Louisville Dominant in Rivalry Meet Against Kentucky
The Louisville women’s team and men’s team each dominated the competition against top rival Kentucky, with the Cardinal women winning 210-90 and the men finishing on top with a nearly-identical margin of 209.5-88.5.
Louisville finished 1-2 in the 200 medley relay to open the meet behind Karoline Barrett, Ella Welch, Christiana Regenauer and Gabi Albiero, with this foursome clocking 1:36.64. After that, a pair of Cardinals swam impressive times in the 200 freestyle, with Summer Cardwell leading the way in 1:45.19 and Fernanda Celidonio finishing in 1:45.87. Cardwell would earn a second win later on in the 500 free (4:46.26) while Celidonio scored first place in the 200 IM (1:58.94). Paige Hetrick won the 100 backstroke (52.63) before Welch broke 1:00 to win the 100 breaststroke (59.99).
Regenauer won the 50 free by three hundredths over teammate Julia Dennis, 21.95 to 21.98, and the fifth-year swimmer was also victorious in the 100 free (48.26). Albiero’s first individual win of the day came in the 200 fly (1:54.95), and she later swam a swift time of 51.25 to win the 100 fly, breaking her own pool record of 51.40 set last year. Kim Herkle was the winner of the 200 breast (2:11.06).
In diving, Louisville’s Lindsay Gizzi won 1-meter (306.83) and 3-meter (308.85). Albiero, Dennis, Lucy Mehraban and Welch finished off the day with an easy win in the 400 free relay, clocking 3:12.93.
Kentucky’s Caroline Benda finished first in the 1000 free (9:45.40), and Grace Frericks topped the 200 back (1:53.77) as she held off a charge from Louisville’s Rye Ulett (1:53.81).
The Louisville men actually opened with a 1-2-3 sweep of the 200 medley relay. Dalton Lowe, Denis Petrashov, Charlie Crush and Matias Santiso had the top time overall at 1:24.84. Ilia Sibirtsev earned two individual wins in the 1000 free (8:46.07) and 500 free (4:17.80), and Denis Petrashov was also a double winner, in the 100 breast (52.34) and 200 breast (1:55.17).
The third Louisville to win two was Dalton Lowe, who shined in the 50 free (19.37) and 100 fly (47.47) while Jackson Millard topped the 100 back (46.91) and 200 back (1:42.22).
Denis Loktev finished first for Louisville in the 200 free in 1:34.67, with teammates Murilo Sartori (1:34.96) and Guy Brooks (1:35.07) not far behind. Santiso grabbed first in the 100 free (43.35). In diving, Adam Sneden won 3-meter (365.40), and in the final relay, Santiso, Brooks, Sartori and Lowe clocked 2:52.80 for a 400 freestyle triumph.
Kentucky’s first win came from Ryan Merani in the 200 fly (1:42.50) as he held off Louisville’s Gustavo Saldo (1:42.86). Merani later came in first place in the 200 IM in 1:45.82, finishing just ahead of Louisville’s Millard (1:46.00). Kentucky’s Sam Duncan won 1-meter diving (318.83).