Douglass Swims 1:50.9, #3 200 IM Ever, at Tennessee Invite Day 1 Finals

Tennessee Invite (Double Dual)

• Thursday, November 19-Saturday, November 21, 2020
• Allen Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center, Knoxville, TN
• SCY
• Double Dual format
• Results on Meet Mobile as “2020 UT Double Dual”
• Live Results

Women’s Recap

Kate Douglass came up big for the Cavaliers, helping win two events, setting two individual school records, and winning her only individual event of the evening with a historic time.

Douglass got the evening underway with a 21.42 leadoff on the Cavaliers’ 200 free relay. That time lowered her own school record in the 50 free from 21.53, and freshman Alex Walsh anchored in 21.53, as the Cavs combined for a 1:27.37, good for a NCAA ‘A’ cut. Tennessee took 2nd in 1:29.45, followed by Tennessee in 1:29.45 and Alabama in 1:30.04.

In the first individual event of the night, UVA senior Paige Madden nearly hit a lifetime best with her 4:33.09 win in the 500 free. That’s good for a NCAA ‘A’ cut, as well as the pool record, taking 0.93s off of that record previously led by Katie Ledecky back in 2013. Alabama’s Kensey McMahon took 2nd in 4:39.84, followed by UVA’s Maddie Donohoe in 4:42.79.

Then came the real fireworks. Douglass had already smoked a 1:51.89 this morning, just over half a second off of her lifetime best, and we figured we might be in store for something special tonight. Sure enough, Douglass threw down a 1:50.92 that moves her up to #3 all-time, behind only Ella Eastin (1:50.67) and Beata Nelson (1:50.79). Douglass is less than 3/8 of the way through her college career, and it’s hard to imagine her not chopping off another quarter of a second at some point in the next two and a half years and taking over the top spot all-time.

Tennnessee’s Bailey Grinter finally stopped UVA’s winning streak with her 22.11 in the 50 free, her 3rd-fastest time ever. Alabama’s Morgan Scott perfectly matched her time from the morning to take 2nd in 22.31, with UVA’s Lexi Cuomo rounding out the top 3 with a 22.47.

To wrap things up, the Cavaliers had not one, but two, relays get the NCAA ‘A’ cut in the 400 medley relay. Walsh (51.83), Alexis Wenger (58.92), Douglass (50.09), and Madden (48.32) combined for a 3:29.16 to take the win. Caroline Gmelich (52.20), Anna Keating (58.76), Abby Harter (51.62), and Kyla Valls (48.70) took 2nd in 3:31.37. Tennessee’s A team took 3rd in 3:33.18, while Alabama’s A team drew a DQ for a “stroke infraction” on the breast leg.

Men’s Recap

There was a little more variety on the men’s side, as each of the three schools came away with at least one win this evening.

Alabama kicked off the evening with a 1:17.53 win in the 200 free relay. All four swimmers split between 19.2 and 19.5, with Mayy King leading off in 19.31 and Sam Disette anchoring in 19.22. UVA’s ‘A’ team came in 2nd. Freshman Matt Brownstead led off in 19.26, setting a new school record in the 50 free, and the Cavaliers’ time of 1:17.76 is only 0.06s from the program record. Tennessee’s A team finished 3rd in 1:18.53, led by Scott Scanlon‘s 19.13 split on the 2nd leg.

Next, UVA swept the top three spots in the 500 free, just as they did in this morning’s prelims. Jack Wright touched first with a time of 4:17.66, followed by Jack Walker at 4:18.34. Daniel Gyenis took 3rd in 4:22.48, recording his second lifetime best of the day in that event.

The Tennessee men got into the win column in the next event. Kayky Mota held off a late charge by UVA’s Sean Conway to win 1:44:32 to 1:44.38. UVA’s Sam Schilling took 3rd in 1:45.17, as all of the top three finishers set new personal bests.

After putting up the fastest two leadoff times in the 200 free relay, King and Brownstead squared off again in the individual 50 free. This time, King got the better of Brownstead, winning 19.24 to 19.33. That was King’s 3rd lifetime best in this event today. He came into the meet with a PR of 19.70 from last summer, lowered it to 19.54 in prelims, then 19.31 on the leadoff, before clocking that 19.24. Tennessee’s Scanlon took 3rd in 19.63.

Tennessee closed out the session with a 3:06.50 win in the 400 medley relay, nabbing a NCAA  provisional time. Harrison Lierz led off in 47.46, followed by Michael Houlie (51.04), Mota (45.11), and Nolan Briggs (42.89). UVA took 2nd in 3:08.02, with a 42.39 anchor by Brownstead the fastest free leg in the field. The fastest backstroke leg of the night came from freshman Will Cole on UVA’s B relay, and if their A relay had had his 46.72, it would’ve also gotten a provisional cut. Alabama took 3rd in 3:08.88.

All video courtesy of (YouTube user) UVa Swimming