2022 Tennessee Invite: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

2022 TENNESSEE INVITATIONAL

• November 17-19, 2022
• Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center, Knoxville, Tenn.
• SCY (25 yards)
• Start Times: Prelims – 10 am / Finals – 6 pm (ET)
• Psych Sheets
• Live Stream (ESPN)
• Live Results
• Dual Meet Scoring (9-4-3-2-1)
• Day 1 Finals Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Recap
• Full Day 2 Prelims Results (PDF)

The second night of competition at the Tennessee Invitational will be jam-packed with action, with 10 individual swimming finals on the docket, plus a pair of relays and the women’s 1-meter diving competition.

SCORES AFTER DAY ONE:

Women:

• UVA 63, Tennessee 28
• UVA 66, Michigan 25
• UVA 70, UNC 21
• UNC 51, Michigan 40
• UNC 39, Tennessee 52
• Michigan 40, Tennessee 51
• Carson-Newman 13, UVA 78
• Carson-Newman 13, Tennessee 78
• Carson-Newman 13, Michigan 78
• Carson-Newman 13, Michigan 78

Men:

• UVA 35, Tennessee 75
• UVA 54.5, Michigan 54.5
• UVA 64, UNC 45
• UNC 45, Michigan 64
• UNC 36, Tennessee 73
• Michigan 41, Tennessee 69
• Carson-Newman 13, UVA 94
• Carson-Newman 13, Tennessee 94
• Carson-Newman 13, Michigan 90
• Carson-Newman 13, Michigan 90

Women’s 200 Medley Relay – FINAL

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 1:36.24
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut – 1:37.02

Top 3 Finishers:

1. UNC – 1:36.04
2. Virginia – 1:36.45
3. Michigan – 1:37.49

The North Carolina women, who were about mid-pack heading into the second day of competition on Friday, opened the day with a big win in the women’s 200 medley relay. The team of Greer Pattison (24.07), Skyler Smith (27.15), Grace Countie (23.49), and Olivia Nel (21.33) combined for a 1:36.04. That group includes three sophomores and a senior, Smith.

The highlight split was the anchor from Nel, which was seven-tenths better than her flat-start time on Thursday, which is the best flat-start time of her career.

This is a bit of a shift in pattern for UNC, who were only 1:38 at their mid-season invite last year.

Their win came after Virginia, the NCAA Record holders in the event, were disqualified via a 15 meter violation from butterflier Lexi Cuomo on her 1st 25. The Cavaliers touched in 1:32.50, including a 23.08 backstroke split from Gretchen Walsh and a 20.61 anchor split from Kate Douglass.

Virginia has appealed that ruling; Cuomo appears to have broken the surface by 15 meters according to video evidence.

Even after the “A” was disqualified, though, Virginia’s “B” relay finished 2nd overall in 1:36.45.

Michigan finished 3rd (1:37.49) and Tennessee finished 4th (1:36.45). Mona McSharry‘s 26.52 breaststroke split from the volunteers was second only to Walsh on the DQ’ed Virginia relay for the fastest in the field.

Men’s 200 Medley Relay – FINAL

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 1:23.76
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut – 1:24.42

Top 3 Finishers:

1. Tennessee – 1:23.84
2. Virginia – 1:24.53
3. Michigan – 1:24.90

The Tennessee men are built to fly over 50 meters, and they did just that in the 200 medley relay to open the male side of the competition on Friday.

Freshman Nick Simons (21.93), 5th year Michael Houlie (23.35), sophomore Jordan Crooks (19.87), and freshman Gui Caribe (18.69) combined for a 1:23.84. That’s about half-a-second off the time they swam at last year’s SEC Championship meet, but is eight-tenths better than they swam at this meet last year.

While there were a few 1:22s around the country at various invites this season, none of those relays were as young as Tennesee, which has two freshmen and a sophomore. Their last three legs on this relay can stack with almost anybody in the country.

The Virginia “A” was 2nd in 1:24.53, including a 21.44 leadoff from Matt Brownstead, while Michigan placed 3rd in 1:24.90.

