Texas A&M Victorious Over LSU Despite Strong Efforts From Mac Neil, Curry
The final home dual meet of the season for Texas A&M saw the Louisiana State University Tigers visiting College Station, the site of next month’s SEC Championships, and both Aggies teams were victorious, with the men winning 171-129 and the women earning a 177-123 victory. Anze Fers Erzen, Trey Dickey, Abby Grottle and Bobbi Kennett each had multiple victories for A&M, and their teammates did enough to stop a Tigers team led by a pair of individual NCAA champions.
Fers Erzen took wins in the 200 butterfly (1:48.92), 200 backstroke (1:46.41) and 200 IM (1:48.64), while Dickey won the 1000 freestyle (9:15.39) and 500 free (4:31.08). The women’s team featured Grottle also securing a distance sweep, in the 1000 (9:58.59) and 500 free (4:53.01) and Kennett winning the 100 breast (1:01.41) and 200 IM (2:01.98).
Meanwhile, 100 fly NCAA-record holder Maggie Mac Neil posted big wins in the 50 free (22.36) and 100 fly (51.91) for LSU while leading the Tigers to two relay wins, and Brooks Curry won both events in which he was the NCAA titlist last year: the 50 free (19.54) and 100 free (43.43). Curry was also the driving force in a pair of relay wins, and he even split a ridiculous 41.50 to put the Tigers well in the lead in the 400 free relay.
Full results are available here, and read the Texas A&M’s women’s press release below:
The No. 19 Texas A&M women’s swimming & diving team defeated LSU in the final home dual meet of the season, 177-123, Saturday inside the Rec Center Natatorium.
The Aggies started the morning with a second-place finish in the 200 medley relay as Jordan Buechler, Bobbi Kennett, Olivia Theall and Chloe Stepanek swam to a 1:40.86.
Abby Grottle dominated the distance events, finishing first in both the 1000 (9:58.59) and 500 free (4:53.01). Additionally, Grottle claimed second in the 200 free (1:47.46), coming up right after Stepanek, who had the fastest time in the event, recording a 1:47.46. Stepanek also touched the wall first in the 100 free, going 49.88
Buechler earned the top spot in the 100 back (55.20), with Aviv Barzelay following shortly behind in second (55.23). Barzelay also added a top-three finish in the 200 back, recording a 2:00.52.
The Maroon & White gathered the top-three spots in the 100 breast, including Kennett (1:01.41), Andrea Perttula (1:02.20) and Charlotte Longbottom (1:02.28). The momentum carried over into the 200 breast as the top-four times belonged to Joelle Reddin (2:16.75), Caroline Theil (2:17.72), Desirae Mangaoang (2:20.56) and Longbottom (2:22.26).
Theall led the Aggies in the butterfly, winning the 200 (1:59.28) and finishing second in the 100 (53.33). Danielle Hepler followed closely in third at 2:01.19 in the 200 and 55.12 in the 100.
The Aggies sealed the deal with a 1-2-3 finish in the 200 IM by Kennett (2:01.98), Theil (2:02.09) and Alice Marini (2:04.31).
Texas A&M finished the day with a second-place finish in the 400 free relay as Buechler, Hepler, Perttula and Mollie Wright clocked a 3:20.49.
Alyssa Clairmont tacked on a pair of first-place scores in the 1-meter (310.20) and the 3-meter (358.65). Joslyn Oakley added points for the Aggies with a third-place score of 309.60 on the 1-meter.
Read the press release from the Aggie men’s team here:
The No. 10 Texas A&M men’s swimming & diving team took down the LSU Tigers on Senior Day, 171-129, Saturday inside the Rec Center Natatorium.
To kick off the final home dual meet of the season, the 200 medley relay team of Ethan Gogulski, Andres Puente, Connor Foote and Kaloyan Bratanov earned second as they put up a 1:28.13.
Trey Dickey highlighted the distance events as he claimed the top spot in the 1000 (9:15.39) and 500 (4:31.08). Following in the 500, all within half of a second, were William Coakley (4:31.15) and Batuhan Filiz (4:31.53)
In the freestyle events, Baylor Nelson won the 200 (1:37.64) and placed second in the 100 (44.62). Bratanov notched second in the 50 as he swam to a 20.44.
The Aggies grabbed two top-three finishes in the 100 back as Gogulski recorded a 48.71 with Foote coming in shortly behind at 49.15.
Anze Fers Erzen tacked on three first-place finishes, including the 200 fly (1:48.92), 200 back (1:46.41) and 200 IM (1:48.64). Also adding points right behind him in the 200 IM were Maximiliano Vega (1:50.81) and Bratanov (1:51.14).
Puente led the way in the breaststroke events as he earned second in the 100 with a time of 54.79 and won the 200, clocking in at 1:58.86.
To cap off the meet, the Maroon & White finished second in the 400 free relay with Foote, Nelson, Collin Fuchs and Carter Nelson clocking in at 2:57.80.
Victor Povzner earned a pair of first-place scores on the springboards, scoring 385.95 on the 1-meter and 421.65 on the 3-meter. Additional top-three scores came from Rhett Hensley (343.58) and Takuto Endo (318.53) on the 1-meter, while Kyle Sanchez earned a third-place score of 334.88 on the 3-meter.
