2023 Tennessee Invitational: Day 1 Finals Live Recap

2023 TENNESSEE INVITATIONAL

• November 15-17, 2023
• Knoxville, Tennessee
• Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center
• LCM (50-meter) prelims / SCY (25-yard) finals
• Prelims: 9:30am (EST)/ Finals: 6pm (EST)
• 2024 NCAA Championships Standards
• Psych Sheets
• Live Stream
• Live Results: “2023 Tennessee Invitational” on MeetMobile

It’s time for the first finals session of the 2023 Tennessee Invitational which also means that we’re racing yards for the first time at this meet. Prelims took place in LCM, giving swimmers the chance to hit new Olympic Trials cuts. Now that we’re back in yards, we’ve also got our first relays on the schedule tonight. The 200 freestyle and 400 medley relays both race tonight, bookending the session.

A quick reminder about how relay qualification for NCAAs works:

• The simplest way to qualify relays for NCAAs is to hit the “A Cut,” formally known as the “Qualifying Standard” in a relay.
• Once a team has an “A” standard relay, they can also enter all relays where they’ve earned the “B” standard, formally known as a “Provisional Standard.”
• Teams with four individual swimmers qualified can swim relay events in which they have at least a “B” standard.
• Relays are qualified “to the team”, not the individual swimmers so teams can take whichever swimmers they want to use on the relay.
• Teams must have at least one individual invite to send relays.

Virginia women earned the top seed in all three individual events this morning, courtesy of Cavan Gormsen (500 free), Alex Walsh (200 IM), and Gretchen Walsh (50 free). There’s a solid chance that they’ll sweep all the events this evening, they’re the NCAA record holders in both relays though they’re without Kate Douglass and Lexi Cuomo.

On the women’s side, the days events showed different teams strengths. For example, the Tennessee women make up half the swimmers in the 500 freestyle final, and Virginia claimed six lanes in the 200 IM. It’s G. Walsh’s world in the 50 freestyle, but the Alabama women continued to show why the sprints have been a strength for them all season. They put three into the ‘A’ final, lead by Cadence Vincent making her Olympic Trials cut in the event (25.34).

For the men, Tennessee flexed their depth in the 400/500 freestyle and the 50 freestyle. In the former, they own the top three seeds, highlighted by Joey Tepper‘s program record in the 400m free this morning. Then in the 50 free, Jordan Crooks dropped a sub-22 LCM 50 free to easily claim the top time of the morning. Gui Caribe sits 2nd with Tim Korstanje, Matt Brownstead, and Nikoli Blackman bunched together behind him.

Landon Driggers tied Virginia’s Sebastien Sergile for top seed in the 200 IM, giving the Tennessee men a top seed in all the individual events like the Virginia women. Sergile’s swim was a new personal best and as with all the swimmers who dropped time in LCM this morning, it will be interesting to see if that translates into yards.

Women’s 200-Yard Freestyle Relay — Finals

• NCAA Record: 1:23.87 — Virginia (K. Douglass, G. Walsh, L. Cuomo, A. Walsh) (2023)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 1:28.43
• 2024 NCAA ‘B’ Standard: 1:29.21

Top 8:

1. Virginia ‘A’ (Nocentini, A. Walsh, Canny, G. Walsh) — 1:25.24
2. Tennessee ‘A’ (McSharry, Myers, Rumley, Spink) — 1:27.22
3. Alabama ‘A’ (Vincent, Winter, Scott, Petkova) — 1:28.02
4. Virginia ‘B’ — 1:29.29
5. Tennessee ‘B’ — 1:29.42
6. Arkansas ‘A’ — 1:30.17
7. Tennessee ‘C’ — 1:30.32
8. Virginia ‘C’ — 1:30.75

As expected, the Virginia women ran away with the 200 freestyle relay, winning the race by 1.98 seconds. Jasmine Nocentini, who did not swim this morning, led off with a personal best 21.45, bettering the 21.59 she swam at last season’s Purdue Invitational. Alex Walsh and Aimee Canny clocked 21.45 and 21.98 splits in the middle of the race. Then, Gretchen Walsh dove in and scorched a 20.36 split–3rd fastest all-time behind only Anna Hopkin (20.27) and Douglass (20.34).

