Texas A&M Sweeps LSU, Shaine Casas Posts Lifetime Best in the 100 FL with 44.98

Texas A&M vs LSU

• Saturday, January 23rd, 2021
• College Station, TX
• SCY (Short Course Yards)
• Results

Team Scores

MEN

1. Texas A&M – 176
2. LSU – 122

WOMEN

1. Texas A&M – 172
2. LSU – 116

Texas A&M hosted the LSU Tigers in an SEC dual today, emerging victorious by big margins in both the men’s and women’s meets.

Men’s Recap

Shaine Casas (A&M) and Brooks Curry (LSU) each posted huge swims today. Casas swam a lifetime best in the 100 fly with a 44.98, cracking 45 seconds for the first time in his career. He took the race out in a very quick 20.90 on the 1st 50. The time ranks Casas 2nd in the NCAA this year, behind only Georgia’s Camden Murphy. Casas ultimately swam the race exhibition (not for points), though, TAMU still posted a win in the event as teammate Jace Brown was next in with a 48.50.

Casas also swam a 47.11 in the 100 back, winning easily as the only swimmer in the field to break 51 seconds. He kicked his meet off with a 21.87 to lead-off the winning Texas A&M 200 medley relay. Casas also led off the 200 free relay with a 19.69, marking the fastest split in the field despite being from a flat-start.

Brooks Curry kicked off his meet with an impressive 18.87 anchor split on the LSU 200 medley relay. Curry has a flat-start best of 19.28, and he went on to lead-off the 200 free relay in 19.76. Individually, Curry took the 200 free with a 1:36.71, winning a tight race with TAMU’s Mark Theall (1:36.90). Curry got out to a faster start, splitting 46.61 on the front 100, compared to 47.01 for Theall. Theall was able to take a chunk out of the lead on the 3rd 50, but Curry was able to hold him off coming home, just slightly out-splitting Theall on the final 50.

Curry also clocked a 42.29 in the 100 free, winning the race by nearly 3 seconds. The swim marks his 2nd-fastest of the season, behind only his 42.06 from November, which ranks 5th nationally this year.

Aggie Tanner Olson won the 100 breast with a 54.40, beating out teammate Andres Puente Bustamente (55.48). Bustamente went on to win the 200 breast in 2:01.12.

LSU went 1-2 in the 500, with Braden Nyboer clocking a 4:30.82 for 1st. His brother, Mason Nyboer, beat out Mark Schnippenkoetter by .27 seconds, 4:33.34 to 4:33.61. Nyboer built an early lead, flipping almost 2 seconds ahead of Schnippenkoetter at the 250, and held the lead narrowly through the back half. Mason Nyboer also won the 1000 free in 9:20.78, touching first by nearly 7 seconds.

Women’s Recap

Chloe Stepanek continued on her excellent freshman campaign, winning 3 events and posting the fastest anchor split in the field on the 400 medley relay. Stepanek kicked off her meet with a 49.20 to anchor the Aggies to victory in the 400 medley relay. She had the fastest split in the field, with LSU’s Katarina Milutinovich anchoring in 49.52.

Stepanek went on to win the 50, 100, and 200 freestyles, each in decisive victories. In the 50, Stepanek clocked a 22.96, edging out Milutinovich, who came in 2nd with a 23.07. Stepanek again got the better of Milutinovich in the 100, swimming a 49.55 to Milutinovich’s 50.93. In the 200 free, Stepanek clocked a 1:47.25, touching as the only swimmer in the field under 1:50. She has both personal and season bests of 22.26, 47.84, and 1:44.40, which rank 13th, 2nd, and 5th repsectively in the NCAA this season.

A&M’s Camryn Toney took the 1000 free with a 9:56.59, battling with LSU’s Lexie Daniels (10:01.18) through the first 500, then pulling away. Daniels finished in 10:01.18, splitting 5:02.68 on the 2nd 500 to Toney’s 4:58.29.

LSU’s Emilie Boll won the 100 breast in a tight race with TAMU’s Kylie Powers, 1:02.27 to 1:02.52. Powers touched .01 seconds ahead of Boll at the 50 mark, but was slightly out-split coming home. Powers went on to win the 200 breast in 2:15.89.

Texas A&M’s Jing Quah won the 200 fly with a 1:59.07, beating out teammate Taylor Pike (1:59.88). Quah took the race out significantly faster, with Pike eating into her lead on the back half.

