The East Carolina men won its third straight, while the Houston captured women’s title at the 2017 American Athletic Conference Swimming and Diving Championships at the Campus & Wellness Recreation Center Natatorium on the campus of the University of Houston on Saturday.
The Cougars came out on top of the women’s six-team standings 772. SMU followed in second place (676), while Cincinnati (625), East Carolina (473), UConn (460) and Tulane (457) rounded out the standings. Houston’s Ryan Wochomurka was named The American Swimming Coach of the Year, while John Bransfield of UConn and Bob Gunter of Houston were named Co-Diving Coaches of the Year for the second consecutive season.
The Pirates finished atop the men’s standings with a final score of 901 points. SMU placed runner-up with 764.50 points, followed by Cincinnati (760) and UConn (634.50). East Carolina’s Rick Kobe was voted as the Swimming Coach of the Year for the third straight year, while Jim Stillson of SMU earned the Diving Coach of the Year.
Cincinnati senior Jacqueline Keire and SMU junior Matea Samardzic were named Women’s Co- Most Outstanding Swimmers of the Year. Keire capped her individual reign in the freestyle events with a three-peat in the women’s 100-yard freestyle. Keire touched the wall in a meet-record time of 47.95. She finished the championship with three individual meet records (50, 100, 200 free). Samardzic collected three individual wins for the Mustangs. She set a meet record in the women’s 100-yard backstroke (1:52.69) on the final day of competition, to go with wins in the 200 back and the 400 IM.
The Men’s Most Outstanding Swimmer award went to SMU’s Jonathan Gomez. The junior took home the gold and set meet records in the 400 induvial medley (3:43.97), 500 freestyle (4:17.68), and the 200 butterfly (1:41.98). He accumulated 60 points for the Mustangs during the four-day championship.
Bryce Klein of SMU was selected as the Men’s Most Outstanding Diver of the Year for the second consecutive year. Klein turned in first-place performances in the 1-meter and 3-meter, and added a silver medal in the platform event. The women’s Most Outstanding Diver of the Year went to Houston junior Micaela Bouter, who took home the gold on the 3-meter board and silver in the platform.
Cincinnati’s Christopher Bready obliterated his own meet record by almost 10 seconds for his third straight men’s 1,650-yard freestyle title. Following Bready was UConn freshman Karl Bishop (15:02.00) and Cincinnati freshman Din Selmanovic (15:06.16). In the women’s race, UConn sophomore Emma Smith swam a meet-record time of 16:19.90. East Carolina’s Marion Abert (16:25.33) and Bearcat Sara Wanasek (16:31.83) followed.
UConn freshman completed his sweep of the backstroke events with a winning time of 1:43.99 in the men’s 200-yard backstroke. On the women’s side,
After claiming the top spot in the men’s 200-yard freestyle on Friday, East Carolina junior John Myhre collected his second gold in two days with the top time in the 100 freestyle (44.0). SMU’s Ziga Cerkovnik (44.37) took home second, followed by Pirate Maxime Cadiat (44.61) in third.
East Carolina junior Vendella Norrman claimed back-to-back titles in the women’s 200-yard breaststroke. Norrman finished with a top time of 2:10.21, followed by Houston freshman Victoria Roubiq (2:12.50) and SMU senior Tara Nicholas (2:12.56). In the men’s event, SMU freshman Ronan Faur (1:56.21) outlasted East Carolina senior Erle Craven (1:56.81) for the win.
On the women’s side, the Mustangs placed the top-two finishers as senior Marne Erasmus repeated in the event. Erasmus covered the distance in 1:57.36, while teammate Anna Cheesbroug tripped the timer at 1:58.79.
In the women’s platform, SMU sophomore Brooke Pospichal took home the gold with a score of 235.75. UConn senior Spencer Beaulieu claimed the men’s platform diving title with a winning score of 246.45.
SMU walked away with the women’s 400-yard freestyle relay title for the third straight year. The Mustang team of Adri Santa, Hannah Rogers, Matea Samardzic and Vicky Cunningham won a narrow race with a time of 3:18.85. In the men’s race, the East Carolina team comprised of Victor Martins Dos Santos, Maxime Cadiat, Fran Krznaric and John Myhre covered the distance in 2:56.69 for the win.
2017 American Athletic Conference Swimming & Diving Championships
Campus Recreation & Wellness Center Natatorium • Houston, Texas
Feb. 15-18, 2017
Final Women's Scores
1. Houston 772
2. SMU 676
3. Cincinnati 625
4. East Carolina 473
5. UConn 460
6. Tulane 395
Final Men's Scores
1. East Carolina 901
2. SMU 764.50
3. Cincinnati 760
4. UConn 634.50