At last season’s invite, Virginia went 1:26.96, so this marks a 1.72 second improvement on themselves at this point last season.

Tennessee’s squad of Mona McSharry (22.03), Amber Myers (22.05), Jasmine Rumley (21.88), and Camille Spink (21.26) clocked a 1:27.22, comfortably taking second ahead of Alabama’s ‘A’ team. This is a huge improvement for the Tennessee women from last season, when they hadn’t even swum a ‘B’ cut in this relay. Now, they’re safely under the ‘A’ cut.

After hitting her Olympic Trials cut in the 50-meter free this morning, Cadence Vincent led off for Alabama in a new personal best of 22.26. She’ll get a chance to lower that again in the individual final later this session. Kailyn Winter (22.05) and Jada Scott (21.66) will both join her in that ‘A’ final and they made up the middle 100 of Alabama’s relay here. Diana Petkova anchored in a 22.05 for 3rd.

Men’s 200-Yard Freestyle Relay — Finals

• NCAA Record: 1:13.35 — Florida (J. Liendo, A. Chaney, E. Friese, M. McDuff) (2023)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 1:16.80
• 2024 NCAA ‘B’ Standard: 1:17.38

Top 8:

1. Tennessee ‘A’ (Crooks, Caribe, Blackman, Chambers) — 1:16.03
2. Alabama ‘A’ (Korstanje, Alves, Hawke, Wilson) — 1:17.48
3. Virginia ‘A’ (Brownstead, Boyle, Lamb, Madoch) — 1:17.95
4. Alabama ‘B’ — 1:18:82
5. Tennessee ‘B’ — 1:19.03
6. Virginia ‘B’ — 1:19.50
7. Tennessee ‘C’ — 1:20.18
8. Kentucky ‘A’ — 1:20.49

On paper, it looked like this was going to be a battle between Tennessee and Virginia. Instead, Tennessee ran away with the win, getting well under the NCAA ‘A’ cut in 1:16.03. Jordan Crooks led off in 18.46, marking the first sub-19 second 50 free in the NCAA this season. Gui Caribe followed up with an 18.90 split, then Nikoli Blackman and Micah Chambers split 19.37 and 19.30 in clean water on the back half to secure the win.

Alabama’s squad of Tim Korstanje, Kaique Alves, Charlie Hawke, and Zarek Wilson surprised by coming from behind to finished 2nd ahead of the Cavaliers. Matt Brownstead and Connor Boyle got Virginia started, with Brownstead leading off in 19.30 and Boyle splitting 19.24. They were .44 seconds ahead of Alabama at the halfway point, but then Charlie Hawke split 18.85 and started to close the gap.

On the anchor leg, Zarek Wilson handily outsplit Jack Madoch, 19.65 to 20.32, pulling Alabama ahead of Virginia for the first time the entire relay and getting his hand on the wall .47 seconds ahead of Madoch for 2nd. Alabama missed the NCAA ‘B’ cut by a tenth.

Women’s 500-Yard Freestyle — Finals

• NCAA Record: 4:24.06 — Katie Ledecky, Stanford (2017)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 4:37.89
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 4:41.09

Top 8:

1. Aimee Canny (UVA) — 4:36.26
2. Cavan Gormsen (UVA) — 4:38.80
3. Mackenzie Brandt (BAMA) — 4:42.55
4. Kate McCarville (TENN) — 4:43.23
5. Aly Breslin (TENN) — 4:43.27
6. Sophia Knapp (UVA) — 4:43.33
7. Lauren Wetherell (TENN) — 4:45.51
8. Brooklyn Douthwright (TENN) — 4:49.44

Cavan Gormsen and Aimee Canny retained their top two spots from the 400-meter freestyle this morning but this time it was Canny that took the win. Her time of 4:36.26 would’ve won NCAAs last season, giving her a tough choice between the 500 freestyle and 200 IM for the post-season. It seems that this was her first time swimming the event, highlighting her versatility.

She opened her race in 53.91, trailing Gormsen who split 53.55 on the first 100. After that, Canny was remarkably consistent, splitting 56.28/56.46/56.47 in the middle of the race before storming home in 53.14 to distance herself from Gormsen.

Gormsen finished second with a 4:38.80, about 2.3 seconds off her personal best. It’s a season-best time for her, marking her first outing under 4:40 while swimming for the Cavaliers.

