Vargas Drops Nation-Leading 8:56 in 1000 Against Denver, Iowa

MICHIGAN V. DENVER V. IOWA

• November 2, 2018
• Day 1 of 2
• Iowa City, Iowa
• Live results
• Scores not yet available

Michigan and Denver are visiting Iowa this weekend for a two-day meet, and the Wolverines took control on day 1.

WOMEN’S MEET DAY 1

The Michigan women started off with the 200 medley relay win, going 1:38.69 with a 27.44 breast split from Miranda Tucker and a 23.66 fly split from NCAA 100 fly season leader Maggie Macneil.

Macneil, a freshman shaking things up in the NCAA this year, took the 50 free with a 22.46, just ahead of teammate Catie Deloof (22.56). That’s a season-best for Macneil, and with Siobhan Haughey having already been 22.23 in October, the Wolverine women now have three women sub-22.6 in dual meet settings this year.

Haughey easily took the 200 free, going 1:45.43 to break the pool record with Iowa’s Hannah Burvill touching 2nd (1:49.26). Right before Haughey’s win, Sierra Schmidt cracked 10:00 to post a winning time of 9:59.76 in the mile. But Haughey wasn’t done, returning for the 200 IM, the last individual event of the session. She easily took the race in 2:00.13, leading a Michigan 1-2-3.

Michigan closed things out with a 3:22.79 to take the 400 free relay.

MEN’S MEET DAY 1

Michigan’s A and B relays both went 1:29’s, taking 1st and 2nd to kick off the session. Freshman Eric Storms led the way with a 22.66 back split, while freshman Will Chan (19.85) and junior James Jones (19.92) broke 20 on anchor legs. The fastest anchor in the field actually went to Iowa’s Joe Myhre (19.70), and Denver’s Cameron Auchinachie was 2nd-best in 19.75 on the end of their relay.

Auchinachie would go on to be the only non-Michigan swimming individual win of the session, as he went 20.09 to win the 50 with Myhre 2nd (20.21).

Ricardo Vargas careened under 9:00 in the 1000 free, winning by almost ten seconds to clock an 8:56.41, now the #1 time in the country this season. That’s his fastest he’s been in dual meets, ever– the sophomore was 8:51.71 for his PR going out in his mile at 2018 NCAAs.

Patrick Callan set a season-best 1:36.66 to take the 200 free, pushing him to 6th in the NCAA this year and 4th among freshmen. Meanwhile, sophomore Miles Smachlo cranked out a 1:45.98 to take the 200 fly, shooting to 5th in the country this year and snagging a ‘B’ cut.

Iowa’s men upset the field with a 400 free relay win in 2:57.43, as Myhre’s 43.99 anchor helped them to victory. Despite Jones’ 43.92 anchor, Michigan settled for 2nd (2:59.19).