2023 Texas Invitational: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

2023 TEXAS HALL OF FAME INVITATIONAL

• November 15-18, 2023 (10 am/6 pm CT)
• Austin, Texas
• Lee & Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center
• SCY (25 Yards)
• Prelims: 10 am (CT) / 6 pm (CT)
• Results

WOMEN’S 100-YARD FLY – FINAL

• NCAA Record: 48.46, Kate Douglass, Virginia (2023)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 50.69
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 52.20

Top 8:

1. Emma Sticklen (TEX) — 50.36
2. Kelly Pash (TEX) — 50.37
3. Olivia Bray (TEX) — 50.47
4. Ava Longi (TEX) — 51.39
5. Lillie Nordmann (STAN) — 51.52
6. Anicka Delgado (USC) — 52.08
7. Gigi Johnson (STAN) — 52.30
8. Angie Coe (TEX) — 52.47

The Texas women’s fly crew is at it again. They took the top four spots in the women’s 100 fly to get the session started. 2023 200 butterfly champion Emma Sticklen earned the win, a hundredth ahead of Kelly Pash. Sticklen led the race around at the 50-yard mark in 23.33, followed by Olivia Bray (23.43) with Ava Longi (23.77) and Pash (23.79) further back.

Pash put in a huge push on the second 50, splitting 26.79 to pass Bray and Longi, as well as pull even with Sticklen. At the touch, it was Sticklen who came away with the win in 50.36. Pash took second in 50.37, marking a new personal best for her. It’s the first time that she’s broken 51 seconds, with her previous best a 51.01 from last season’s Minnesota Invite. She swam a PB in the 200 IM yesterday as well.

Bray was just behind the top two, taking 3rd just a tenth behind Pash in a season-best 50.47 and Longi stopped the clock in 51.39, her first time sub-52.

MEN’S 100-YARD FLY – FINAL

• NCAA Record: 42.80, Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 44.64
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 45.57

Top 8:

1. Rafael Gu (STAN) — 45.07
2. Sam Artmann (TEX) — 45.94
3. Aaron Sequeira (STAN) — 45.95
4. Alec Filipovic (TEX) — 46.18
5. Holden Smith (TEX) — 46.67
6. Avery Voss (STAN) — 46.85
7. Michal Chmielewski (USC) — 47.18
8. Ethan Hu (STAN) — 47.81

Sophomore Rafael Gu earned the win in the men’s 100 fly with a new personal best time of 45.07. That knocks three-hundredths off his previous best, which stood at 45.10 from 2023 PAC-12s where he took 2nd behind teammate Andrei Minakov. Gu was the only one in the field out sub-21, turning in 20.85. He grew his lead on the back half and ended up winning by .87 seconds over Texas’ Sam Artmann. 

For his part, Artmann swam a personal best as well, shaving three-hundredths from his previous best, which he swam at 2023 NCAAs. He out-touched Aaron Sequeira by a hundredth. Sequeira, who had a breakout at 2023 NCAAs by making two finals, made it two Stanford swimmers on the “podium”. He finished 3rd in 45.95.

In the LCM time trials to open the meet, Alec Filipovic punched his ticket to U.S. Olympic Trials in the 100-meter fly with a personal best. He backed that up here in the 100-yard fly with another personal best, swimming 46.18. That’s a .45 second drop for him, bettering the time he swam at 2023 Big 12s.

WOMEN’S 400-YARD IM – FINAL

• NCAA Record: 3:54.60, Ella Eastin, Stanford (2018)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 4:03.62
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 4:11.36

Top 8:

1. Lucy Bell (STAN)/Justina Kozan (USC) — 4:03.25
2. (tie)
3. Caroline Bricker (STAN) — 4:03.49
4. Claire Tuggle (USC) — 4:10.33
5. Callahan Dunn (WISC) — 4:11.15
6. Samantha Tadder (STAN) — 4:11.65
7. Charlotte Hook (STAN) — 4:12.80
8. Macky Hodges (USC) — 4:18.07

How often do you see a tie for the win in the 400 IM? But that’s what we’ve got in Austin, as Stanford’s Lucy Bell and USC’s Justina Kozan tied in 4:03.25, coming away with a shared win.

The top three swimmers Bell, Kozan, and Caroline Bricker were in a world of their own in this event, creating about a 7 second gap between themselves and the rest of the final. All three swam their way to new personal bests as well. None of the three had been under 4:05 before this; now, they’re all in the 4:03-mid range, which would’ve landed all of them in the ‘A’ final at 2023 NCAAs.

Heading into the freestyle leg it was Bell with the lead, then Bricker, then Kozan. But Kozan roared home in 53.16, passing the freshman Bricker and stopping the clock at the same time as Bell. All three of these swimmers are key parts of their teams’ rebuilds this year, and Bricker in particular has been a bright spot for the Cardinal in the early goings of the season.

