Mallory Comerford Wins Three Events at SMU Classic
Two meet records fell at the Robson & Lindley Aquatic Center as the No. 8 University of Louisville women’s swimming and diving team secured the title on the final day of action at the 2018 SMU Classic. The Cardinals won the meet for the first time since 2015 with 358 points, holding off No. 11 USC with 312 points and No. 10 Virginia with 299.
The Cardinals captured a victory in the first event of the night as Alina Kendzior (52.86), Mariia Astashkina (1:00.50), Grace Oglesby (51.23) and Mallory Comerford (46.86) combined for an automatic NCAA qualifying time of 3:31.45 in the 400 medley relay, smashing the SMU Classic record in the process.
Building on the momentum from the relay success, Sophie Cattermole ran down USC’s Riley Scott on the final 50 of the 400 IM to secure another victory for the Cards in an NCAA ‘B’ time of 4:11.62.
With the third straight victory of the night, Comerford dominated in the 200 free with an NCAA automatic qualifying time of 1:42.79. She finished nearly three seconds ahead of her closest competitor and posted the top time in the NCAA this season by nearly four seconds.
The Cardinals closed out the evening with a triumphant win in the 800 free relay, finishing nearly six seconds ahead of the competition as Diana Dunn (1:48.33), Arina Openysheva (1:45.47), Cattermole (1:47.02) and Comerford (1:42.97) registered a 7:03.79.
The Cards picked up right where they left on the first day of competition as Alina Kendzior (24.60), Mariia Astashkina (27.53), Grace Oglesby (23.46) and Casey Fanz (21.79) broke the meet record in the 200 medley relay in a time of 1:37.38.
Mallory Comerford registered another commanding win in the first individual event of the afternoon, placing first in the 500 free by nearly six seconds with an NCAA B cut time of 4:40.33.
Comerford sprinted to her second win of the day and another NCAA B cut time of 47.57 in the 100 free.
Oglesby notched the second meet record of the day, smashing the previous mark in the 200 fly by over a second with an NCAA B cut time of 1:53.79.
Louisville closed out the meet with one final win as Comerford (22.39), Fanz (21.95), Oglesby (22.30) and Openysheva (22.10) teamed up to post a time of 1:28.74 in the 200 free relay.
Top Finishers
- 400 medley relay: Louisville, 3:31.45
- 400 IM: Sophie Cattermole, Louisville, 4:11.62
- 200 free: Mallory Comerford, Louisville, 1:42.79
- 50 free: Marta Ciesla, USC, 22.18
- 1m diving: Alicia Blagg, Miami, 301.55
- 100 fly: Grace Oglesby, Louisville, 51.65
- 100 back: Louise Hansson, USC, 51.84
- 100 breast: Riley Scott, USC, 59.55
- 800 free relay: Louisville, 7:03.79
- 200 medley relay: Louisville, 1:37.38
- 500 free: Mallory Comerford, Louisville, 4:40.33
- 200 breast: Andrea Podmanikova, SMU, 2:09.57
- 200 back: Louise Hansson, USC, 1:53.10
- 3m diving: Sydney Dusel, Virginia, 319.55
- 100 free: Mallory Comerford, Louisville, 47.57
- 200 fly: Grace Oglesby, Louisville, 1:53.79
- 200 IM: Riley Scott, USC, 1:59.52
- 200 free relay: Louisville, 1:28.74
Louisville Swimming and Diving contributed to this post.
Comerford was significantly faster in all three of those events at the SMU Classic last season.