Texas Invitational: Longhorns Cap Meet With Nation’s Best Swims
By Dan D’Addona.
The Longhorns capped their home Texas Invitational with some stellar swims from some of their top men and women on Saturday.
Two-time defending NCAA champion Texas picked up victories and top national times from American record holders Jack Conger, Clark Smith and Will Licon.
Smith kicked off the night with a top national time in the 1,650-yard freestyle, where he took the win in 14 minutes, 32.77 seconds, just off of his school mark of 14:31.29 from the 2016 Big 12 Championships.
Licon put together an outstanding swim in the 200 breaststroke, where he holds the American record and the last two NCAA titles, winning by four-and-a-half seconds in 1:50.76, the fastest time in the nation by more than two seconds.
Conger won the 200 butterfly in 1:40.24, the top time in the country this season.
Texas capped the meet with a No. 3 national time and a victory in the 400 freestyle relay, where Brett Ringgold, Townley Haas, Conger and Tate Jackson finished in 2:51.34.
USC’s Dylan Carter won the 100 freestyle in an NCAA “A” cut time of 42.14.
In the women’s meet, wins from Tasija Karosas, Madisyn Cox and Remedy Rule plus a top national time in the 400 freestyle relay highlighted the final night of competition for the Longhorns Saturday at the Texas Invitational.
Karosas led a one-two Texas finish in the 200 backstroke where she took the victory in 1:51.65, an NCAA automatic-qualifying cut. Claire Adams followed closely behind in second at 1:52.43.
Cox scored her third win of the meet and posted the nation’s fourth-fastest time in the 200 breaststroke at 2:07.21, a personal best.
Rule posted a lifetime best on her way to victory in the 200 butterfly at 1:53.97.
USC’s Louise Hansson won the 100 freestyle in an NCAA “A” cut of 47.55.
Things are back to normal