13th and 14th overall, respectively, while senior Jared Kauffman placed 15th.
Senior Michael Covert finished sixth in the A final of the 50 freestyle with a time of 20.88. Sophomore Jonathan Boland set a new personal record of 20.83 and placed 12th overall after swimming in the B final.
In the women’s 500 freestyle, senior Victoria Mitchell finished third in the A final with a new personal record of 4:48.35, which ranks fifth all-time in school history. Four more Gamecocks swam in the Championship final as senior Annika Jonsson claimed fourth (4:50.01), junior Ashleigh Ferguson finished sixth (4:56.27), freshman took seventh Taylor Worrell (4:56.40) and sophomore Cooper Brown placed eighth (4:57.34). Senior Charlotte Ward and freshman Sarah Smith swam in the B final, finishing 12th and 13th overall, respectively.
In the preliminary heat of the 200 IM, freshman Heather Merritt recorded and NCAA B cut time of 2:00.56, which is a new personal record and ranks second in school history. Merritt’s time advanced her to the A final where she placed fourth. Swimming in the B final, Elisabeth Worrell and Megan Carlson finished 11th and 15th overall, respectively.
Freshman Meredith Vay’s career-best time of 23.20 propelled her to a second-place finish in the championship final of the 50 freestyle.
Both the men and women logged season-best times in both the 200 freestyle and 400 medley relays.
KEY STAT
Five Gamecocks recorded NCAA B cut times (El Kamash, Leithold, Wich-Glasen, Peribonio and Merritt).
NOTABLES
• Peribonio’s time of 4:23.71 in the 500 freestyle ranks ninth in school history
• Mitchell’s time of 4:48.34 in the 500 freestyle ranks fifth in school history
• Jonsson’s time of 4:50.01 in the 500 freestyle moves her up to seventh in school history
• Wich-Glasen’s time of 1:48.81 in the 200 IM ranks ninth in school history, he now ranks in the top-10 in two events
• Merritt’s time of 2:00.56 in the 200 IM ranks second in school history
• Merritt recorded the women’s first NCAA B cut time of the season
QUOTABLE
Head swimming coach McGee Moody
“We had a really good morning and a kind of hot and cold night. All in all we had a pretty big day. Marwan (El Kamash) had a really good night winning the 500 freestyle. Kevin (Leithold) also had a really good night winning the 200 IM. They both put up good times. The next two days we’re just going to try to battle it out with Alabama and Virginia Tech.
Head diving coach Todd Sherritt
“Overall it was a pretty good day. The competition is very tough here and I’m really happy with how our group performed. Cole (Miller) finishing second (on the one-meter) was huge. I’m very happy with our men’s team, they were very consistent. The women did a good hob as well. They were is position to win but weren’t able to capitalize.”
UP NEXT
The second day of the Virginia Tech Invitational starts tomorrow with preliminaries at 10 a.m. and finals to follow at 6 p.m. The diving team will continue with day two of the Georgia Tech Invitational, beginning 11 a.m.
Virginia Tech
The Virginia Tech swimming & diving teams finish one day of competition at the H2Okie Fall Invitational in the lead. Fiona Donnelly led the H2Okies, breaking the Virginia Tech ! record in the 200 individual medley.
"I was really pleased across the board,” head coach Ned Skinner said. “For example, Fiona Donnelly breaking the school record in the 200 IM was outstanding. The divers were excellent, both the men and the women. I thought the relays were outstanding, which just shows 'team.’ It shows the desire to do it for the cause. The energy on the pool deck was really good, keeping in mind that this not our main event of the year, it's kind of our halfway point."
In the women’s meet, Tech has a sizable lead with 420 points, leading No. 24 Alabama (200), South Carolina (199), Villanova (146), William & Mary (122), Ohio (72) and Liberty (48).
In the men’s meet, the No. 17 H2Okies are leading with a score of 422 ahead of No 15 Alabama (290), South Carolina (228), William & Mary (115) and Villanova (73).
Women’s Competition
In the first race of evening finals on day one, Tech’s women’s relay teams finished second and third in the 200 free relay to score quality team points for the H2Okies. In the next race, Jessica Hespeler picked up the first win for Tech in the 500 free, finishing with a time of 4:46.86.
The highlight race of the night, however, came in the 200 individual medley where Donnelly set a new Virginia Tech record, finishing in 1:58.67. Right behind her, Klaudia Nazieblo and Holly Harper finished second and third.
In the last event of the day for the women, Tech’s 400 medley relay team won with a time of 3:39.33 with Nazieblo, Weronika Paluszek, Maggie Gruber and Margaret Parcell swimming for the H2Okies.
In the women’s 3-meter diving event, Kaylea Arnett picked up another win, scoring 338.35. Behind her, Kelli Stockton, Ashley Buchter and Emma Villarreal finished second, third and fourth.
Men’s Competition
The Tech men opened the competition just like the women, taking second and third in the 200 free relay.
In the 500 free, Michal Szuba placed second after racing with a time of 4:21.04.
In the 200 individual medley, Tech was unable to pick up the win, but took all the spots from second to fifth. Brandon Fiala finished second with a time of 1:47.55.
To close out the evening, Tech’s 400 medley relay team finished second with a time of 3:12.06 with Collin Higgins, Brandon Fiala, Morgan Latimer and Owen Burns.
The fall invitational event will continue tomorrow, with preliminaries beginning at 10 a.m. and finals beginning at 6 p.m.
