Georgia Tech Invite: Michigan Off to Hot Start Through First Two Days
The Michigan women’s team of Stephanie Balduccini, Brady Kendall, Claire Newman and Lindsay Flynn won the 200 freestyle relay in 1:27.21, with Flynn coming home in 21.49. Auburn, anchored by Lora Komoroczy in 21.44, came in three tenths back in 1:27.51, with Georgia Tech third (1:28.96).
The Wolverines went 1-2-3 in the 500 free, with Hannah Bellard edging out Rebecca Diaconsecu for the win, 4:34.77 to 4:35.03. Madison Smith came in third at 4:42.92. Balduccini clocked 1:55.82 for the win in the 200 IM, beating Florida State’s Maddy Huggins (1:56.76) and Michigan teammate Devon Kitchel (1:57.27). Flynn won the 50 free in 22.04, with Auburn’s Lexie Mulvihill (22.16) and Newman (22.20) rounding out the top-three.
Michigan’s winning streak would come to an end in the final event of the night, with Florida State earning the win by seven hundredths in the 400 medley relay. The Seminoles’ Alice Velden, Huggins, Edith Jernstedt and Gloria Muzito clocked 3:31.68, holding off the Wolverines despite a nearly-heroic 46.99 closing split from Flynn.
The Seminoles also opened day two in fine fashion. Jenny Halden stepped in for the butterfly leg alongside Veden, Huggins and Muzito to win in 1:35.13, followed by Auburn (1:36.00) and Michigan (1:36.17).
Bellard got Michigan rolling again with a dominant win in the 400 IM, touching in 4:07.87. The top three also included Auburn’s Audrey Crawford (4:13.22) and Georgia Tech’s Kendal Chunn (4:16.82). Natalie Kan won the 100 fly for the Wolverines in 52.04, just ahead of the Florida State duo of Jernstedt (52.06) and Halden (52.18).
Argubably the top swim of the meet thus far came from Balduccini in the 200 free, a race she dominated in 1:41.85. As a freshman, Balduccini finished 11th in the 200 free at the NCAA Championships, but her time Saturday evening would have been good enough for third at the national meet last year behind Bella Sims and Anna Peplopwski.
Florida State’s Huggins touched out Auburn’s Stasya Makarova to win the 100 breast, 59.39 to 59.40, and Julia Mansson clocked 1:00.44 to make it a 1-3 finish for the Seminoles. Auburn’s Lora Komoroczy finished first in the 100 backstroke in 52.17, followed by Florida State’s Velden (52.35) and Michigan’s Casey Chung (52.63).
Michigan dominated the 800 free relay to conclude Saturday’s session. Bellard, Malia Amuan, Balduccini and Rebecca Diaconescu clocked 6:59.76, with the Michigan “B” team taking second (7:08.59) ahead of Georgia Tech (7:12.61) and Florida State (7:17.78).
The men’s meet began with Michigan’s Bence Szabados, Colin Geer, Tyler Ray and Jack Wilkening winning the 200 free relay in 1:16.00. The Wolverines finished a half-second ahead of Auburn (1:16.51), with Florida State third (1:16.66).
Auburn’s Mason Mathias edged out Michigan’s Eduardo Moraes to win the 500 free, 4:14.03 to 4:14.29, with Florida State’s Yordan Yanchev third (4:17.15). The 200 IM was a Michigan sweep, with Gal Cohen Groumi finishing in 1:42.39, ahead of teammates Eitan Ben-Shitrit (1:42.71) and Geer (1:42.73). Florida State’s Sam Bork won the 50 free in 19.18, ahead of Michigan teammates Szabados (19.24) and Ray (19.32). In diving, Georgia Tech’s Max Fowler took first on 3-meter (429.40).
FSU won the 400 medley relay in 3:04.69, powered by Max Wilson, Tommaso Baravelli, Logan Robinson and Yanchev, with Georgia Tech taking second in 3:05.52 and Auburn third in 3:05.95.
Day two began with Auburn establishing a half-second advantage on the field in the 200 medley relay. Nate Stoffle, Henry Bethel and Kalle Makinen set up anchor Logan Tirheimer, who split 18.54 coming home.
Michigan’s Lorne Wigginton topped the men’s 400 IM in 3:41.87, well ahead of Auburn’s Danny Schmidt (3:44.28) and fellow Wolverine Jon Jontvedt (3:45.44). Cohen Groumi won his second race of the meet as he touched out Ray to win the 100 fly, 45.29 to 45.31, with Bork taking third (45.43). Ben-Shitrit beat Yanchev by five hundredths in the 200 free, 1:33.21 to 1:33.26, and Auburn’s Ryan Husband took third (1:33.67).
Baravelli topped the 100 breast in 51.80, with the host Yellow Jackets getting Leandro Odorici (52.19) and Joao Caballero (52.38) into the top-three. FSU also got a win in the 100 back, with Wilson clocking 45.26 to top Wilkening (45.87) and fellow Seminole Mason Herbet (46.18).
The Michigan men finished one-and-a-half seconds clear of Florida State in the 800 free relay, with Cohen Groumi, Ben-Shitrit, Eduardo Moraes and Geer clocking 6:16.37. Florida State was second in 6:17.97, followed by Georgia Tech (6:22.41).