WOMEN’S 100 FLY – FINAL

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 50.92
• 2022 Invite Time – 52.35

Top 3 Finishers:

1. Kate Douglass (Virginia) – 49.84
2. Ellie Vannote (UNC) – 51.83
3. Sara Stotler (Tennessee) – 52.58

Virginia senior Kate Douglass swam 49.84, just-off the 49.76 she swam in prelims, to win the women’s 100 fly by almost two seconds.

Her Virginia teammate Gretchen Walsh scratched the finals after being the 2nd qualifier out of prelims. There, she became just the 4th woman in history to go sub-50 in both the 100 fly and 100 back in her career.

North Carolina senior Ellie Vannote finished 2nd in 51.83, which is just a tenth shy of her time from last year’s NCAA Championships that remains her lifetime best. That swim should earn her a return trip to the championships in March.

Tennesee’s Sara Stotler was 3rd in 52.58 and Michigan freshman Brady Kendall was 4th in 52.73. Kendall’s best high school time was 53.35, so that marks a big drop for her.

MEN’S 100 FLY – FINAL

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 44.82
• 2022 Invite Time – 45.57

Top 3 Finishers:

1. Jordan Crooks (Tennessee) – 44.79
2. Boyd Poelke (UNC) – 45.48
3. Gal Cohen Groumi (Michigan) – 45.68

Jordan Crooks continued to rip this week in his only individual final of the night, the 100 fly. There, he swam 44.79 to break the Meet Record. He previously set the meet record in prelims at 44.82.

In combination, that knocked more than half-a-second off Crooks’ previous personal best, as he now becomes a legitimate triple “A” final threat at the NCAA Championships, With big drops already in the 50 free (three-tenths) and now the 100 fly, his 100 frees on Saturday now come with big anticipation. His best time in that event currently is 41.16, and his drops this week put a 39-second rolling start, at least, within reach.

North Carolina got another runner-up finish thanks to junior Boyd Poelke in 45.48. That puts him on the bubble for a third-straight NCAA Championship qualification, is his best time by three-tenths of a second, and breaks his own UNC School Record.

Michigan sophomore Gal Cohen Groumi was 3rd in 45.68, a second better than a prelims swim that snuck him into the A final, crucial in this multi-way dual meet format. Tennessee finished 4th (Bjoern Kammann – 46.39) and 5th (Gui Caribe – 46.60).

One of the Cavalier’s weakest events on the men’s side, UVA’s top finishers were 6th and tied-for-7th.

WOMEN’S 400 IM – FINAL

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 4:03.62
• 2022 Invite Time – 4:11.60

Top 3 Finishers:

1. Ella Nelson (Virginia) – 4:03.61
2. Kathryn Ackerman (Michigan) – 4:11.22
3. Sophia Wilson (Virginia) – 4:12.67

Virginia senior Ella Nelson dominated the women’s 400 IM final, touching 1st in 4:03.61. That is seven-and-a-half seconds better than the field.

She was the NCAA 3rd-place finisher in that event last year and the runner-up in 2021 as a sophomore. She was also 5th in the event at the US National Championships over the summer.

Michigan’s Kathryn Ackerman was 2nd in 4:11.22, a time that would have been invited to NCAAs last year. Sophia Wilson (4:12.67) and Abby Harter (4:14.15) gave Viriginia three of the top four spots overall, which means a 1-2-3 sweep in all dual meets except Michigan.

MEN’S 400 IM – FINAL

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 3:39.16
• 2022 Invite Time – 3:43.50

Top 3:

1. Landon Driggers (Tennessee) – 3:41.06
2. Jared Daigle (Michigan) – 3:44.31
3. Patrick Hussey (North Carolina – 3:45.24

Landon Driggers completed a breakthrough drop in the men’s 400 IM. He swam 3:41.06, which in total, with prelims, knocked six-and-a-half seconds off his best time from Sectionals in March.

Driggers started his college career at NCAA Division II UIndy, where he was the national runner-up in the 200 IM and 400 IM as a freshman. After taking last season off, he transferred to Tennessee this fall, and in his first full taper meet with the Volunteers is having success.

He was 10th in the 200 IM on Thursday, dropping about a second-and-a-half from his best time, but this 400 IM was the real breakthrough. The swim broke the Meet Record of 3:42.14 set by Clayton Forde in 2019.

Jared Daigle of Michigan finished 2nd in 3:44.31, and North Carolina’s Aidan Crisci was 4th in 3:46.75.

WOMEN’S 200 FREE – FINAL

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 1:42.84
• 2022 Invite Time – 1:45.42

Top 3:

1. Brooklyn Douthwright (Tennessee) – 1:44.78
2. Katie Crom (Michigan) – 1:44.89
3. Maxine Parker (Virginia) – 1:45.49

Tennessee’s Brooklyn Douthwright earned the win in the women’s 200 free, just getting the better of Michigan’s Katie Crom. Crom’s time is a big lifetime best: the freshman hadn’t broken 1:47 coming into this meet, and posted 1:46.56 in prelims. That’s a great sign not only for her, but for a Michigan team on the rebound.

Maxine Parker, who transferred from Georgia to Virginia this season, rounded out the top three in 1:45.59.

MEN’S 200 FREE – FINAL

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 1:31.98
• 2022 Invite Time – 1:33.08

Top 3:

1. Joaquin Vargas (Tennessee) – 1:34.49
2. Tomas Sungaila (UNC) – 1:34.63
3. Louis Dramm (UNC) – 1:34.95

The Tennessee men kept their winning streak alive in the men’s 200 free with Joaquin Vargas topping the field in 1:34.49. That was a fourth-straight win on the day, following two wins to end the session on Thursday.

Not only was that another win for the Volunteers, but for Vargas, it was a new personal best by over a second. For the sprint-oriented Tennessee, this 800 free relay is their biggest weakness – they didn’t qualify a quartet for NCAAs last year – but with another 1:34 on the roster (Will Jackson and Aleksey Tarasenko were both 1:34-lows last year), the Volunteers are looking better-and-better in this race.

Jackson was 4th in 1:34.97 on Friday, while Tarasenko actually had the best time of the entire field, out of the “B” final, with a 1:34.35. The format of the meet, though, means he can’t jump the A finals swimmers in dual meet scoring.

WOMEN’S 100 BREAST – FINAL

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 58.10
• 2022 Invite Time – 49.87

Top 3:

1. Alex Walsh (Virginia) – 57.94
2. Kate Douglass (Virginia) – 58.14
3. Mona McSharry (Tennessee) – 58.45

The ever-versatile Alex Walsh swam a 57.94 in the women’s 100 breaststroke in finals. That is a new personal best for her and makes her the 23rd woman in history to go under 58 seconds in the event, even unshaved and untapered mid-season.

Walsh’s previous personal best in the event was a 58.19 from high school. She has only swum that event at one of her four collegiate championships so far, her freshman year at ACCs. The swim also beat out her equally-versatile teammate Kate Douglass, who was 2nd in 58.14. The fastest woman ever in the 200 breaststroke, that’s a best time for her by half-a-second in the 100 breast.

Tenneee’s Mona McSharry, the defending SEC Champion in the event, placed 3rd in 58.45. Skyler Smith from UNC rounded out the group of sub-minute swimmers with a 59.63 for 4th place. Her previous best time was 1:00.55.

MEN’S 100 BREAST – FINAL

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 51.40
• 2022 Invite Time – 52.20

Top 3:

1. Noah Nichols (Virginia) – 51.82
2. Jarel Dillard (Tennessee) – 52.10
3. Michael Houlie (Tennessee) – 52.15

Virginia’s Noah Nichols won the men’s 100 breaststroke in 51.82, about three-tenths slower than he was in prelims. That broke the Tennessee winning streak at four on the day, and six overall.

Tennessee had three of the top five finishers, and four of the top six times, in the finals session out of a deep breaststroke group. 5th year Jarel Dillard swam 52.10 for 2nd place, while his teammate (and classmate) Michael Houlie, the 50 specialist, was 3rd in 52.15.

Brett Champlin finished 5th in the A-final in 53.28, while Lyubomir Epitropov won the “B” final in 52.87.

Max Iida of Virginia was 4th in 53.20.

WOMEN’S 100 BACK – FINAL

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 50.89
• 2022 Invite Time – 52.46

Top 3:

1. Gretchen Walsh (Virginia) – 50.13
2. Josephine Fuller (Tennessee) – 51.81
3. Greer Pattison (UNC) – 51.97

Gretchen Walsh followed up her swim in the 100 fly with a 50.13 to win in the women’s 100 back. That’s a new meet record and pool record for the Virginia sophomore, who has continued her incredible in-season momentum through 2 days of racing at the Tennessee Invite.

