The LSU swimming and diving team combined to break eight pool records on the first day of competition against Northern Arizona and Wyoming Friday afternoon at NAU's Wall Aquatic Center.
The teams return to the pool tomorrow at 11 a.m. CT for the final day of competition. After the first day, the women's team leads Northern Arizona 197-84 and Wyoming 177-104.
“The women were pushed early in the meet and squeaked out the win in the first relay,” LSU swimming coach Dave Geyer said. “The longer events are definitely a challenge here but I enjoyed our racing approach as a whole. For the program to do what we want to do this year, we need to push hard tomorrow in our racing as well.”
Junior Kara Kopcso led the way for the squad with four victories and three pool records. Kopcso opened the afternoon with a victory in the 400-meter medley relay along with Haylee Knight, Colleen O’Neil and Leah Troskot (4:11.76).
For the second time this season, Kopcso took first in the 200 fly. Her time of 2:14.98 in the short course meters format was also a pool record. Kopcso returned to the pool later and took first in the 200-meter butterfly (27.70). The Mandeville, Louisiana native capped her night with a victory and pool record in the 200-meter IM (2:19.19).
Senior Megan Cox returned home to Arizona and tallied two pool records, two wins and a second-place finish in the 200-meter freestyle relay. Cox opened with a victory in the 200-meter freestyle (2:02.89) and followed with a win in the 16th event, the 100-meter freestyle (56.54).
O’Neil earned victories for the Lady Tigers in the 50 and 200-meter breaststroke with times of 32.35 and 2:38.15. Senior Sophie Weber touched the wall first in the 200-meter with a record time of 2:18.47. Weber followed that record breaking performance with a second-place finish in the 200-meter IM.
In just her second collegiate meet, Knight made an impact for the Lady Tigers. Knight touched the wall second in the 50-meter backstroke (29.46) and 50-meter freestyle (25.48).
Senior Cassie Weil rounded out the women’s side with a win on three-meter springboard. Weil tallied a pool record score of 339.65.
After a day of competition, Wyoming leads 168-112on the men’s side. In his first collegiate meet, Thomas Smith sparked the Tigers with a victory and pool record in the 200-meter backstroke (2:01.32). Smith also added runner-up finishes in the 50-meter backstroke and 200-meter IM.
Logan Rysemus, the men’s team captain, led the way for the Tigers with victories in the 50-meter backstroke with a time of 26.33and 50-meter butterfly with a time of 24.91.
Diver Andrew Suchla also recorded a victory on one-meter springboard with a pool record score of 312.05.
Senior Alex Linge touched the wall second in the 100-meter freestyle (51.66). Garrett House just narrowly finished second in the 200-meter breaststroke with a time of 2:19.30.
“I expected a great challenge from Wyoming and they are certainly giving our men’s team that after day one,” Geyer said. “The meet is a huge challenge for our program being the first dual, all of the youth on the squad and being at 7,000 feet. We will have our work cut out for us tomorrow but there will be some fight in us for sure.”
Northern Arizona
The Northern Arizona swimming & diving team knew the competition would be stiff during their season-opening double dual, and the talent brought into the Wall Aquatic Center pool was among the best the Lumberjacks have ever seen. A total of nine pool records were broken on Friday as evidence of LSU and Wyoming’s performances, but the Lumberjacks more than held their own with senior Kendall Brown shining with two overall event wins in the 400 and 800 freestyle.
“Kendall was the swimmer of the meet for us, not to mention she won the 200 IM versus Wyoming which gave us a chance at the end,” said head coach Andy Johns. “Overall we had a lot of great racing, and we were up against two really good teams. That does nothing but help us get better. I’m really proud of the way Kimmy Richter swam, and Urte (Kazakeviciute) had a great 200 breaststroke. We’re going to have a battle again with Wyoming tomorrow and we’re looking forward to swimming a few different races.”
Friday was the first of a two-day double dual between NAU, LSU and Wyoming. After Friday’s 15 event schedule, the Lumberjacks trail Wyoming by a score of 150-131 and LSU by a score of 197-84. The first day’s team scores will be completed with the 1-meter diving event on Saturday.
Brown was the highlight for NAU as she posted two overall wins in the two distance freestyle events. Brown won the 800 free in Friday’s first individual event posting a time of 9:07.45, which was over 10 seconds better than LSU’s Nicole Hlavacek. She later won the 400 free with a time of 4:25.82, besting the Tigers’ Devon Dabney by two seconds. Brown concluded her day with a third-place overall finish in the 200 IM, which was good for first in the head-to-head dual versus Wyoming.
Sophomore Claire Hammond shined in the 100 and 200 freestyles, recording a pair of top three overall finishes. In the 100 free, she finished runner-up with a time of 57.57 which trailed LSU, but narrowly bested Wyoming’s Emily Ridout. That was a follow up to Hammond’s third-place effort in the 200 free with a time of 2:07.61. She sat behind a pair of LSU swimmers, but was able to nab the victory against Wyoming. In fact, NAU went one-two versus Wyoming in the 200 free coupled with sophomore Kimmy Richter’s fifth-place overall finish.
Richter also teamed for a one-two finish for the ‘Jacks in the 400 free, placing third overall. Coupled with Brown’s win, the Lumberjacks took the top two spots versus the Cowgirls. NAU enjoyed its third one-two finish head-to-head with Wyoming in the 200 breaststroke where junior Urte Kazakeviciute and sophomore Melanie Harris placed second and fourth overall. Kazakeviciute was narrowly out-touched at the wall by LSU’s Colleen O’Neil by less than eight-tenths of a second, but still posted a solid time of 2:38.90.
Sophomore Alina Staffeldt starred in the two butterfly events, garnering a pair of outstanding finishes in the 50 and 200 fly. Squaring off against LSU’s All-American Kara Kopcso, she finished third overall in the 50 fly with a time of 28.28, and second overall in the 200 fly with a time of 2:19.25. Her 200 fly performance was a winning one versus Wyoming.
On the diving boards, junior Alexa Geiger led the way with an NCAA Zone qualifying score of 282.10. She secured a spot in the NCAA Zone E Meet, which NAU will be hosting in March, in her first regular season meet on 3-meter and notched a second-place overall finish. She won the head-to-head against Wyoming, and was followed in fourth overall by senior Chelsea Jackson. Jackson was third when looking at each dual meet individually, while freshman Raquel Gonzales placed fifth against Wyoming – and seventh overall.
“I was ecstatic with how our team dove today in our first meet,” said diving coach Nikki Huffman. “Lex winning against Wyoming, and being second against a great competitor, was great accomplishment considering she’s been battling an injury. The freshmen also did a great job. They all overcame something, whether it was attempting new divers or overcoming an injury. I was really happy with how they all dove and this was a great start to the season.”
LSU also leads Wyoming in their women’s dual meet, 177-104.
LSU and Wyoming’s men’s teams also competed with Wyoming holding the 168-112 advantage with one diving event remaining on Saturday. Between the two men’s teams, they combined to break 10 Wall Aquatic Center records in the first NCAA men’s meet in Flagstaff since 1999.
“It was exciting to watch the men’s meet and it was a battle,” Johns said. “It brought a lot of energy to the pool and that carries over to our women, even if we don’t have a men’s team.”
The combined men’s and women’s meet continues on Saturday in the Wall Aquatic Center at 9 a.m.