Further back, Claire Tuggle swam a personal best of her own for 4th. She clocked 4:10.33, dropping from the 4:12.12 she swam at the SMU Classic earlier this fall.

MEN’S 400-YARD IM – FINAL

• NCAA Record: 3:28.82, Leon Marchand, Arizona State (2023)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 3:38.90
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 3:42.99

Top 8:

1. Rex Maurer (STAN) — 3:41.27
2. Dominik Mark Torok (WISC) — 3:44.52
3. Spencer Aurnou-Rees (TEX) — 3:46.80
4. Zach Ward (WISC) — 3:47.52
5. Rick Mihm (STAN) — 3:47.92
6. Liam Custer (STAN) — 3:49.70
7. Gibson Holmes (STAN) — 3:51.51
8. Mike Breitbart (UNLV) — 3:52.17

Freshman Rex Maurer added another win and another personal best in the men’s 400 IM. Last night, he swam a PB to win the 500 free, and now he’s dropped PB of 3:41.27, improving on the 3:41.94 he swam in March 2023. Maurer is more known for his freestyle prowess, particularly in the 200/500/1650. He led off the 800 free relay to open the meet, but opted for the 400 IM tonight to see what he could do.

Wisconsin’s Dominik Mark Torok took 2nd in a season best 3:44.52. He was leading after the fly (49.50), but by the end of the backstroke leg, Maurer had taken over courtesy of a 55.34 split. On the back half, Maurer went 1:05.41/50.36.

Like Maurer who finished first, Torok was sort of on an island, as the 3rd place finisher, Spencer Aurnou-Rees was more than two seconds behind him in 3:46.80.

WOMEN’S 200-YARD FREE – FINAL

• NCAA Record: 1:39.10, Missy Franklin, Cal (2015)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:42.84
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 1:45.31

Top 8:

1. Minna Abraham (USC) — 1:41.38
2. Erin Gemmell (TEX) — 1:43.09
3. Kayla Wilson (STAN) — 1:43.21
4. Vasilissa Buinaia (USC) — 1:44.18
5. Aurora Roghair (STAN) — 1:44.25
6. Abby Carlson (WISC) — 1:44.86
7. Lillie Nordmann (STAN) — 1:44.87
8. Natalie Mannion (STAN) — 1:46.26

Minna Abraham continues to impress in her freshman season at USC. Coming into this weekend of invites, she held the fastest time of the NCAA season with a 1:43.35. She blew past that here in the ‘A’ final though, dropping almost two seconds for a new personal best and a school record of 1:41.38. That should slot her just behind Gretchen Walsh in this season’s NCAA rankings, just outside the top-10 all time, and would’ve won NCAAs last season.

Erin Gemmell, another freshman, set a personal best of her own for 2nd. Gemmell improved on her previous best of 1:43.45 from February 2023 with a 1:43.09, which (like Abraham) would put her squarely into the 2023 NCAA ‘A’ final. She held off Kayla Wilson, who out-split her on the final 50 and took 3rd in 1:43.21, just over a tenth behind her.

The field was littered with best times, as both Vasilissa Buinaia and Aurora Roghair set personal bests en route to their 4th and 5th place finishes. After setting a personal best in the 500 free yesterday, Roghair swam another here in the 200 free. She bettered the 1:44.77 she swam at 2023 NCAAs by posting a 1:44.25.

MEN’S 200-YARD FREE – FINAL

• NCAA Record: 1:29.15, Dean Farris, Harvard (2019)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:31.74
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 1:32.85

Top 8:

1. Luke Hobson (TEX) — 1:32.36
2. Henry McFadden (STAN) — 1:32.78
3. Coby Carrozza (TEX) — 1:33.41
4. Andres Dupont Cabrera (STAN) — 1:34.25
5. Manning Haskal (TEX) — 1:34.47
6. Luke Maurer (STAN) — 1:34.49
7. Luukas Vainio (WISC) — 1:34.70
8. Chris Morris (WISC) — 1:36.35

After a rough looking 4:15 in the 500 free yesterday, Luke Hobson looked better today. He won the 200 free with a 1:32.36, holding off his Worlds teammate Henry McFadden, who is a freshman at Stanford.

Hobson took control of the race early, turning at the 100 in 44.61. He and his teammate Coby Carrozza (44.98) were the only two under 45 seconds at the halfway point. McFadden was running fourth, and made his move into 3rd on the third 50 with a 23.96 split. He posted a 23.49 on the final 50 to pass Carrozza and close the gap to Hobson; he stopped the clock at 1:32.78, a new personal best time that improves the 1:32.97 he swam in March 2023.

