2024 CAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Wednesday, February 28 – Saturday, March 2, 2024
- Hampton Aquaplex, Hampton, VA
- Defending Champions:
- Women: UNCW (1x)
- Men: UNCW (2x)
- Teams: Campbell (W), Delaware, Drexel, Monmouth, Northeastern (W), Stony Brook (W), Towson, UNCW, William & Mary
- Championship Central
- Psych Sheets
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The biggest swim of Day 3 of the 2024 CAA Championships came not in finals, but in prelims. This morning, UNCW freshman William Carrico posted the fastest time in the 400 IM prelims with a 3:46.64. That swim took down the all-time CAA record of 3:46.64 set by American University’s and Spanish Olympian Frederick Hviid way back in 1994, about three months before the OJ Simpson saga began, and five months before the 1994 MLB strike started.
Carrico was just a bit off his prelims time this evening, but his 3:47.31 was still enough to win by over three seconds, ahead of teammate Aidan Duffy (3:50.49). That’s Carrie’s second individual title of the meet, after he won the 500 free yesterday.
The Seahawk freshman has seen some huge improvements in his first year of college swimming, going from 4:49 to 4:21 in the 500 free and 3:58 to 3:46 in the 400 IM, according to UNCW head coach Bobby Guntoro.
UNCW extended their lead in the team standings on the strength of three wins on the day and a ton of depth. Will Goldey won the 100 back with a 46.98 as one of four Seahawk men in the A-final of that event. UNCW also earned a 1-2 sweep in the 3m diving event with Ethan Badrian (350.25) and Nicholas Newis (336.20) swapping places from the 1m event.
The Seahawk men also picked up their first relay win of the meet by touching first in the 200 free relay tonight in a high race. William & Mary was actually in the lead initially after a 19.73 leadoff from Aiden Bond, but after a 20.07 leadoff from Noah Sipowski, UNCW regained the lead with a 19.55 second leg from Mac Russell and hung on with splits of 19.83 (Jacob Duracinsky) and 19.78 (Kenneth Lowe).
Drexel’s Sebastian Smith once again had the fastest split in the field with a 19.18 anchor leg to help the Dragons to a second place finish (1:19.38), while Delaware (1:19.64), William & Mary (1:19.67), and Towson (1:19.80) all finished in a tight pack,
The 100 fly was another fast, fun race. Drexel’s Kuba Kwasny won in 45.61, breaking the meet record, coming within a tenth of the all-time CAA record of 45.51 owned by Towson’s Jack Saunderson, and possibly putting himself in line for an NCAA invite. That time is just under what it took to qualify last season, but it currently ranks approximately 34th this year, so even with a couple of guys ahead of him likely not entering the race at NCAAs, he’ll probably end up on the wrong side of the cut line.
Teammate Sebastien Smith took 2nd at 46.01, followed by last year’s champ, Brian Benzing, at 46.10, 0.15s faster than the time he swam to win last year.
Benzing, however, got a win later in the session, as he defended his title in the 100 breast with a sterling 51.30. That’s 0.05s off of his CAA record from last year, but it still moves him up to #9 in the nation, pending other results from today.
Delaware’s Kaloy Levterov won the 200 free in 1:35.35, thanks to a 24.19 final 50 that put him ahead of UNCW’s Jacob Duracinksy, who touched just behind at 1:35.45.
On the women’s side, five different schools claimed titles tonight, but UNCW pulled back ahead of Delaware by nearly 100 points thanks to a lot of depth.
The Seahawks’ only win of the night came in the first event, the 100 fly, where Cameron Snowden set a new meet record with a 52.72 to set a new personal best.
UNCW put a whopping five women into the A-final of the next event, the 400 IM, but it was Towson’s Maddie Frick who got the win with a 4:19.63, thanks to a strong freestyle leg.
Delaware’s Lauren Hartel had some momentum going into this event after a 1:47 leadoff on the 800 free relay and a win in the 500 free last night, but Drexel’s Chelsea Gravereaux came through the win tonight with a 1:47.22, just a bit off her 1:46.76 from last season.
Ellie Scherer of William & Mary defended her title in the 100 breast with a 1:00.84, just a hair faster than her winning time last year, and Towson’s Ally Frame shaved a bit off her lifetime best with a 53.11 win in the 100 back.
Northeastern closed out the night with a 1:31.06 win in the 200 free relay. The Huskies were in third by 0.36s after a 22.62 leadoff from Jamie Koo and a 23.19 second leg from Kotoko Blair. But the freshman duo of Mary Nordman (22.92) and May Bradburn (22.33) combined for the fastest back half in the field to secure the win.
UNCW took 2nd in 1:31.49, followed closely by Drexel (1:31.76) and W&M (1:31.81).
Team Scores Through Day 3
Women
- UNCW – 940.5
- Delaware – 842.5
- William & Mary – 742.5
- Northeastern – 703.5
- Towson – 647
- Drexel – 417
- Campbell – 363
- Stony Brook – 219
- Monmouth – 193
Men
- UNCW – 620.5
- Delaware – 513.5
- Towson – 381
- Drexel – 343.5
- William & Mary – 273.5
- Monmouth – 148