Louisville Sweeps Tennessee as Daria Golvaty, Denis Petrashov Lead the Way
Louisville defended the Ralph Wright Natatorium Thursday afternoon when the Tennessee Volunteers made the drive northwest to take on the Cardinals. Louisville’s women emerged with a narrow, 16-point win, scoring 157 points to Tennessee’s 143, while the men’s meet was a bigger Louisville win, with a score of 178.5-121.5.
Tennessee held off Louisville’s women to win the opening 200 medley relay, with Camille Spink splitting 21.35 on the anchor leg to pull away from Louisville’s Gabi Albiero and get the win in 1:36.15. Josephine Fuller, McKenzie Siroky and Brooklyn Douthwright also swam for Tennessee.
Louisville’s Daria Golvaty set the pace for the home team with a 9.5-second win in the 1000 freestyle, clocking 9:38.80. Fifth-year swimmer Paige Hetrick then won the 200 free in 1:45.12, but Tennessee built momentum after that.
Fuller snagged first place in the 100 backstroke (52.26), and the Vols then went 1-2 in the next two events: Emelie Fast topped the 100 breaststroke (59.51) ahead of Siroky (59.92), and then Emily Brown won the 200 butterfly in 1:55.62, just ahead of teammates Sara Stotler and Ella Jansen. On either side of the diving break, Spink posted strong wins in the 50 free (21.87) and 100 free (47.30), and Fuller doubled up with a win in the 200 back (1:52.04).
In the meantime, Louisville had Lindsay Gizzi win 1-meter diving (278.85), but momentum was not restored in the racing pool until Mia Cheatwood clocked 2:08.51 for the win in the 200 breast, with teammate Kim Herkle second. From there, the Cardinals would not lose another event. Golvaty won again in the 500 free (4:38.79), and in the ensuing 100 fly, Ella Welch (51.89) and Albiero (52.16) claimed the top-two spots.
Gizzi won again in 3-meter diving (290.33), followed by Fernanda Gomes Celidonio winning the 200 IM in 1:57.75, with Herkle taking second (1:58.35), and the team of Caroline Larsen, Julia Dennis, Albiero and Ella Welch put a stamp on the meet with a winning time of 3:12.26 in the 400 free relay.
The men’s meet, meanwhile, started out in unusual fashion as Louisville and Tennessee tied atop the 200 medley relay, with both teams clocking 1:23.96. Louisville had the lead at the halfway point, but Jordan Crooks clocked 19.99 on the butterfly leg before Gui Caribe came home in 18.33 to secure the tie. Harrison Lierz and Kevin Houseman swam the front half for Tennessee while Louisville’s team consisted of Yassin Abdelghany, Denis Petrashov, Dalton Lowe and Guy Brooks.
Individual events started with Eli Shoyat winning the 1000 free (9:02.17), followed by Brooks topping the 200 free (1:33.45) and Mateo Miceli holding off Lierz to take first in the 100 back (46.86). Petrashov dominated the 100 breast in 52.01, and he later doubled up with a dominant win in the 200 breast as well, clocking 1:54.04.
Filip Kosinski swam a time of 1:42.74 to win the 200 back. Shoyat’s second win of the day came in the 500 free (4:19.38), and freshman Gregg Enoch cruised to a fifth-place finish in the 200 IM (1:44.58). Che Stephens won 1-meter diving (335.40).
For Tennessee, Martin Espernberger stood out with a winning time of 1:41.82 in the 200 fly, and the sprinters came through as usual, with Crooks winning the 50 free (19.07) and Caribe topping the 100 free (42.15). Crooks also finished first in the 100 fly (45.76). Bennett Greene was the winner of 3-meter diving (336.38).
The team of Caribe, Lamar Taylor, Nikoli Blackman and Crooks finished the meet with a time of 2:49.43 in the 400 free relay, with Crooks coming home in a blazing 41.19 to pull away from Louisville.