Houston Women Use Depth to Win Seventh Consecutive American Conference Title; SMU Men Victorious
In an extremely close finish, the University of Houston women beat out Florida International University by just 11.5 points to clinch the American Athletic Conference title for the seventh consecutive season. Houston’s women finished first in just one swimming event and one diving event, well behind the four relays, three individual events and one diving event that FIU captured, but the Cougars’ depth helped carry them to another title. Meanwhile, on the men’s side, Southern Methodist University swept through diving and all seven relays to beat Cincinnati convincingly for the team title.
Women’s Team Standings
- Houston – 1,311.5
- FIU – 1,300
- SMU – 1,208.5
- Rice – 1,136
- Cincinnati – 865
- East Carolina – 681
- Florida Atlantic – 573
- North Texas – 506
- Tulane – 419
Men’s Team Standings
- SMU – 1,267
- Cincinnati – 1,134
Women’s Results
The Most Outstanding Swimmer of the meet was SMU freshman Lucrezia Napoletano, who won the 50 freestyle (22.70), 200 free (1:46.19) and 100 free (48.61). She also led off the SMU 200 free relay which finished first in 1:30.84, joining Luana Alonso, Tiffanie Ruan and Johanna Gudmundsdottir.
Two other women were multi-race winners, with FIU’s Christie Chue winning the 200 IM (1:58.40) and 200 breaststroke (2:08.73) and Rice’s Arielle Hayon taking first in the 100 butterfly (52.01) and 200 fly (1:56.26). The only winner for the champion Houston Cougars was Eden Humphrey in the 500 free (4:44.84). In addition to Chue’s pair of wins, team runnerup FIU got a win from Nicole Frank-Rodriguez in the 400 IM (4:14.53).
Florida International was dynamite in the relay events, with the Panthers wracking up four victories. Kelsie Campbell, Chue, Oumy Diop and Jessica Shpilko placed first in the 200 medley in 1:37.64, and later that evening, Harliai Curthoys-Davies, Chue, Mia Zahab and Var Eidegaard won the 800 free relay (7:10.86). Campbell, Chue, Diop and Curthoy-Davies picked up a 400 medley relay win in 3:35.87, and it was Chue, Curthoy-Davies, Shpilko and Campbell who wrapped up the meet with a half-second win in the 400 free relay (3:17.99).
Cincinnati’s Joleigh Crye set a meet record as she won the 100 breast in 59.07, while the backstroke events went to Rice’s Zoe Spitz (100 back, 52.80) and Cincinnati’s Lily Jones (1:56.55). Rice’s Ella Dyson placed first in the 1650 free in 16:24.04.
In diving action, SMU’s Nicole Stambo placed first on 1-meter (307.55), and Houston’s Chase Farris won 3-meter (337.65). On the platform, FIU’s Maha Gouda posted a championship-record score of 296.10.
Men’s Results
The men’s competition, which includes only SMU and Cincinnati in the AAC, saw SMU’s Colin Feehery emerge as the meet’s top performer. He won the 200 IM in 1:43.87, a championship record, and he set another meet mark in the 400 IM with his 3:42.99. Feehery added a 200 breast win in 1:54.26. Also winning three events for the Mustangs was Lance Butler, who claimed the 50 free (19.54), 100 breast (53.15) and 100 free (43.07).
Sage Sungail topped the 200 free (1:36.18), and Cotton Fields placed first in the 200 fly (1:44.27). In diving, SMU’s Peter Smithson captured wins in all three events: the 3-meter (393.10), 1-meter (330.90) and platform (368.50).
SMU finished first in all five relays, beginning with Cole Bruns, Butler, Riley Hill and Justin Baker winning the 200 medley relay (1:25.44) and Feehery, John Easton, Jack Forrest and Sungail topping the 800 free relay (6:21.56). Butler, Baker, Bruns and Charlie Kaye set a meet record of 1:17.51 in the 200 free relay, while the 400 medley relay went to Hill, Feehery, Russell Exum and Butler (3:12.94). Butler, Bruns, Kaye and Feehery went 2:51.96 for the win in the 400 free relay.
For Cincinnati, Michael Balcerak was the winner of the 500 free (4:20.65) and 100 fly (46.72) while Hunter Gubeno won the 100 back (47.64) and 200 back (1:41.80). Ido Gal topped the 1650 free for the Bearcats in 1:14.52.
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