Carrozza rounded out the top 3 with a 1:33.41.

WOMEN’S 100-YARD BREAST – FINAL

• NCAA Record: 55.73, Lilly King, Indiana (2019)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 58.02
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 59.73

Top 8:

1. Kaitlyn Dobler (USC) — 56.99
2. Anna Elendt (TEX) — 57.75
3. Hazal Ozkan (WISC) — 59.53
4. Channing Hanley (TEX) — 59.64
5. Lucy Thomas (STAN) — 1:00.18
6. Calysta Bartlet (UNLV) — 1:00.81
7. Katherine Adams (USC) — 1:01.24
8. Viola Teglassy (UNLV) — 1:02.44

Kaitlyn Dobler kept the USC train rolling, winning the 100 breaststroke with a massive 56.99. It’s the second-fastest time in the NCAA this year, behind only Mona McSharry‘s 56.87 from the Tennessee Invite. And, it’s just six-hundredths off her best time which she swam to win the NCAA title in 2022.

Dobler took the race on early, jumping out at the 50-yard mark with a 26.91. She was the only swimmer in the field under 27 seconds on the front half, with Texas’ Anna Elendt running 2nd in 27.24. Dobler extended her lead over the second art of the race, eventually winning by .76 seconds. Elendt was the runner-up, joining Dobler under the NCAA ‘A’ cut in a season-best 57.75.

The other two women in the field under 1:00 were Hazal Ozkan and Channing Hanley. Ozkan dropped about four-tenths from her PB and came from behind to beat Hanley for 3rd place. Hanley, who broke 1:00 for the first time in prelims, lowered her best again with a 59.64.

MEN’S 100-YARD BREAST – FINAL

• NCAA Record: 49.69, Ian Finnerty, Indiana (2018)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 51.10
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 51.90

Top 8:

1. Chris O’Grady (USC) — 51.53
2. Danny Beji (UNLV) — 52.37
3. Will Scholtz (TEX) — 52.47
4. Ben Dillard (USC) — 52.58
5. Nate Germonprez (TEX) — 52.64
6. Andrew Benson (WISC) — 53.57
7. Hayden Zheng (STAN) — 53.71
8. Ethan Dang (STAN) — 54.09

Chris O’Grady followed up his teammate Dobler’s win in the 100 breast with his own, making it a USC sweep in the 100 breaststroke. Like Dobler, O’Grady led the race from start-to-finish, opening the race with a 24.12 before coming home in 27.41. The time is a new personal best for O’Grady, improving the 51.69 he swam at 2022 PAC-12s.

UNLV’s Danny Beji took 2nd in a season-best of 52.37. He was 4th at the 50 behind Ben Dillard and Will Scholtz. Beji split 27.79 on the second 50 to move through the field and take 2nd. Just a tenth behind him was Scholtz, who swam a new best time of 52.47. That improves on his time from prelims but before today, his best time had stood for almost two years, since December 2021.

Texas freshman Nate Germonprez took 5th, just off his personal best with a 52.64.

WOMEN’S 100-YARD BACK – FINAL

• NCAA Record: 48.26, Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (2023)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 50.88
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 52.36

Top 8:

1. Berit Berglund (TEX) — 50.85
2. Phoebe Bacon (WISC) — 51.43
3. Caroline Famous (USC) — 51.96
4. Mackenzie McConaga (WISC) — 52.23
5. Emma Kern (TEX) — 52.44
6. Janelle Rudolph (STAN) — 53.43
7. Meghan DiMartile (TEX) — 53.55
8. Kaylyn Schoof (WISC) — 53.70

After coming a hundredth from her personal best in prelims, Berit Berglund blew past her personal best with a 50.85 for the win in the 100 backstroke. Berglund’s previous best stood at 51.32, but now she’s cracked the 51 second barrier for the first time. She split 24.92/25.93 to take the win. She was leading by five-hundredths at the 50 ahead of Phoebe Bacon, then extended her lead on the back half. Bacon touched 2nd in a season-best, right on her time from the Minnesota Invite last season.

Caroline Famous rounded out the top 3 with a 51.96, becoming the third person in the heat to break 52 seconds. Famous has been have a breakout campaign so far this season; this time here was off her best of 51.48. She set that earlier this month at USC’s dual with ASU, showing how strong she’s been through the early goings of the season.

