Erin Gemmell, Luke Hobson Among Standouts as Texas Sweeps TCU
This is the final season in which the University of Texas and Texas Christian University will be conference foes in the Big 12 before the Longhorns depart for the SEC, so the teams will compete in two dual meets in Austin over the course of the year, with the first of those clashes taking place Friday evening with Texas winning every event on the slate. Despite the absences of Kelly Pash and Erica Sullivan as they represent the U.S. at the Pan American Games, the Texas women won the meet 192-99, and the men had a nearly identical 191.5-to-100.5 margin.
Freshman Erin Gemmell continued a strong start to her college career as she topped the 200 butterfly (2:00.71) and 100 freestyle (49.30). Gemmell previously helped the U.S. women win silver in the 800-meter free relay at this summer’s World Championships. Grace Cooper, Emma Sticklen, Gemmell and Ava Longi secured first place in the 200 free relay in 1:29.37. Graduate transfer Alicia Wilson also had multiple individual wins, in the 400 IM (4:11.47) and 200 backstroke (1:58.86).
Sticklen was an individual winner in the 100 back (53.29) and 100 butterfly (52.28), and the Longhorns’ Emma Kern, Anna Elendt, Sticklen and Cooper won the 200 medley relay in 1:37.29. Channing Haley doubled as well, taking the 200 breast (2:15.13) and 200 IM (2:07.28).
Longi won the 200 free in 1:49.87, and Elendt was the only swimmer to break 1:00 in the 100 breaststroke (59.49). Emma Davidson was the 50 free winner (23.23), and Angie Coe touched first in the 500 free (4:50.56). In diving, Bridget O’Neil was the winner on 1-meter (351.83) and 3-meter (365.85).
Meanwhile, the reigning NCAA champion in the 200 and 500-yard free paced the Longhorn men as Luke Hobson won the 200 free (1:36.81) and 200 back (1:48.03). The youth-heavy team of Will Modglin, Will Scholtz, Nate Germonprez and Hobson took first in the 200 medley relay by two seconds with a time of 1:29.15, and the team of Germonprez, Hobson, Camden Taylor and Peter Paulus concluded the meet with a 200 free relay win (1:22.06).
Modglin also had two individual wins, topping the 100 back (47.50) and 100 free (44.93). Scholtz won the 100 breast (55.20) and 200 breast (2:00.88). Spencer Aurnou-Rhees won the 400 IM in 3:55.54 and later edged Modglin for first in the 200 IM, 1:48.72 to 1:48.77.
Sam Artmann touched in 1:50.67 for the win in the 200 fly before Paulus edged TCU’s Peter Sadlowski for the top spot in the 50 free, 20.83 to 20.85. Alec Enyeart scored first place in the 500 free (4:32.60), and Alec Filipovic touched in 48.01 for the win in the 100 fly. Nicholas Harris captured first in 1-meter diving (393.68), and Noah Duperre placed first on 3-meter (421.28).