Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott
AUSTIN – One day after slipping from the top spot in the CSCAA rankings, the Texas men’s swimming and diving team set out to prove they belong back on top with impressive swims against Texas Christian today. The Longhorn women were just as strong in the final dual meet before the Big 12 championships.
Texas Swimming and Diving vs. TCU Men: 151-122
Photo Courtesy: David Farr
Tripp Cooper was the top athlete for Texas today, winning two off events with fast times. He started with a 54.36 in the 100 breast then dominated the 100 free with a 43.89. Cooper, mostly known as a butterflyer, could parlay his multi-stroke prowess into something good in the 200 IM at the Big 12 championships. Tonight’s competition marked Cooper’s final dual meet as a Longhorn, and he’ll look for a return trip to the NCAAs and the championship final of the 100 fly where he was fifth last year.
Less than a week after posting a shockingly fast 200 butterfly, Jack Conger swam only one individual event. He won the 500 free with a 4:26.85. This marks his first 500 freestyle in competition this season, and it’s three seconds faster than the one time he raced the event in-season as a freshman. Conger was fifth in the 500 at the NCAAs last March.
Joe Schooling didn’t score any official points for Texas today, but he had two big swims. He nearly posted the fastest 100 breast of the day, tying teammate Matt Ellis for second overall with times of 54.58, then swam exhibition in the 400 IM and posted the fastest time, a 3:55.10 that marked the only swim under four minutes in the race.
Cooper Robinson was the sole event winner for TCU, apart from those in which Texas swam exhibition. Robinson, who’s looking for a top-three finish in the backstroke events at the Big 12 meet, won the 200 back today with a 1:48.04, beating Texas’ John Murray by a full two seconds. The win in the 200 back was a bit of revenge for Robinson, who was touched out in the 100 back by six tenths of second to Murray, 49.36 to 49.98.
Other wins for Texas included:
• A 1:37.50 for NCAA finalist Clay Youngquist in the 200 free;
• A double victory for John Martens, as he swept the butterfly events with a 1:44.02 in the 200 fly and a 49.51 in the 100 fly;
• Brett Ringgold’s 20.10 in the 50 free, which nearly beat his best unrested time of 20.01 this season;
• Will Licon’s 1:57.11 in the 200 breast, pulling teammate Liam Lockwood under the 2:00 barrier with a 1:59.99;
• A four-team sweep of the 200 medley relay, led by the “A” team’s 1:29.50, and an unofficial win in the 200 free relay with a 1:24.20
Texas Swimming and Diving vs. TCU Women: 157-111
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
Kelsey Leneave and Gretchen Jacques were double winners for Texas today, as the Horned Frogs managed to win more events than their male counterparts.
No woman has been able to crack 1:00 in the 100 breast unrested this season, but Jacques almost did it with a 1:00.03 today. She’s been faster with a 58.78 from the Texas Invite that sits third in the collegiate rankings behind two swims from Emma Reaney and Kierra Smith converted from short course meters. Jacques wrapped up her day with a 54.25 in the 100 fly. Leneave swam two tough events today, winning the 200 fly with a 2:00.23 and the 500 free with a 4:54.41.
TCU won two events in today’s women’s meet, starting with Ali Bleasdell in the 200 backstroke. She held off a late charge from Texas’ Kaitlin Pawlowicz to win with a 2:02.43 to Pawlowicz’s 2:03.04. With Jacques sitting out the 200 breast, that opened the door for Lindsay Shabet to take the win with a 2:21.62. With Texas swimming exhibition in the 400 IM, Tasija Karosas’ fastest time of 4:24.93 did not count for points. The 4:36.04 by Sara Brzozowski, which was second-fastest overall, took the first-place points.
Another top swim for Texas today came in the women’s 200 free, where senior Sarah Denninghoff put herself in the conversation for a place in the top eight in the NCAA final with a 1:46.00. Most of the top swimmers in the country have been posting times in the 1:46 range since 2015 started, so Denninghoff is on track.
Before posting the fastest 400 IM of the day, Karosas showed her sprint speed with a fast 53.48 in the 100 back, almost her fastest time of the season. In the sprint freestyles, Mimi Schneider took the 50 free with a 22.32 while Rebecca Millard won the 100 free with a 50.57.
Texas had no match in the relays, as the Longhorns took the top three spots in the 200 medley, led by a 1:41.81 from the “A” team and a 1-2-3-4 sweep (despite swimming exhibition) in the 200 free relay. The top team in that relay posted a 1:34.21.
Texas swept the top four spots on the 1-meter springboard, led by a score of 340.20 from Meghan Houston. Emma Ivory-Ganja won the 3-meter with 389.55 points.
Career-best two-lapper for Mimi Schneider by more than three tenths. Her old pr was 22.66 @. the ’13 Illinois state prep meet. A year earlier @. that same meet Olivia Smoliga became first prepster under 22.0 when she clocked 21.99. Last year as a froshwoman @. Georgia she won the NCAA 50 free and helped lead the ‘Dawgs to their second-consecutive national collegiate team title.
Schneider’s 100 fly pr is 53.5 from her soph prep season.
As for Schooling swimming a 400 IM,this keeps up he’s likely to sue his coach for “cruel and unusual punishment! You DON’T see Jack Conger swimming no 500 free do you?