Alabama’s Mackenzie Brandt dropped a huge personal best and held off Kate McCarville to take third in 4:42.55. Her previous best time was a 4:45.99 from last season’s Art Adamson Invite. She’ll likely need to drop some more time later this season to make her first NCAAs in an individual event.

McCarville led a 4-5-7-8 finish for the Volunteers, taking 4th in a season-best 4:43.23.

Notably, 2022 1650 freestyle ACC champion Liberty Williams, who transferred from Louisville to Alabama this season was shut out of the ‘A’ final after the morning’s 400 freestyles. She won the ‘B’ final in 4:47.01.

Men’s 500-Yard Freestyle — Finals

• NCAA Record: 4:06.32 — Kieran Smith, Florida (2020)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 4:10.74
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 4:14.36

Top 8:

1. Charlie Hawke (BAMA) — 4:12.91
2. Joey Tepper (TENN) — 4:15.70
3. Jake Narvid (TENN) — 4:18.39
4. Rafael Ponce de Leon (TENN) — 4:20.64
5. Sam O’Brien (UVA) — 4:22.10
6. Carson Hick (UKY) — 4:23.01
7. Tanner Hering (UVA) — 4:24.09
8. Joaquin Vargas (TENN) — 4:25.13

Last year, Charlie Hawke went from a relay-only NCAA swimmer in 21-22 to one of the top contenders in the 200 freestyle. Now, he’s seeing his improvements continue in the 500 freestyle. Hawke ran away with the win here in Knoxville, posting a massive personal best of 4:12.91 to win. The time undercuts the 4:14.36 he swam for 6th at 2023 SECs, puts him atop the season’s NCAA rankings, and sets a new school record.

Fresh off setting a program record in the 400-meter freestyle this morning, Tennessee’s Joey Tepper took the race out. He was ahead of Hawke through 400 yards; he’d opened in 48.03 then followed up with a 50.95 and 51.81. Hawke made his move after 200 yards, outsplitting Tepper on the third 100 (51.52) before finally passing him with 100 yards to go. Hawke charged home in 49.73 compared to Tepper’s 52.40 for the win.

Tepper tied his personal best 4:15.70 from a last chance meet in February 2023. The Volunteers went 2-3-4-8, with Jake Narvid and Rafael Ponce de Leon locking down 3rd and 4th place. Narvid’s swim is the first time that he’s been sub-4:20.

Women’s 200-Yard IM — Finals

• NCAA Record: 1:48.37 — Kate Douglass, Virginia (2023)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 1:53.66
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 1:56.90

Top 8:

1. Alex Walsh (UVA) — 1:52.59
2. Ella Nelson (UVA) — 1:53.95
3. Josephine Fuller (TENN) — 1:55.37
4. Ella Bathurst (UVA) — 1:57.03
5. Abby Harter (UVA) — 1:57.47
6. Zoe Skirboll (UVA) — 1:58.19
7. Torie Buerger (UKY) — 2:00.91
8. Maddy Hartley (ARK) — 2:02.28

Alex Walsh took control of the women’s 200 IM from the start. She led the entire race, splitting 24.17/28.28/32.45/27.69 to earn the win in a season-best 1:52.59. It’s a solid swim for Walsh, though it’s hard to compare to her form at this point last season, since she didn’t race the 200 IM at midseason last year.

Her teammate Ella Nelson took 2nd, coming within a second of her lifetime best 1:53.13. Her fly split here (25.31), was actually faster than she opened her race at 2023 NCAAs, where she swam that personal best for 4th place. Along with her opening split, Nelson clocked 28.75/32.71/27.18.

Tennessee’s Josephine Fuller broke up the Cavalier party, stopping Virginia from a 1st through 6th sweep. Fuller, who had a big breakout last season, clocked a season best 1:55.37 here. Primarily a backstroker, it was her 28.56 backstroke split that pulled her close to Nelson, though she couldn’t match the fifth-year on the back-half of the race.

There was a gap between Fuller and the rest of the field, with Ella Bathurst taking 4th in 1:57.03, beating out teammates Abby Harter and Zoe Skirboll who finished 5th and 6th.