PRESS RELEASE – TEXAS A&M MEN:

BRYAN – COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The No. 4 Texas A&M men’s swimming & diving team closed out its last home meet of the season with a 176-122 win over LSU at the Rec Center Natatorium.

Prior to the start of the meet, seniors Gus Karau, Kurtis Mathews, Sean Morey, Tanner Olson, Felipe Rizzo, Hudson Smith and Mark Theall were recognized one last time in Aggieland.

Junior Shaine Casas lowered his own school record in the 100 fly with a time of 44.98.

Theall and freshman Collin Fuchs rounded out the top three in the 100 free, clocking in at 45.17 and 45.54, respectively.

The 200 free relay team of Casas, junior Clayton Bobo, Olson and freshman Kraig Bray closed out the meet strong, earning the top spot with a time of 1:19.55.

In diving, Mathews finished second on the 1-Meter with a score of 396.75. Junior Kyle Sanchez rounded out the top three with a score of 319.87 on the 3-Meter.

Up Next:
The Aggies will prepare over the upcoming weeks for the SEC Championships hosted by Missouri, Feb. 23-26.

Top Times On The Day:
200 Medley Relay – Shaine Casas, Andres Puente, Jace Brown, Tanner Olson – 1:27.94*
1000 Free – Felipe Rizzo – 9:27.55
200 Free – Mark Theall – 1:36.90
100 Back – Shaine Casas – 47.11*
100 Breast – Tanner Olson – 54.40*
200 Fly – Jace Brown – 1:48.22*
50 Free – Kaloyan Bratanov – 20.59*
100 Free – Mark Theall – 45.17
200 Back – Thomas Shomper*^
200 Breast – Andres Puente – 2:01.12*
500 Free – Mark Schnippenkoetter – 4:33.61
100 Fly – Shaine Casas – 44.98*^
200 IM – Kaloyan Bratanov – 1:51.93*
200 Free Relay – Shaine Casas, Clayton Bobo, Tanner Olson, Kraig Bray – 1:19.55*

PRESS RELEASE – TEXAS A&M WOMEN:

BRYAN – COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The No. 13 women’s swimming & diving team closed out its dual meet slate in a dominating performance against LSU at the Rec Center Natatorium. The Aggies tallied 12 wins on the day to defeat the Tigers, 172-116.

Seniors Charlye Campbell, Kara Eisenmann, Taylor Pike, Jing Wen Quah, Camryn Toney, Harper Walding and Haley Yelle were recognized prior to their final home meet of the season.

Quah and Pike dominated the 200 fly in a one-two finish, clocking in at 1:59.07 and 1:59.88, respectively. Toney distanced herself early in the 1000 free to secure a first-place finish with a time of 9:56.59.

Freshman Chloe Stepanek added a pair of individual wins in the 100 and 200 free and aided her team to a first-place finish in the 400 medley relay to start to meet.

Junior Kylie Powers and sophomore Grace Wey each logged an individual win in the 100 breast and 100 back, respectively.

In diving, the Aggies swept the springboards with Campbell leading the way on the 1-Meter with a score of 318.53 and junior Aimee Wilson boasting a top score of 373.43 on the 3-Meter.

Up Next:
The Aggies will prepare over the upcoming weeks for the SEC Championships hosted by Georgia, Feb 17-20.

Top Times On The Day:
400 Medley Relay – Grace Wey, Kylie Powers, Olivia Theall, Chloe Stepanek – 3:41.46*
1000 Free – Camryn Toney – 9:56.59*
200 Free – Chloe Stepanek – 1:47.25*
100 Back – Grace Wey – 56.08*
100 Breast – Kylie Powers – 1:02.52
200 Fly – Jing Wen Quah – 1:59.07*
50 Free – Chloe Stepanek – 22.96*
100 Free – Chloe Stepanek – 49.55*
200 Back – Sammy Schlicht – 2:00.06*
200 Breast – Kylie Powers – 2:15.89*
500 Free – Camryn Toney – 4:56.77
100 Fly –  Taylor Pike – 54.26*
200 IM – Caroline Theil – 2:00.54*
200 Free Relay – Olivia Theall, Bobbi Kennett, Taylor Pike, Emma Stephenson – 1:34.21*

PRESS RELEASE – LSU: