Louisville
The University of Louisville women’s swimming and diving team had two NCAA A cuts, nine NCAA B-cuts, set five meet records and are ranked first with 184 points in the six team field after the first day of the SMU Classic Friday night in Dallas. In all, the Cards touched first in seven of nine events to take the early lead.
UofL is first followed by Missouri (151), UCLA (145), FSU (136), SMU (124) and TCU (97) after the first day. The SMU Classic has a unique format featuring six teams bringing eight swimmers and a diver who are allowed two entries per event. This year, the field includes SMU, Louisville, Missouri, TCU, UCLA and Florida State, representing the AAC, ACC, SEC, Big 12 and Pac-12.
In the opening race, the Cardinal 400-medley relay team went 3:32.36, for an NCAA’s automatic qualifying standard time and assuring the Cardinals of a relay slot at the NCAA Championships, the Cards are the first team this season to hit an automatic relay qualifying bid. Alina Kendzior led off with a 53.71 on backstroke (ranking 4th in the nation currently), All-American Andrea Cottrell posted a 59.09 on breaststroke and Worrell split 50.87 on the fly leg and then Andrea Kneppers anchored in 48.69.
In the 400-IM freshman Rachael Bradford-Feldman posted a 4:09.45 to edge Florida State freshman Megan Brown‘s 4;09.82 for the win. Marah Pugh went 4:19.03 in the B-final.
In the 200-free, freshman Mallory Comerford won with a time of 1:45.10, almost two seconds ahead of the field, her time would have scored at last year’s NCAA Championship. Abigail Houck won the B-final in 1:47.84. Both had NCAA B-cuts.
Kelsi Worrell won the 50-free with a meet record time of 22.20 and Andrea Kneppers was second in the B-final with a 22:98. Both were NCAA B-cut times.
Diver Andrea Acquista was second in the 1-meter diving with a score of 273.25.
Kelsi Worrell won her signature event with a time of 51.51 which is an NCAA A-cut. Mallory Comerford won the B-final with a time of 53.83.
In the 100-back, Alina Kendzior was fourth, hitting the wall in 54.09 and Abigail Houck was third in the B-final, going 56.47.
Andrea Cottrell won the 100-breaststroke as the only swimmer under a minute with a time of 59.58, setting a meet record and the first woman under a minute in meet history. Freshman Rachael Bradford-Feldman was third in the B-final in 1:02.79.
Louisville set another meet record with a win in the final event of the evening, touching first in the 800 free relay in 7:10.4 , posted by the team of Andrea Kneppers (1:46.12), Mallory Comerford (1:46.64), Abbie Houck (1:48.25) and Mara Pugh (1:49.39) .
SMU
A total of four meet records fell on a fast night one of the SMU Classic held at the Westside Aquatic Center on Friday evening. The Mustangs scored four top-three finishes, and head into night two in fifth place.
“This was an event that was started by coach (George) McMillion back in the 1980’s, and when I first came to SMU I thought that would be a neat thing for our team to do too,” head coach Steve Collins said. “It took us a couple years to get it going and get the interest, but after 22 years it’s a very prestigious meet for people to come to and I like to keep that tradition going. It’s always one of the fastest meets in the country every year.”
In its 22nd year, the Classic features top competition from around the country, with each school sending eight swimming representatives and one diver to vie for the event title. Louisville leads after night one with 184 total points, while Missouri sits in the runner-up spot at 151. UCLA (145), Florida State (136), SMU (124) and TCU (97) rounded out the group.
Junior transfer Maddie Hoch swam an NCAA ‘B’ cut 1:47.48 in the 200-yard freestyle Championship Final to help lead the Mustang effort. Hoch, who is the reigning American Athletic Conference Swimmer of the Week, competed against top competition in Mallory Comerford from Louisville, who finished just .05 off the meet-record. In the Consolation Final of the event, junior Ursa Bezan finished fifth at 1:51.62.
“Maddie was within a second of her personal best in her first individual race of the season,” Collins added. “I’m really proud of her and really excited for her.”
The 50-yard freestyle proved to be as fast as ever at the Classic, with the top two swimmers coming in under meet record time. Transfer Vicky Cunningham represented SMU in the event final, placing fifth and touching the wall in 23.42. Winner Kelsi Worrell placed third at last season’s NCAA Championship in the event. Junior Marne Erasmus was third in the Consolation Final at 23.67.
All-American Erasmus had her moment in the 100-yard butterfly touching the wall in 52.60 for an NCAA ‘B’ cut, and finishing behind only national champion Worrell, who set a second meet record. Hoch was SMU’s second swimmer, placing fifth in the other final.
“I was really excited for Marne,” Collins said. “She has continued to work hard and that’s what a champion does. To come back at the beginning of this season and post the time that she did tonight is just awesome. I think she’s got her spark back and that’s really a great thing.”
SMU also found success in the 100-yard breaststroke, as All-American Tara-Lynn Nicholas placed third behind fellow All-Americans Andee Cottrell (Louisville) and Abby Duncan (Missouri). In the second final, McLauchlan posted a career-best 1:04.27 for fourth.
400-yard individual medley competition featured junior Kirsty McLauchlan and sophomore Adri Santa. Santa placed 6th in the Consolation Final, while McLauchlan was 5th overall swimming in the Championship Final. Santa also occupied the same spot in the Consolation Final of the 100-yard backstroke, while senior Anna Volchkov was fifth in the Championship Final.
In relay action, the Ponies started the night in the 400-yard medley relay with Volchkov, Nicholas, Erasmus and Cunningham posting a fourth place finish. The relay team from Louisville touched first, breaking the meet record in a time of 3:32.36. To finish the evening, Louisville (7:10.40) posted another meet record for the win, while SMU touched fourth.
Junior diver Lauren Lamb placed fifth in the one-meter with a total score of 226.30.
The Mustangs are back in action for night two of the Classic tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. CT.
“The 200 relay is going to be a tough one because teams were so fast in the 400 tonight,” Collins said. “We’ve got Maddie in the 500 free and 200 butterfly, and we’ve got breaststrokers who did very well tonight. We’ll have some surprises with the 200 fly and Marne. She looked pretty good tonight so we’ll see what she can do with the 200, and it’s great to have Vicky in the 100 free.”
Event Notes:
-This is the second year the Classic has been held at the Westside Aquatic Center in Lewisville after being moved from the SMU campus.
-The 2015 Classic is the third for Nicholas and Erasmus, second for Lamb, Santa, Bezan and McLauchlan and the first for Hoch, Cunningham and Volchkov.
-Four meet records were broken on night one (50 free, 100 fly, 800 free relay, 400 medley relay)
-Mustangs posted three ‘B’ standard NCAA qualifying times on night one
-Kirsty McLauchlan posted a career best in the 100 breast (1:04.27)
Missouri
The Mizzou women’s swimming and diving team sit in second place with 151 points after day one competition at the 22nd annual SMU Women’s Classic Friday night in Lewisville, Texas. The Tigers trail only Louisville (184) in the team standings, while they lead UCLA (145), Florida State (136), SMU (124) and TCU (97). The Classic follows a unique format, where each team is limited to eight total swimmers and one diver, Teams send one swimmer to each event’s championship and consolation finals.
Missouri opened the evening with a second-place showing in the 400 medley relay. Sophomore Hannah Stevens, redshirt senior Abby Duncan, senior Anna Patterson and sophomore Rachel Hayden combined to touch the wall in 3:38.07, only behind Louisville.
Stevens and Duncan both earned runner-up championship final finishes in their respective events on Friday. Stevens swam an NCAA ‘B’ time of 53.38 for second in the 100 back, while Duncan placed second in the 100 breast in 1:00.26.