Men’s 200-Yard IM — Finals

• NCAA Record: 1:36.34 — Léon Marchand, Arizona State (2023)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 1:41.03
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 1:43.14

Top 8:

1. Sebastien Sergile (UVA) — 1:43.42
2. Noah Nichols (UVA) — 1:43.73
3. Kaique Alves (BAMA) — 1:43.89
4. Landon Driggers (TENN) — 1:43.93
5. Kamal Muhammad (UVA) — 1:45.22
6. Tommy Hagar (BAMA) — 1:46.21
7. Colin Bitz (UVA) — 1:46.84
8. Max Berg (UKY) — 1:48.60

It was a tight race in the men’s 200 IM, with the top four separated by .51 seconds. But it wasn’t any of them who led at through the first 100–that was Kamal Muhammad, who jumped out to the lead thanks to a 21.97 opening fly split. Landon Driggers outsplit him on backstroke, but since he was more than a second behind after butterfly, Muhammad still held the lead after the first 100 yards, backing up his fly split with a 25.76 back split.

Things began to tighten up on the breaststroke, as the specialist Nichols made his move. He split 28.29–the only one of the five to go sub-29–and took over the lead with just the freestyle remaining. Both Sebastien Sergile and Driggers had passed Muhammad heading into the freestyle as well.

Then, it was time for Sergile to move, passing Nichols with a 25.28 anchor to get his hand on the wall first in 1:43.42. Nichols held on for 2nd in 1:43.73 while Kaique Alves, who’d had a strong fly leg (22.05) but fallen behind on the middle 100, came charging home in 24.71 for 3rd in 1:43.89.

Both Sergile and Alves swam personal bests, with Sergile dropping 1.67 seconds from the 1:45.09 he swam at 2023 ACCs. Alves bettered his 1:44.40 from 2023 SECs.

Women’s 50-Yard Freestyle — Finals

• NCAA Record: 20.79 — Maggie MacNeil, Louisiana State (2023)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 21.63
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 22.15

Top 8:

1. Gretchen Walsh (UVA) — 20.79 *NEW AMERICAN RECORD, TIES NCAA RECORD*
2. Mona McSharry (TENN) — 22.01
3. Cadence Vincent (BAMA) — 22.10
4. Bella Cothern (ARK) — 22.22
5. Kailyn Winter (BAMA) — 22.34
6. Maxine Parker (UVA) — 22.36
7. Jada Scott (BAMA) — 22.38
8. Aimee Crosbie (UA) — 22.60

Turns out, Walsh’s 20.36 split was a harbinger of things to come. Here in the individual 50 free, she scorched a personal best 20.79, which marks a new American record and ties Maggie MacNeil‘s NCAA and U.S. Open records from 2023 NCAAs. Walsh bettered her own American record, cutting .04 seconds off her previous standard of 20.83, which she swam to finish 2nd to MacNeil at 2023 NCAAs.

Walsh now owns two individual NCAA records: the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke.

Walsh won the race by well over a second, as Tennessee’s McSharry earned 2nd in 22.01. She out-touched Alabama freshman Vincent, who did indeed better the PB she swam to start the session when she led off her team’s 200 free relay. Vincent was 22.26 leading off, and she blew right by that here with a 22.10. That time likely earns her an NCAA invite and overall, she’s dropped .62 seconds from her best just this session.

Her teammates Kailyn Winter and Jada Scott were just off their bests to finish 5th and 7th. Scott missed her best time by just two-hundredths. Meanwhile, Arkansas’ Bella Cothern shaved a hundredth off her personal best which she’d set earlier this season at Arkansas dual vs. Stanford.

Men’s 50-Yard Freestyle — Finals

• NCAA Record: 17.63 — Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 18.82
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 19.21

Top 8:

1. Jordan Crooks (TENN) — 18.40
2. Gui Caribe (TENN)/Matt Brownstead (UVA) — 19.27
3. (tie)
4. Tim Korstanje (BAMA) — 19.63
5. Nikoli Blackman (TENN) — 19.70
6. August Lamb (UVA) –19.88
7. Connor Boyle (UVA) — 19.89
8. Flynn Crisci (TENN) — 20.02

Jordan Crooks continues to roll in the 50-yard freestyle. He cut six-hundredths off his time from leading off the 200 freestyle relay to win the event in 18.40. He’s still the only man to break 19 seconds so far this season, as Gui Caribe and Matt Brownstead tied for 2nd in 19.27.

