2020 Texas Hall of Fame Invite: Day 4 Finals Live Recap

2020 TEXAS HALL OF FAME SWIMMING INVITE

• December 2-5, 2020
• Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center, Austin, TX
• Short course yards (SCY)
• Results Link

WOMEN’S 1650 FREE – TIMED FINAL

• NCAA “A” cut: 16:30.59
• NCAA “B” cut: 15:52.41

1. Mary Smutny (Texas) – 16:40.89
2. Lisa Johnston (TCU) – 17:04.32
3. Cayla Prophater (TCU) – 17:17.44

There were only three entrants tonight in the women’s mile, and Texas sophomore Mary Smutny won it in 16:40.89, holding 30’s from the 100 mark to the finish (except for one 50 at 31.01). Smutny was the only finisher under 17 minutes, and she lopped over 10 seconds off of her old best.

MEN’S 1650 FREE – TIMED FINAL

• NCAA “A” cut: 14:37.31
• NCAA “B” cut: 15:26.19

1. David Johnston (Texas) – 14:41.46
2. Alex Zettle (Texas) – 14:45.56
3. Ethan Heasley (Texas) – 14:48.10

Freshmen David Johnston and Ethan Heasley dropped a bunch of time, each, going first and third in the men’s mile. Johnston chopped six seconds off of his old best, while Heasley demolished his old best of 15:03.24 from high school.

In second was Texas junior Alex Zettle, who dropped more than two seconds off of his old best for a 14:45.56. Meanwhile, UT seniors Parker Neri (14:54.80) and JohnThomas Larson (14:55.18) also snuck under 15 minutes, both hitting lifetime bests.

WOMEN’S 200 BACK FINALS

• NCAA “A” cut: 1:50.50
• NCAA “B” cut: 1:57.11

1. Julia Cook (Texas) – 1:52.40
2. Sydney Silver (Texas) – 1:58.00
3. Kaeleigh Rice (TCU) – 1:59.31

Texas sophomore Julia Cook clinched this race easily, adding to her 100 back win from last night with a 1:52.40. She wasn’t far from her lifetime best of 1:51.62. Freshman Sydney Silver picked up second (1:58.00), and TCU’s Kaeleigh Rice claimed the third spot (1:59.31).

MEN’S 200 BACK FINALS

• NCAA “A” cut: 1:39.16
• NCAA “B” cut: 1:45.04

1. Carson Foster (Texas) – 1:40.39
2. Ethan Harder (Texas) – 1:41.68
3. Colter Carman (Texas) – 1:44.67

Freshman Carson Foster dropped almost a second from his morning swim to win the men’s 200 back in 1:40.39, just off of his lifetime best. While he negative split this morning and was 50-point on both 100s, tonight, he was out faster (48.31) but back slower (52.08). Sophomore Ethan Harder just missed his best, taking almost five seconds off from this morning for second (1:41.68).

Senior Colter Carman dropped almost five seconds from prelims to take third (1:44.67).

WOMEN’S 100 FREE FINALS

• NCAA “A” cut: 47.18
• NCAA “B” cut: 49.51

1. Kyla Leibel (Texas) – 49.27
2. Bridget Semenuk (Texas) – 49.51
3. Grace Cooper (Texas) – 49.97

All three Texas sprinters dropped time from this morning, with sophomores Kyla Leibel (49.27) and Bridget Semenuk (49.51) taking first and second, respectively. In third was a freshman, Grace Cooper, who just got under 50 seconds tonight (49.97).

MEN’S 100 FREE FINALS

• NCAA “A” cut: 41.71
• NCAA “B” cut: 43.80

1. Daniel Krueger (Texas) – 41.48
2. Drew Kibler (Texas) – 41.92
3. Luke Bowman (Texas) – 43.22

This shaped up to be a great showdown between Longhorn juniors Daniel Krueger, more of a drop-dead sprinter, and Drew Kibler, a rangier freestyler. They were out in matching 19.9’s, Kibler .01 ahead, but Krueger hammered home in 21.53 to Kibler’s 21.98, winning 41.48 to 41.92.

Krueger was just off of his best but under the ‘A’ cut, while Kibler breaks 42 for the first time ever.

Noah Cumby of TCU was 43.83 for fourth, a new best and a new TCU school record.

WOMEN’S 200 BREAST FINALS

• NCAA “A” cut: 2:06.84
• NCAA “B” cut: 2:13.97

1. Anna Elendt (Texas) – 2:06.04
2. Holly Jansen (Texas) – 2:15.40
3. Lauren Halliburton (TCU) – 2:17.55

Anna Elendt comes through with another show-stopping performance. She dropped the Texas program record last night in the 100 breast, and she follows that up with a 2:06.04 here in the 200 breast, a new best by over three seconds.