MEN’S 100-YARD BACK – FINAL

• NCAA Record: 43.35, Luca Urlando, Georgia (2022)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 44.71
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 45.70

Top 8:

1. Will Modglin (TEX) — 44.49
2. Chris O’Connor (TEX) — 45.74
3. Aaron Sequeira (STAN) — 46.45
4. Jake Newmark (WISC) — 46.89
5. Winkus Potgieter (UNLV) — 46.96
6. Josh Zuchowski (STAN) — 47.16
7. Hayden Kwan (STAN) — 47.25
8. Michal Chmielewski (USC) — 47.88

Will Modglin blew away the field in the men’s 100 backstroke. He won the event with a huge time of 44.49, which ranks him #2 in Texas history. It’s Modglin’s first time under 45 seconds, as his previous best was a 45.01 which he’d neared in prelims when he swam 45.04.

Modglin’s time would have qualified for the ‘A’ final at 2023 NCAAs and ultimately would’ve finished 5th. That’s big for a Texas team that’s looking to fend off teams like Florida, NC State, and Indiana in the NCAA standings come March. Modglin is a huge part of Texas’ performance this season, and he’s been delivering early.

He won the race by more than a second, with his teammate Chris O’Connor touching 2nd in 45.74. That’s a best time for O’Connor as well, and his first time under 46 seconds in the 100 back. The two dominated the race, as Aaron Sequiera took 3rd in a 46.45.

WOMEN’S 200-YARD FREESTYLE RELAY — TIMED 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. Texas ‘A’ (Cooper, Longi, Sticklen, Pash) — 1:26.31
2. USC  ‘A’ (Buinaia, Delgado, Dobler, Abraham) — 1:27.07
3. Wisconsin ‘A’ (Tierney, Fiske, Wanezek, Bacon) — 1:28.74
4. Texas ‘B — 1:28.89
5. Stanford ‘A’ — 1:29.46
6. Texas ‘C’ — 1:30.13
7. USC ‘B’ — 1:30.59
8. Wisconsin ‘B’ — 1:31.00

The Texas quartet of Grace Cooper (21.66), Ava Longi (21.55), Emma Sticklen (21.65), Kelly Pash (21.45) broke a five-year old school record to cap off this finals session. Led by Cooper who lowered her own program record for the second time this meet, the team swam a 1:26.31, easily getting under the NCAA ‘A’ cut.

Behind them, the USC ‘A’ team set a school record of their own, clocking 1:27.07. Vasilissa Buinaia led the team off in 22.24, before turning things over to Anicka Delgado, Kaitlyn Dobler, and Minna Abraham who all put together 21-point splits. Deglado split 21.58, Dobler 21.95, then Abraham tore home with a 21.30.

USC finished over 1.5 seconds ahead of Wisconsin’s ‘A’ team. Hailey Tierney led off in a 22.08, bettering her time from the individual event final (22.11). Then, Sophie Fiske (22.27), Abby Wanezek (22.39), and Phoebe Bacon (22.00) followed her for a 1:28.74 final time. That’s an NCAA ‘B’ cut for the Badger women, which they didn’t have at this point in the season last year.

MEN’S 200-YARD FREESTYLE RELAY — TIMED 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. Stanford ‘A’ (Tan, Gu, Voss, Maurer) — 1:16.75
2. Wisconsin ‘A’ (Torepe-Ormsby, Wiegand, Benson, Morris) — 1:17.30
3. Texas ‘A’ (Modglin, Germonprez, Taylor, Hobson) — 1:17.62
4. UNLV ‘A’ — 1:18.01
5. USC ‘A’ — 1:18.11
6. Stanford ‘B’ — 1:18.86
7. Texas ‘B’ — 1:19.29
8. Texas ‘C’ — 1:20.43

With all the absences in their roster through at least the first half of the season, Stanford’s relay lineups have been ever changing. It seems expected that without Minakov, Leon MacAllister, and Jonny Affeld their relays–especially the medley relays–may take a hit. But interestingly, the 200 free relay, which has been their weak spot the last two seasons, has been a bright spot so far this year.

The team of Jonathan Tan (19.35), Gu (19.03), Voss (19.11), and L. Maurer (19.26) took the win in 1:16.75, earning an NCAA ‘A’ cut in the event. That’s huge for them–they didn’t have even a ‘B’ cut at this point last season.

Wisconsin’s ‘A’ team of Taiko Torepe-Ormsby (19.24), Ben Wiegand (19.32), Andrew Benson (19.15), and Chris Morris (19.59), snuck under the NCAA ‘B’ cut by eight-hundredths with a 1:17.30. They had a ‘B’ cut last year but since then the ‘B’ cut has gotten faster and this swim is an improvement on their time from midseason last season by .25 seconds.

Fresh off the 100 backstroke, Modglin led off the Longhorns’ relay in 19.55, a personal best by a hundredth. He was followed by fellow freshman Germonprez (19.27), Camden Taylor (19.67), and Luke Hobson (19.13). They combined for a time of 1:17.62, outside of NCAA ‘B’ cut range.