Olympic Gold Medalist Brooks Curry Hits 19.6/43.7 Freestyles At LSU Intrasquad

2021 LSU Purple vs Gold Intrasquad

• September 25, 2021
• LSU Natatorium, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• SCY (25y)
• Full Results (PDF)

Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Brooks Curry got his 2021-22 NCAA season off to a strong start last week, putting up a few impressive freestyle swims at the LSU Purple vs Gold intrasquad meet on Saturday.

Curry, 20, opened the meet by blasting a 19.61 50 free leading off Team Gold’s mixed 200 free relay, which is significantly faster than he’s ever been this early in the season.

Curry owns a best time of 18.97, set at the 2021 SECs, and has only been faster than his time from the intrasquad at NCAAs, SECs or the mid-season Art Adamson Invitational.

Curry also led off the mixed 400 free relay in 43.71 and won the individual men’s 50 and 100 free events with respective times of 20.18 and 44.59.

The Tiger junior broke through on the international stage this past summer at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, placing fourth in the men’s 100 freestyle to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team in the 400 free relay. Curry swam the preliminary lead-off leg of that relay in Tokyo, with the team ultimately winning gold in the final.

In the NCAA, Curry was the SEC runner-up last season in the 100 free, and took third in the 50 and 200 free after winning the conference title in the 100 as a freshman in 2020. At the 2021 NCAAs, he placed sixth in the 200 free, seventh in the 100 free and 10th in the 50 free.

Steve Mellor, who worked with Curry as an associate head coach at LSU, notably announced his resignation on Friday.

A few of the LSU women that competed individually at NCAAs last season also had strong showings.

Junior Katarina Milutinovich picked up a pair of first-place finishes in the women’s 200 free (1:51.53) and 100 back (55.65), and also produced a couple of quick free relay splits (22.80 50 free, 50.89 100 free).

Another third-year, Summer Stanfield, paced the women’s 200 backstroke in 2:00.08, having placed 37th at last season’s NCAAs in 1:56.02. Stanfield also took second to Milutinovich in the 100 back in 56.35.

Sophomore Hannah Bellina won the women’s 200 fly (2:03.21) and 200 IM (2:07.13), having qualified for NCAAs last season in the 200 fly after hitting a best time of 1:57.18 at SECs.

In addition to Curry on the men’s side, junior David Boylan impressed by touching first in both the 200 fly (1:50.68) and 200 IM (1:51.25). Boylan was 19th and 21st in those two events, respectively, at the 2021 SECs.

ALL INDIVIDUAL WINNERS

• W 200 IM – Hannah Bellina, Gold, 2:07.13
• M 200 IM – David Boylan, Purple, 1:51.25
• W 100 FR – Peyton Curry, Purple, 51.61
• M 100 FR – Brooks Curry, Gold, 44.59
• M 500 FR – Julian Norman, Gold, 4:38.61
• W 100 BR – Abby Maoz, Purple, 1:03.35
• M 100 BR – Aaron Parrott, Gold, 56.43
• W 100 BK – Katarina Milutinovich, Purple, 55.65
• M 100 BK – Griffin Curtis, Gold, 50.11
• W 100 FLY – Maddie Howell, Purple, 56.98
• M 100 FLY – Emil Hassling, Purple, 50.33
• W 50 FR – Peyton Curry, Purple, 23.79
• M 50 FR – Brooks Curry, Gold, 20.18
• W 200 BR – Allie McDaid, Purple, 2:19.85
• M 200 BR – Aaron Parrott, Gold, 2:05.00
• W 200 BK – Summer Stanfield, Gold, 2:00.08
• M 200 BK – Griffin Curtis, Gold, 1:49.11
• W 200 FLY – Hannah Bellina, Gold, 2:03.21
• M 200 FLY – David Boylan, Purple, 1:50.68
• W 200 FR – Katarina Milutinovich, Purple, 1:51.53
• M 200 FR – Joel Thomspon, Gold, 1:39.64
• W 100 IM – Brittany Thompson, Gold, 59.30
• M 100 IM – Jack Jannasch, Purple, 52.40