Connor Dalbo Leads SMU To Dominant Road Win Over Incarnate Word

SMU vs Incarnate Word (M)

• January 9, 2021
• Robson & LindleyAaquatics Center and Barr-Mcmillion Natatorium, Dallas, TX.
• SCY (25y)
• Full Results (PDF)
• Final Score: SMU 196, Incarnate Word 104

The Southern Methodist men’s team won their first meet in close to two months in decisive fashion on Saturday afternoon, defeating Incarnate Word 196-104 on the road. The Mustangs won 12 of 16 events in the dual.

Leading the way for SMU was junior Connor Dalbo, who picked up three individual victories for the day.

Dalbo, 21, first won the 100 breaststroke in 55.10, going 1-2 with senior teammate Caleb Rhodenbaugh (56.30). Dalbo followed that up by claiming the 200 breast in 2:01.29, over four seconds clear of the field, and rounded out the day by topping the 200 IM field in 1:50.39. That event marked another 1-2 sweep for SMU, with sophomore Colin Feehery the runner-up in 1:51.58.

A native of Cary, N.C., Dalbo set new personal bests in all three of these events earlier this season against Drury, going 53.80, 1:55.75 and 1:48.03, respectively.

Winning two events apeice for the Mustangs was Petar Bozhilov and Daniel Forndal.

Bozhilov, a 20-year-old junior out of Bulgaria, swept the distance freestyle events, claiming the 500 (4:31.67) and 1000 free (9:12.77). The swim in the 1000 marked a new lifetime best, bettering his 9:16.22 from a dual with TCU in October, and also moved him into #8 all-time in school history. Bozhilov is now less than five seconds off of the 20-year-old SMU record of 9:07.85, held by Chad Hundeby.

Forndal, a Swedish native, won the 100 (44.87) and 200 free (1:39.53) — leading a 1-2-3-4 finish for SMU in the latter — and also factored in on both of the winning Mustang relays.

The 23-year-old senior anchored the 200 medley relay to a time of 1:31.53 (splits unavailable), easily topping UIW (1:33.26), and then blasted a 44.25 swimming second on the 400 free relay — the fastest split in the field — as SMU won in 3:02.24 to the Cardinals’ 3:03.91.

For Incarnate Word, the top split came from Serbian freshman Andrija Petkovic, who anchored in 44.75.

Two of the Cardinals’ four wins came from sophomore Fernando Ruvalcaba Cruz, as the 18-year-old claimed the 100 back (50.85) and 200 back (1:49.26).

OTHER WINNERS

• Lance Butler, SMU — 50 freestyle (20.87)
• Parker Hardigree, SMU — 1-meter diving (336.45)
• Dominic Hoefer, SMU — 3-meter diving (359.48)
• Alvaro Ibarra, UIW — 200 butterfly (1:49.40)
• Jared Wallace, UIW — 100 butterfly (50.17)

FINAL SCORE

1. SMU, 196
2. Incarnate Word, 104