She won by more than a second and a half ahead of Tennessee’s Josephine Fuller. Fuller’s swim was a lifetime best for her, marking the first time that she’s broken 52 seconds. UNC’s Greer Pattison rounded out the top three with a 51.97. The top three were the only women in the field under 52 seconds, as fourth place Sophie Lindner finished in 52.40.

MEN’S 100 BACK – FINAL

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 44.79
• 2022 Invite Time – 45.87

Top 3:

1. Harrison Lierz (Tennessee) – 46.28
2. Bjoern Kammann (Tennessee) – 46.42
3. Wyatt Davis (Michigan) – 46.47

It was a much closer race in the men’s 100 baackstroke, with Tennessee eking out the top two spots thanks to their duo of Harrison Lierz and Bjoern Kammann. The top six men posted NCAA ‘B’ cuts and were separated by less than a second.

Lierz’s time is a lifetime best, undercutting his previous mark of 46.69 from 2022 SECs. Wyatt Davis has looked strong in his return to Michigan this season, and he continued that trend here, getting his hand on the wall in third at 46.47. That’s less than a second off his best time from 2021 Big Tens.

WOMEN’S 800 FREE RELAY – TIMED FINAL

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 7:00.86
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut – 7:05.88

Top 3:

1. Michigan ‘A’ – 7:04.51
2. Tennessee ‘A’ – 7:10.22
3. Michigan ‘B’ – 7:11.83

If you’re wondering where Virginia’s relays are no, they didn’t get disqualified, they just don’t swim the 800 free relay at midseason invites. That left the way clear for Michigan to dominate this event, putting two relays in the top three. Their ‘A’ team of Sophia Kudryashov, Katie Crom, Riley Francis, and Christey Liang ran away with the win, posting 7:04.51 to win by almost six seconds.

MEN’S 800 FREE RELAY – TIMED FINAL

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 6:16.02
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut – 6:20.41

Top 3:

1. Tennessee ‘A’ – 6:17.27
2. Michigan ‘A’ – 6:19.95
3. UNC ‘A’ – 6:20.19

The Tennessee men have been looked incredibly strong through the first two days of competition, and they put a stamp on that in the final event of the day, setting a meet record in 6:17.27. The previous record was set by Tennessee back in 2008 at 6:19.01.. Notably, Jordan Crooks, who has looked almost unstoppable at this meet, led off in 1:34.30, which is another lifetime best for him. That makes three best times in three different events today alone. Will Jackson (1:34.45), Aleksey Tarasenko (1:33.59), and Joaquin Vargas (1:34.92) rounded out the team.

Last season, Tennessee didn’t contest the 800 free relay at NCAAs, and this time is already almost four seconds faster than the 6:21.01 they posted to finish eighth at SECs. Had they swum this time there, they would have vaulted up to sixth.

Dual Meet Scores After Day 2

Reminder that this meet isn’t being scored as an invite, but rather as a bunch of dual meets. Dual meets are scored based on finish order, not time in finals – meaning A finalists always place ahead of B finalists. Each team can have a maximum of 3 swimmers in the A final.

Women’s Dual Meet Scores

• Virginia 136 – Tennessee 82
• Virginia 138 – Michigan 80
• Virginia 140 – UNC 78
• Virginia 170 – Carson-Newman 45
• Tennessee 121 – UNC 99
• Tennessee 115 – Michigan 105
• Tennessee 179 – Carson-Newman 37
• UNC 111 – Michigan 109
• UNC 186 – Carson-Newman 31
• Michigan 186 – Carson-Newman 31

Men’s Dual Meet Scores

• Tennessee 170 – Virginia 68
• Tennessee 166 – UNC 70
• Tennessee 167 – Michigan 73
• Tennessee 204 – Carson-Newman 31
• Michigan 121.5 – Virginia 113.5
• Michigan 139 – UNC 99
• Michigan 200 – Carson-Newman 31
• UNC 119 – Virginia 117
• UNC 200 – Carson-Newman 31
• Virginia 189 – Carson-Newman 40