The Tigers also won the 100 back and 100 breast consolation finals with stellar swims from juniors Nadine Laemmler and Katharine Ross. Laemmler matched Stevens’ 100 back time of 53.38 to win that event’s consolation final and Ross swam the second-fastest 100 breast time in the national to win the B final in 1:00.22.
In the diving well, sophomore Kendra Kieser finished third on 1-meter after a six-round score of 251.20 points.
Mizzou posted fourth-place championship final finishes in the 400 IM, 200 free, 50 free and100 fly. Patterson notched times of 23.26 in the 50 free and 55.02 in the 100 fly, sophomore Sharli Brady clocked a 4:17.88 in the 400 IM and sophomore Kira Zubar went 1:49.90 in the 200 free.
Laemmler won her second consolation final of the evening in the 400 IM, where she touched the wall in 4:15.92. In the 100 fly consolation final, Brady swam a 54.35 for second, and Hayden placed third in the 100 free B final in 1:49.55.
Mizzou concluded Friday action in the 800 free relay, where the foursome of Hayden, Brady, Zubar and Stevens took third in 7:20.87.
The Tigers conclude competition at the SMU Women’s Classic on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 6:30 p.m. CT.
Fresno State
It only took one swim for freshman Meg Brown to write her name in the FSU history books on Friday night at the SMU Classic as she posted the second fastest 400 IM time by a Seminole at 4:09.82 in her debut. She was second in the race.
Brown’s NCAA B standard nearly missed Julia Henkel’s school record of 4:09.64, which was set at the NCAA Championships in 2014.
“Tonight was exactly what we needed,” FSU head coach Frank Bradley said. “We needed our younger athletes to give us a spark and right up front in the first event of the meet we did exactly that.”
In addition, Brown put up another best time in the 100 fly, taking fifth with a time of 55.40.
“Meg has been itching to race,” Bradley said. “She sat out the first two meets, but she was ready to go tonight and she went for it and it paid off. She was a great addition for us and now with one day of racing under her belt, that 400 IM will most likely qualify her for NCAA’s.”
The Seminoles collected five personal best times on the night. In addition to Brown’s two, freshman Summer Finke swam a new best time in the 400 IM of 4:22.26, placing ninth while freshman Gracie Redding posted her best in the 100 fly of 55.32 for 10th.
Senior Josie Cuda followed Brown’s and Finke’s performances with a career best of her own in the 200 free with a mark of 1:48.13 for the bronze.
“It’s October,” Bradley said. “And I loved the chemistry we had here tonight. Those ladies up front got things going and I’m very encouraged with what we started right now.”
Senior Sami Pochowski posted an eighth place finish in the 200 free behind Cuda with a 1:48.89, while sophomore Alexi Smith took third in the 50 free with a time of 23.16.
Senior Bianca Spinazzola finished the 100 back with an NCAA B time of 53.99 for third and sophomore Natalie Pierce took fourth with a time of 1:02.37 in the 100 breast. Pochowski was eighth at 1:02.67.
In 1-meter diving, Caroline Gerhardt placed fourth with a score of 247.00.
The Seminoles finished off the night by taking second in the 800 free relay as three of the four swimmers split under the 1:50-second barrier which included Cuda’s lead-off leg of 1:48.75. Pochowski, Brown and Finke finished the race giving the Seminoles a final time of 7:19.65.
“That was a great 800 free relay,” Bradley said. “This relay could be a strong one for us. I like where we are right now and I’m anxious for tomorrow’s session.”
Florida State enters Saturday’s session in fourth place with 136 points. Louisville leads with 184 and is followed by Missouri (151) and UCLA (145). SMU (124) is in fifth and TCU (97) is in seventh.
Saturday will contain the 200 medley relay, 500 free, 200 breast, 200 back, 100 free, 200 fly, 200 IM, 200 free relay and 3-meter diving.
