Andee Cottrell blasted a new NCAA-leading 200 breast time as the Louisville Cardinals took home the trophy at the women’s SMU Classic.
The SMU Classic is an annual format meet with a unique set-up. 6 teams contest the meet, with each team allowed two entries per event. One swimmer heads to the “A” heat and one to the “B” heat, meaning each heat features 6 swimmers, one from each program. The heats swim like “A” and “B” finals, with the “A” heat swimmers locked into the top 6 spots, and the “B” heat making up places 7 through 12.
This year, participating teams include SMU, Louisville, Missouri, TCU, UCLA and Florida State, representing 5 different conferences (AAC, ACC, SEC, Big 12 and Pac-12).
Prior to this weekend, the fastest 200 breaststroke time in the nation was a 2:13. But Cottrell obliterated that time with a 2:08.63 to win the A heat. Missouri’s Abby Duncan was second in 2:09.02, which now sits second in the nation. Elsewhere in Texas, Madisyn Cox won the Texas triangular in a 2:12.83 that checks in at third in a big weekend for breaststrokers.
Louisville continued to roll on day 2 of the meet after winning 7 of 9 events Friday night. Probably the best sign for the Cardinals is how well their youngsters swam – freshmen Mallory Comerford and Rachael Bradford-Feldman each won another event Saturday.
Comerford took the 500 free to open up the individual slate of day 2. Her 4:46.22 is another NCAA-leading time – or it would have been, had her teammate Andrea Kneppers not outdone her from the B heat. Though Kneppers only ended up 7th officially, she blasted a 4:44.69 to move to #1 in the NCAA ranks.
At the end of the night, Bradford-Feldman took the 200 IM in 1:59.49. That makes her the first NCAA woman under two minutes in this young season.
In between, star Kelsi Worrell added another win, going 48.60 to take the 100 free. That leads the NCAA as well, and comes in an event Worrell likely won’t even swim at the NCAA Championships, given she’s the defending champ in the 200 fly that falls on the same day of NCAAs.
Also impressive in that 100 free was UCLA freshman Caroline McTaggart, who was just hundredths back in 48.67. She sits #2 nationally after this meet. The Bruins got a win on the diving board, with Maria Polyakova adding 3-meter to her 1-meter win from Friday night.
Florida State earned a win in the 200 back, with freshman Megan Brown going 1:56.84. Missouri’s lone win of the night came in the 200 fly, with Sharli Brady putting up a 1:57.23.
That was enough to help Missouri tie UCLA for second place, with Florida State trailing in fourth.
Louisville swept the 200-yard relays, with Worrell swimming predictably fast. Her 23.16 on the butterfly leg of the 200 medley powered a big 1:38.25 win. Cottrell hit a quick 27.26 on breaststroke as well.
On the 200 free relay, it was a 21.99 split from Worrell that led to a 1:30.95 win.
Team Scores
1. Louisville 363
2. Missouri 303
2. UCLA 303
4. Florida State 264
5. SMU 244
6. TCU 197
So proud to be a former UofL student athlete and to see all of the amazing things the swim team is doing. Way to go Lady Cards!!!
Mizzou’s Katharine Ross(2:10.97) would be 3rd ahead of Madisyn Cox. Followed by Rachel Bradford(2:11.67), and Emma Schanz(2:12.78) all from the SMU Women’s Classic. That was a fast race there this weekend! That meet was pretty quick altogether. Really proud of the Tigers’ showing.
Were all teams in suits or just Louisville?
Pretty sure all wore suits. Mizzou had a dual on Thurs. So they had a tiny rest.
You call going to class in the morning – then swimming in a meet in the afternoon – then quickly getting to the airport and flying to Dallas and arriving at the hotel by 10pm -then swimming at a two day meet, is rested? I would say they were probably more tired than the rest.
Louisville girls already on fire.
And also impressed by McTaggart. She’s a tall girl, a body built for sprint, and had a great US junior meet in San Antonio swimming for the first time under 55 in the 100 free. Considering the huge need of new very fast girls on sprint for the US swimming, she’s certainly a talent to watch in the future.
Are they in their tech. suits and rested? Seems like that may be the case with times this fast so early in the year.
Suits seems possible (maybe even likely) but there is no way these ladies are rested this early in the season. They’re just that competitive.