SMU Classic Day 2: Michigan Sweeps Meet, Albiero Breaks 200 FL Meet Record

2021 SMU Classic

• October 8-9, 2021
• Robson & Lindley Aquatics Center and Barr-McMillion Natatorium, Dallas, TX
• SCY (25 yards)
• Day 1 Results
• Day 2 Results

Team Scores

Women

1. Michigan – 356
2. Louisville – 334
3. Mizzou – 284
4. Miami (FL) – 240
5. SMU – 230
6. Arizona – 209

Men

1. Michigan – 336
2. Louisville – 325
3. Mizzou – 303
4. Texas A&M – 255
5. SMU – 242.5
6. Arizona – 168.5

The SMU Classic wrapped up on Saturday, with the Michigan Wolverines coming out on top in both men’s and women’s scoring. In both meets, Michigan won with relatively narrow margins over runner-ups Louisville. Mizzou came in 3rd in both meets, while SMU was 5th in both, and Arizona finished in last for both men and women. Miami (FL) was 4th in women’s scoring, while Texas A&M took 4th in the men’s meet. There weren’t any additional NCAA ‘A’ cuts to match after Michigan’s women’s 400 medley relay on day 1, however, a few more meet and pool records came down on day 2.

Louisville 5th year Nick Albiero swam a very well-paced race to break the meet record in the men’s 200 fly. The race was reminiscent of his NCAA final from this past March, when he used a fast final 50, boosted by an incredible final turn, to storm home and win the NCAA title in the event. On Saturday, Albiero was 3rd at the 150 mark, but swam a 26.15 on the final 50, which considerably faster than Michigan’s Gal Cohen Groumi (27.15) and Mizzou’s Danny Kovac (27.67). Albiero’s final time Saturday was 1:42.29, breaking Dylan Bosch’s previous meet record of 1:43.00.

Albiero also won the men’s 200 back on day 2, swimming a 1:42.19 to narrowly beat out Mizzou’s Jack Dahlgren (1:42.24). In the race, the roles were reversed, and it was Albiero who was fighting to maintain a lead down the stretch. At the 100 mark, Albiero led 49.92 to Dahlgren’s 50.34. He used a 25.83 split on the 3rd 50 to expand his lead to 1:15.75 to Dahlgren’s 1:16.43 at the 150 mark. Albiero faded coming home on the final 50, however, splitting 26.44, while Dahlgren sped up, clocking a 25.81.

U.S. Olympian Jake Mitchell won the men’s 500 free for Michigan in 4:17.94. The swim was good for a pool record, undercutting Alex Zettle‘s 4:18.35 from 2018. Louisville’s Arina Openysheva took the women’s 500, clocking a 4:44.55 to touch first by 2.5 seconds.

Michigan also broke the meet record in the men’s 200 medley relay, with Wyatt Davis (21.71), Will Chan (23.47), Gal Cohen Groumi (20.40), and Cam Peel (19.33) combining for a 1:24.91. The swim was both a meet and pool record. Louisville was also under the previous meet record, taking 2nd in 1:25.74. Notably, Arizona was DQ’d on the relay for an early take-off, just as they were on the 400 medley relay on Friday. In both races, it was breaststroker Ryan Foote who jumped early for the Wildcats.

Michigan also won the women’s 200 medley relay, touching just off Louisville’s meet and pool records from 2018. Casey Chung led off the Wolverines in 24.94, with Letitia Sim providing a 27.22 breast split, Maggie MacNeil a 23.57 fly split, and Lindsay Flynn 21.93 free split. Michigan touched in 1:37.66, with Mizzou coming in 2nd in 1:38.00, thanks in large part to Sarah Thompson‘s 22.61 fly split.

Michigan freshman Letitia Sim continued to have an excellent initial meet for the Wolverines, first taking the women’s 200 breast in 2:09.08. The 18-year-old took over the race from the beginning, getting out to a nearly 2 second lead over the field at the 100 mark, thanks to her 1:01.43 split. Sim slightly expanded her lead through the back half of the race, splitting 1:07.65 on the final 100. She clocked a 2:09.08, marking a lifetime best by 0.42 seconds.

Sim went on to clock another lifetime best in the 200 IM, swimming a 1:57.16. The swim marked a best by 0.27 seconds for Sim. She swam in the B final, although she ended up swimming the fastest time of anyone in the event. The decision to put Sim in the B final still worked out for Michigan as it turned out, because Kathryn Ackerman won the event for the Wolverines in the A final (1:58.16).

Louisville’s Daniel Sos took the win in the men’s 200 IM, clocking a 1:45.23. Sos took the lead right out of the gates, splitting 22.97 on the fly 50, but was briefly overtaken by Michigan’s Wyatt Davis during the back leg.

Mizzou picked up a win in the men’s 200 free relay, winning a tight race with Louisville and Michigan. Jack Dahlgren did his job as the Mizzou lead-off, swimming a 19.94, the only sub-20 split out of the first swimmers. Danny Kovac (19.65), Daniel Wilson (20.16), and Grant Bochenski (19.73) then went for Mizzou, resulting in a final time of 1:19.48. Louisville came in 2nd with a 1:19.79, then Michigan touched 3rd in 1:19.82.

Mizzou swept the 200 free relays, as the women’s team clocked a 1:29.22 to beat out Michigan (1:29.91). Megan Keil led the team off in 22.66, then Amy Fedderson split 22.15, Meredith Rees split 22.69, and Sarah Thompson threw down a 21.72 anchor leg.

Maggie MacNeil took the women’s 100 free in 48.73, touching as the only swimmer in the A final to break 49 seconds. Michigan flexed its sprint depth, as freshman Lindsay Flynn won the B final in 48.84, which was the 2nd-fastest time in the event.