The Texas Longhorns continued to roll this week, topping TCU in the regular season finales for both teams. The Longhorn women triumphed 157-111 on two big wins from Tasija Karosas, and the Texas men got a 20.0 butterfly split from freshman Joseph Schooling to top TCU 151-122
Women’s Meet
The Lady Longhorns nabbed 13 of 15 event wins on the women’s side, including two from sophomore Tasija Karosas. Karosas was probably most impressive in the 100 back, going 53.48 to win by over two seconds. That time is just three tenths off of Karosas’ lifetime-best, which she set last weekend.
Karosas also won the 400 IM, going 4:24.93, though the event was exhibitioned.
Gretchen Jaques was also impressive for the Longhorns, nearly cracking a minute in the 100 breaststroke. Jaques was 1:00.03 to pick up the win there.
In the meet’s opening individual event, Longhorn Sarah Denninghoff smashed her season best in the 200 free, going 1:46.00. That time for Denninghoff is just over a second off her lifetime-best and moves her up to 4th in the NCAA so far this year.
TCU managed to steal back-to-back events in the second half of the meet. Senior Ali Bleasdell topped the Longhorns in the 200 back, going 2:02.43, and at the other end of the age spectrum, freshman Lindsay Shabet took the 200 breast with a 2:21.62.
Texas’s freshmen also came up big. Mimi Schneider put up a new lifetime-best in the 50 free, going 22.32 to win the event in a landslide. That time vaults Schneider into the top 25 nationally. Her first-year teammate Rebecca Millard did her part as well, going 50.57 to win the 100 free.
Men’s Meet
The men’s meet opened with a promising swim from freshman Joseph Schooling, who sat out of the team’s dual last weekend against Arizona and SMU. Swimming butterfly on the 200 medley relay, Schooling popped a 20.05 split that has to get Texas fans excited for the postseason. At last year’s NCAAs, the nation’s fastest finals split was the 19.99 put up by Cal’s Tony Cox, and Schooling nearly equaled that in a dual meet. (Texas’s Jack Conger was 19.96 in prelims, but 20.0 in the event final at 2014 NCAAs).
Schooling would also go on to win one of the night’s longest events, going 3:55.10 to take the exhibitioned 400 IM.
The Longhorns, heavy NCAA title favorites after a stellar regular season, let a few of their top athletes try some off events. One switch-up that worked exceptionally well was putting butterflyer Tripp Cooper into the 100 breast. If Texas has a weakness, it’s probably in the breaststrokes, but Cooper was a solid 54.36 to take the win in the 100. Just behind him were freestyler/butterflyer Matt Ellis and Schooling, who tied at 54.58. That’s probably not a post-season event possibility for any of the three men, but it is promising to see Texas having that kind of all-around team success in an event that was an Achilles heel last season.
Cooper returned to a bit more of a natural event for him with the 100 free, also winning that race in a quick 43.89.
Also winning twice was junior John Martens, who swept the 100 and 200 flys with times of 49.51 and 1:44.02, respectively.
TCU’s only win came in the 200 back, where returning NCAA qualifier Cooper Robinson went 1:48.04, beating Longhorn John Murray.
A couple other notable Texas winners:
Will Licon stayed hot in the 200 breast, going 1:57.11 for the win just a week after beating American record-holder Kevin Cordes head to head. Texas also got a 200 free win from Clay Younquist in 1:37.50, and Jack Conger returned after his electric 200 fly last week to take the 500 free with a 4:26.85.
Just putting this out there but Tom Shields went out with a 19.6 on the 400 medley relay at NCAA.
Not bad, Conger. You almost beat Ledecky.
LOL
Way to wrap up a great season! Time for conference and national championships. Hook ’em! \m/
Wasn’t my boy Jack Conger 19.96 at NCAAs last year?
He was 19.96 in prelims, but slid back over 20 in the final. We’ll still add in a note about that, though.
Did Texas wear suits again like they did when Conger went 1:40 in his 2 fly?
Nope, they were going Hippie Hollow au naturel.
Thats awesome!
Actually almost the whole team was suited except conger, I swam in the meet
That is not true, almost everyone except for Conger was in a suit, I swam in the meet
Wait, Lewis swam a 22.6 anchoring the relay in which Schooling split 20.05? Even a distance guy should split a bit faster than that … is something going on with the results?
Justin Pollard – that was my first thought as well. However, Lewis’s lifetime-best 50 freestyle is 21.7 according to USA Swimming, so it’s certainly a possibility he went 22.6 in an in-season dual meet. We’ll make sure to update if we get any word that splits are inaccurate.
Maybe Lewis swam sidestroke? Perhaps we can forgive him, see that he swam a 8:52.7 in the 1000. Isn’t that the nation’s fastest time this year?