There were quite big gaps in this ‘A’ final. Crooks won by a .87 seconds, then there was another .36 second gap from Caribe and Brownstead to 4th place Tim Korstanje. Caribe and Brownstead were both slower here than they were last season; Caribe broke 19 seconds last year, and Brownstead went 19.20.

Korstanje’s swim is a new personal best, bettering the 19.70 he swam at 2023 SECs. With last year’s invited time sitting at 19.21, he’ll likely need to drop more to earn an NCAA invite.

Tennessee had four men in this final: Blackman finished 5th with a 19.70, and Flynn Crisci took 8th just a hundredth off his PB.

Women’s 400-Yard Medley Relay — Finals

• NCAA Record: 3:21.80 — Virginia (G. Walsh, A. Walsh, K. Douglass, A. Canny) (2023)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 3:31.38
• 2024 NCAA ‘B’ Standard: 3:33.48

Top 8:

1. Virginia ‘A’ (G. Walsh, Nocentini, A. Walsh, Canny) — 3:26.15
2. Tennessee ‘A’ (Fuller, McSharry, Mack, Douthwright) — 3:31.22
3. Virginia ‘B’ (Tiltmann, Weber, Harter, Parker) — 3:31.99
4. Alabama ‘A’ — 3:32.67
5. Alabama ‘B’ — 3:34.24
6. Virginia ‘C’ — 3:36.94
7. Arkansas ‘A’ — 3:37.88
8. Kentucky ‘A’ — 3:38.10

Virginia’s quartet of G. Walsh, Nocentini, A. Walsh, and Canny won the 400 medley relay by over five seconds in 3:26.15. With the win, they complete the sweep of day 1 events for the Virginia women. Fresh off setting a new American record in the 50 free, G. Walsh dropped a 50.05. Nocentini followed up with a 57.56 breast split, with A. Walsh and Canny contributing 49.89  and 48.65 splits. With the exception of Nocetini, the rest of this relay each swam three times this session–one individual event and two relays.

Tennessee’s ‘A’ squad was best of the rest, snagging an NCAA ‘A’ cut. Fuller (52.38), McSharry (56.57), Katie Mack (53.58), and Brooklyn Douthwright (48.69) stopped the clock at 3:31.22, getting under the ‘A’ cut by .16 seconds.

Like they did in the IM, Virginia showcased their depth here in the medley relay as their ‘B’ relay of Reilly Tiltmann, Emma Weber, Abby Harter, and Maxine Parker took third, well ahead of Alabama’s ‘A’ relay that finished 4th in 3:32.67.

Men’s 400-Yard Medley Relay — Finals

• NCAA Record: 2:58.32 — Florida (A. Chaney, D. Hillis, J. Liendo, M. McDuff) (2023)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 3:04.96
• 2024 NCAA ‘B’ Standard: 3:06.84

Top 8:

1. Tennessee ‘A’ (Lierz, Crisci, Crooks, Caribe) – 3:05.52
2. Virginia ‘A’ (Cole, Nichols, Connery, Brownstead) – 3:05.60
3. Alabama ‘A’ (Hagar, Sheils, Korstanje, Hawke) – 3:07.12
4. Alabama ‘B’ – 3:09.85
5. Virginia ‘B’ – 3:10.01
6. Virginia ‘C’ – 3:11.72
7. Tennessee ‘C’ – 3:11.79
8. Tennessee ‘B’ – 3:12.78

Here in the 400 medley relay, we got the close race between Tennessee and Virginia that we were expecting in the 200 free relay. The two teams traded the lead back and forth. First, Harrison Lierz put the Volunteers in the lead with a 46.50 backstroke ahead of Will Cole‘s 47.15.

But then, Nichols split 50.72 on breaststroke, opening up more than a half-second lead for the Cavaliers. Tennessee struck back on fly, with Crooks popping 45.07 to retake the lead. Then, Caribe closed out with a 41.87 freestyle leg, holding off Matt Brownstead, who put in a huge charge with a 41.51 anchor leg.

The two teams finished well ahead of Alabama, who took 3rd in 3:07.12. Hawke continued to show the strong form that he’s on here in Knoxville. He outsplit both Brownstead and Caribe on the anchor with a 41.28 freestyle split.