FIU Women, SMU Men Sweep Relays As Swimming Gets Underway At AAC Championships

2023 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• February 13-18, 2023
• Dallas, Texas
• SCY (25 yards)
• Championship Central
• Live Results
• Day 1 Results (PDF)
• Day 2 Results (PDF)
• Day 3 Results (PDF)

Courtesy: The American

DALLAS, Texas – FIU and SMU both won three events on the third day of the 2023 American Athletic Conference Swimming and Diving Championships Wednesday, February 15 at the Robson & Lindley Aquatics Center and Barr-McMillion Natatorium in Dallas.

FIU’s team of Kelsie Campbell, Christie Chue, Oumy Diop and Jessica Shpilko captured the women’s 200-yard medley relay in 1:37.64, while Rice was second in 1:39.14 and SMU placed third in 1:39.42. In the men’s race, SMU’s relay of Cole Bruns, Lance Butler, Riley Hill and Justin Baker finished in 1:25.44 ahead of Cincinnati’s time of 1:26.74.

In platform diving, FIU’s Maha Gouda broke the championship record with a score of 296.10 points. Houston’s Chase Farris, who was named the meet’s Most Outstanding Diver on the women’s side, placed second with 275.80 points. SMU’s Nicole Stambo was third with a score of 267.10.

SMU’s Peter Smithson won the men’s platform diving event for the fourth-consecutive year with a score of 353.35. He becomes the first male student-athlete to win two events four straight seasons after he won the 3-meter event for a fourth time on Monday. Smithson was also named the Most Outstanding Diver on the men’s side for a fourth time. Will Claus of Cincinnati was second with 331.50 points while Tyler Coffey of SMU was third with a score of 296.80.

The 800-yard freestyle relay of Harliai Curthoys-Davies, Christie Chue, Mia Zahab and Var Eidesgaard from FIU won in a time of 7:10.86, ahead of SMU (7:12.73) and Rice (7:13.21). SMU’s 800 free relay team of Colin Feehery, John Easton, Jack Forrest and Sage Sungail finished first in a school-record time of 6:21.56, while Cincinnati touched second in 6:25.01.

Houston’s Bob Gunter and SMU’s Darian Schmidt were named The American’s Women’s and Men’s Diving Coach of the Year, respectively.

After five events on the women’s side, Houston leads with 469 points. FIU is second with 340 points, followed by East Carolina (242), Florida Atlantic (230), SMU (194), North Texas (164), Cincinnati (115), Rice (110) and Tulane (90). On the men’s side, SMU leads Cincinnati, 237-232.

The championship continues Thursday, February 16 with the 500-yard freestyle, 200-yard individual medley, 50-yard freestyle and 200-yard free relay.