Texas sophomore Jack Conger and freshman Jonathan Roberts secured top-five finishes in the 200-meter backstroke Friday evening on day two of the USA Swimming Arena Pro Swim Series event.
A night after clocking the world’s top time of the year in the 100m butterfly, Conger returned for another swim Friday evening and placed fourth in the 200m backstroke championship final at 1 minute, 59.94 seconds. Roberts followed closely behind in fifth place at 2:00.13. UT signee Ryan Harty joined his future teammates in the final and placed seventh at 2:04.20.
Texas-Exes Michael Klueh and Michael McBroom competed in the 200m freestyle championship final and placed fifth (1:50.65) and eighth (1:52.37) respectively.
The USA Swimming Arena Pro Swim Series event continues Saturday (9 a.m. prelims/6 p.m. finals) at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center.
Texas A&M
Texas A&M senior Sarah Henry, last week’s Southeastern Conference Swimmer of the Week, took a pair of fourth-place finishes while competing against some of the world’s top swimmers on Friday at the Arena Pro Swim Series at Jamail Texas Swimming Center.
Henry, from Garner, N.C., placed fourth in the 400 IM with a time of 4:45.74 behind a trio of Olympians in Elizabeth Beisel, Caitlyn Leverenz and Katinka Hosszu and just ahead of her former A&M teammate and 2012 Olympian Cammile Adams. In the next race, Henry took fourth in the 200 freestyle with a time of 2:01.66 and trailing 2012 Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky and Team USA members Megan Romano and Katie McLaughlin.
In addition to Henry, the Aggies had a strong day as a team in Austin. Trailing Henry in the 200 free were sophomore Sycerika McMahon (5th, 2:01.70), junior Meredith Oliver (7th, 2:02.39) and sophomore Sarah Gibson (8th, 2:01.82). Freshman Nancy Schuchhardt took fourth in the 400 IM consolation final with a time of 4:53.56. All five Aggies’ time were were Olympic Trials cuts.
Freshman Lisa Bratton grabbed fourth in the “A” final of the 200 backstroke with a time of 2:10.61, while junior Claire Brandt took runner-up honors in the consolation race with a time of 2:14.19. Both Aggies earned Trials cuts.
In the 50 free, senior Liliana Ibanez won the consolation final in a time of 25.73, while senior Sammie Bosma and Oliver to fifth and sixth in the race. Freshman Beryl Gastaldello won the “D” final in a time of 26.62.
The Aggies closed out the evening finals with a victory in the 800 free relay with the foursome of McMahon, Oliver, Gibson and Henry beating the field by more than 12 seconds in 8:11.43. A&M also grabbed third place with the relay of freshman Kristin Malone, senior Kelli Benjamin, freshman Laura Norman and junior Colleen Konetzke touching in 8:24.82.