Elendt takes over as the top 200 breaststroker nation-wide with that swim, and she draws within a second of another Laura Sogar UT record (2:05.04). Her strategy tonight was similar to this morning, in that she was out again in a 1:00. But, contrary to prelims, she stormed home on the back-half with 32’s on both of the latter 50s, powering her to a 2:06.04.

MEN’S 200 BREAST FINALS

• NCAA “A” cut: 1:52.61
• NCAA “B” cut: 1:58.43

1. Jake Foster (Texas) – 1:54.83
2. Vitauts Silins (TCU) – 1:54.98
3. Paul Degrado (Texas) – 1:55.79

Despite a 30.19 final 50 from the TCU swimmer, Jake Foster held off the charging Vitauts Silins, 1:54.83 to 1:54.98. Both were off their bests, though Silins nearly snapped his own TCU program record of 1:54.63.

Paul Degrado was third in 1:55.79 for Texas, and Charlie Scheinfeld was very close behind in fourth (1:55.97). Also getting under two minutes for the Longhorns were Halvor Borgstrom (1:58.24) and Andrew Couchon (1:58.49).

WOMEN’S 200 FLY FINALS

• NCAA “A” cut: 1:53.20
• NCAA “B” cut: 1:59.23

1. Olivia Bray (Texas) – 1:5
2. Kelly Pash (Texas) – 1:53.18
3. Emma Sticklen (Texas) – 1:54.43

As expected, tonight’s 200 fly match-up between freshmen standouts Olivia Bray and Emma Sticklen and sophomore powerhouse Kelly Pash proved exciting.

Bray added to her 100 fly win last night with a big 1:52.85 tonight in the 200 fly, taking out her former best of 1:53.52 (done in prelims). She pushed Pash, who came home in 29.81 on the final 50, to a new best time of 1:53.18; Pash had never been under 1:54 previously.

Sticklen was third in 1:54.43, also a best. This is a pretty fearsome fly group; Bray and Pash now rank 1-2 in the country, while Sticklen moves to eighth.

MEN’S 200 FLY FINALS

• NCAA “A” cut: 1:40.76
• NCAA “B” cut: 1:46.69

1. Sam Pomajevich (Texas) – 1:39.19
2. Cole Crane (Texas) – 1:42.87
3. Andrew Koustik (Texas) – 1:43.14

Texas senior Sam Pomajevich showed new speed last night with his first-ever sub-46 100 fly, and his momentum carries over tonight with a new best in the 200 fly. He soars to the #1 time in the nation with his 1:39.19, overtaking the 1:39.35 he swam at the Minnesota Invite last December.

Pomajevich snags the ‘A’ cut by a huge margin with this swim. His time would’ve been good for second at the 2019 NCAA Championships, and he edges out Texas A&M star Shaine Casas (1:39.23) for this season’s #1 time. He now ranks #7 all-time in this race and #4 among Americans.

Sophomore Cole Crane demolished his old best of 1:44.19, cruising to a new PR of 1:42.87 for second, just ahead of teammate Andrew Koustik (1:43.14).

WOMEN’S 400 FREE RELAY – TIMED FINAL

• NCAA qualifying standard: 3:14.61
• NCAA provisional standard: 3:16.35

1. Texas (B) – 3:15.36
2. Texas (A) – 3:17.59
3. Texas (C) – 3:25.72

In total, the UT women had three women hit 48’s, while seven broke 50 between their ‘A’ and ‘B’ relays. Kelly Pash was 48.29 leading off their ‘B’ relay, which also got a 48.86 out of second leg Kyla Leibel.

Olivia Bray was 49.26 leading off the ‘A’, and Julia Cook dropped a 48.13 split on the second leg; if they were on the ‘B’ relay, which won, they would’ve likely brought the time down below 3:14 or right at 3:14-flat.

MEN’S 400 FREE RELAY – TIMED FINAL

• NCAA qualifying standard: 2:51.11
• NCAA provisional standard: 2:52.46

1. Texas ‘B’ – 2:56.87
2. TCU ‘A’ – 2:57.50
3. Texas ‘C’ – 2:58.83

Texas DQ’d their ‘A’ relay, with the results page calling Drew Kibler (42.01) for an early take-off. The reaction on the results show -0.02.

Their ‘B’ relay had a 43.07 split from Carson Foster on the second leg, while Chris Staka popped a 42.89 leading off their ‘C’ relay. That’s a best for Staka, and his first venture under 43 seconds.