Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Missouri Tigers
- October 20, 2023
- University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Short Course Yards (25 yards)
- Full Results
- Team Scores
- Men: #24 Alabama 180-Missouri 118
- Women: #22 Alabama 221-Missouri 88
The Alabama Crimson Tide rolled through the University of Missouri last weekend in Tuscaloosa, a statement win in both teams’ SEC conference openers.
“A really good day on both sides. With this being our first SEC competition, we wanted to make sure we really respected our opponents coming in. Obviously, Missouri has two great teams, so we knew that this would be a good challenge for the team. I feel like, on both sides, we really stepped up and showed some really good stuff today.”
While the teams are in the same conference, they last squared off in October 2016, more than seven years ago, where the teams split, with the Missouri women and Alabama men as winners.
Women’s Recap
Highlight Swims:
- Cadence Vincent won the 50 free in 22.72 and Jada Scott won the 100 free in 49.05 for Alabama.
The Alabama freshman sprint duo of Jada Scott and Cadence Vincent continued to show up big for the rebuilding Crimson Tide this year, with the pair combing once again to sweep the 50 and 100 frees.
Vincent won the 50 free in 22.72. which is a new lifetime best for her. Her best time coming into Alabama was a 22.83 from the 2023 YMCA National Championships; beside this week, she almost eclipsed that in her collegiate debut against Delta State in September, where she swam 22.85.
That led an Alabama 1-2-3 with Kailyn Winter finishing 2nd in 23.02 and Jada Surrell-Norwood placing 3rd in 23.36.
Not long after, fellow freshman Jada Scott won the 100 free in 49.05. That’s the second-best time of her career and her fastest swim since 2021 Winter Juniors.
That was one of three individual wins for Scott on the day. She also won the 200 IM (2:02.69) and 100 back (54.24); the latter was just .03 seconds shy of her lifetime best.
That backstroke prowess is looming large for Alabama thanks to the continued absence so far this season of Australian sophomore Emily Jones. Last year, Jones, swam the butterfly leg of Alabama’s medley relays at NCAAs, and was the front-runner to take over the backstroke group from graduated National Team member Rhyan White. She hasn’t raced yet this season and a recent social media post indicated that she might be facing an injury.
In addition to those individual wins, Scott and Vincent combined for arguably their best work on the Alabama opening medley relay. There, Scott split 24.50 on the backstroke leg, and Vincent split 22.03 on the anchor freestyle leg as the Crimson Tide combined for a 1:38.09. In spite of the team’s losses in the last 12 months, combined with Avery Wiseman (27.60) and Kailyn Winter (23.96), the Alabama medley relays are still strong this year, and that doesn’t account for the fact that another freshman, Gaby van Brunt, split even better than Winter on the “B” relay with a 23.68.
Alabama went 1-2 in that opening relay.
Taylor Williams was once again the headliner for Missouri. The NCAA qualifying butterflier had a breakthrough 200 fly in the team’s opener at the SMU Classic two weeks ago. While she settled more into dual meet form at this meet, she still picked up wins in the 100 fly (54.07) and 200 fly (2:01.08).
That 100 fly came against a deep Alabama butterfly crew that includes Gaby Van Brunt (54.17) and Kailyn Winter (54.45).
Other Highlights:
- Avery Wiseman swept the breaststrokes for Alabama in 1:01.44 and 2:14.06 in the 100 and 200-yard races, respectively.
- Alabama’s McKenzie Brandt swam 9:58.10 to win the 1000 free. An accomplished miler, she didn’t actually swim the 1000 free at all last year as a freshman outside of mid-season invites and the SEC Championships.
- Missouri’s Kayla Wilson won 3-meter diving with a score of 331.73, leading a 1-2 with Kamryn Wong (319.50).
Men’s Recap
Highlight Swims:
- Alabama’s Kaique Alves swam 43.48 in the individual 100 free and 43.51 leading off the 400 free relay.
- Alabama’s Trey Sheils won the 100 breast in 53.95.
The Alabama men won all but two swimming races on the day. That included individual wins in the 200 free (1:35.82) by almost four seconds and 100 free (43.48) by four-tenths of a second.
Both times are better than he was in fall-semester dual meets last season.
He also split 43.51 on the leadoff leg of the Alabama 400 free relay en route to a 2:55.72 group swim. That relay included a 43.26 anchor leg from Charlie Hawke, who showed big range by pairing that sprint result with wins in the 1000 free (9:19.93) and 500 free (4:27.59), both in dominating fashion.
Alves also took on the role as Alabama’s breaststroker on their 200 medley relay, splitting 23.90 as part of a 1:26.98 team effort.
Missouri’s two wins in the lanes came from Jan Zubik in the 200 fly (1:47.72) and Grant Bochenski in the 100 back (48.47).
Zubik, part of the great Polish butterfly tradition, didn’t join the Tigers until January last year. He was 6th at SECs last year in the 200 fly, and he opened the season with a 1:46.15 at the SMU Classic.
Yes sir, Tide 🔛 🔝
Let the haters doubt the program
The tide is rolling!! #keepdoubting
And Ryleigh Rodgers finishes first on the 1 meter diving event for the Crimson Tide
Suited or unsuited?
Grevers was all in on suits every meet for awhile but I wasn’t sure if he changed his tune.
Unsuited
I watched some of the streamed meet. I was going to see if anything was said about both teams being unsuited. I wonder what changed Coach Grevers mind?
Prob last year’s results.
16th at NCAAs on the mens side wasn’t bad?!
Probably realized he should focus on improving his coaching instead of depending on suits.
He’s been on the hiring train over the last few months so hopefully there is some benefit to the new hires! Takes time to re build and I hope they can do that, for all our sakes!
…… 🤔