Big 12 Championships, Day 5 Prelims: Erin Gemmell, Will Modglin Bidding for More Titles on Final Day

Erin Gemmell -- Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Big 12 Championships, Day 5 Prelims: Erin Gemmell, Will Modglin Bidding for More Titles on Final Day

The University of Texas women and men will cruise to Big 12 titles in their final year in the conference, with both Longhorns teams leading by enormous margins heading into the final day of racing. The Texas women will try to complete a title sweep by winning every race on the docket, and Olivia Bray, Erin Gemmell and Anna Elendt each booked lane four for a women’s final Saturday night.

On the men’s side, Will Modglin could be the conference swimmer of the meet as he looks to add the 200 back title to his earlier wins in the 200 IM and 100 back while fellow Texas freshmen Nate Germonprez and Brayden Taivassalo go for their first wins.

Women’s 200 Backstroke

Versatile Texas senior Olivia Bray will be favored to win her first conference title of the meet in the 200 back after she finished almost one-and-a-half seconds clear of the field in the morning. Bray, owner of the Big 12 meet record at 1:50.09 (set last year), clocked 1:55.15 in prelims. She previously took second in the 100 back Friday evening behind freshman teammate Berit Berglund.

TCU took the second and fourth spots in the field, with Tania Quaglieri (1:56.58) and Mikayka Popham (1:57.77), respectively, while Berglund was third at 1:57.16.

Event 35  Women 200 Yard Backstroke
==================================================================
      NCAA D1: ! 1:47.24  3/23/2019 Beata Nelson
     American: $ 1:47.16  3/10/2019 Regan Smith
      US Open: & 1:47.16  3/10/2019 Regan Smith
       Big 12: * 1:49.91  3/18/2017 Tasija Karosas, Texas
         Meet: # 1:50.09  2/25/2023 Olivia Bray, Texas
     NCAA "A": A 1:50.50
     NCAA "B": B 1:57.07
 NCCA Invit23:   1:53.34
    Name                 Year School               Seed    Prelims        
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Bray, Olivia           SR TEX               1:52.68    1:55.15B 
             26.83        56.24 (29.41)
        1:25.34 (29.10)     1:55.15 (29.81)
  2 Quaglieri, Tania       GS TCU               1:58.30    1:56.58B 
             25.34        54.40 (29.06)
        1:24.78 (30.38)     1:56.58 (31.80)
  3 Berglund, Berit        FR TEX               1:52.80    1:57.16  
             27.87        56.96 (29.09)
        1:26.77 (29.81)     1:57.16 (30.39)
  4 Popham, Mikayla        GS TCU               1:58.65    1:57.77  
             28.01        57.74 (29.73)
        1:27.88 (30.14)     1:57.77 (29.89)
  5 Titus, Danielle        SR UH                2:01.58    1:57.93  
             28.25        58.14 (29.89)
        1:28.12 (29.98)     1:57.93 (29.81)
  6 Kern, Emma             FR TEX               1:55.32    1:58.12  
             26.40        55.42 (29.02)
        1:26.16 (30.74)     1:58.12 (31.96)
  7 Wilson, Alicia         GS TEX               1:54.41    1:58.18  
             27.22        56.60 (29.38)
        1:27.11 (30.51)     1:58.18 (31.07)
  8 Marusakova, Emma       SO BYU               1:57.66    1:58.62  
             27.16        56.96 (29.80)
        1:27.64 (30.68)     1:58.62 (30.98)

Men’s 200 Backstroke

Cincinnati’s Hunter Gubeno as the best swim of the morning as he clocked 1:41.69, but a pair of Longhorns are looming. Will Modglin, who ranks seventh in the country at 1:38.99, is already the winner of the 200 IM and 100 back this week, and he qualified just 16-hundredths behind Gubeno at 1:41.85. The freshman is bidding to become the only male swimmer to win three individual events this week.

Texas senior Chris O’Connor was third in 1:42.89, with a big gap back to TCU’s Edgar Cicanci in fourth (1:44.44).

Women’s 100 Freestyle

Texas claimed the top five spots in the women’s 100 free, with top seeds Erin Gemmell and Grace Cooper each looking for a second individual conference title. Gemmell, who touched out Erica Sullivan, for the win in the 500 free, qualified first in 48.36, while Cooper, the 50 free winner and a relay stalwart, took second in 48.88.

Ava Longi and Emma Davidson tied for third in 48.88, with Sienna Schellenger fifth in 49.27.

Event 37  Women 100 Yard Freestyle
==================================================================
      NCAA D1: ! 45.56  3/19/2017 Simone Manuel
     American: $ 45.56  3/18/2017 Simone Manuel
      US Open: & 45.56  3/18/2017 Simone Manuel
       Big 12: * 47.32  2/23/2018 Claire Adams, Texas
         Meet: # 47.46  2/24/2022 Claire Adams, Texas
     NCAA "A": A 47.18
     NCAA "B": B 49.36
 NCCA Invit23:   48.37
    Name                 Year School               Seed    Prelims        
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Gemmell, Erin          FR TEX                 48.17      48.36B 
             11.10        23.28 (12.18)
          35.97 (12.69)       48.36 (12.39)
  2 Cooper, Grace          SR TEX                 47.79      48.50B 
             10.86        23.08 (12.22)
          35.90 (12.82)       48.50 (12.60)
  3 Longi, Ava             SR TEX                 48.25      48.88B 
             11.16        23.23 (12.07)
          36.21 (12.98)       48.88 (12.67)
  3 Davidson, Emma         GS TEX                 48.34      48.88B 
             11.10        23.36 (12.26)
          36.21 (12.85)       48.88 (12.67)
  5 Schellenger, Sienna    SO TEX                 49.70      49.27B 
             11.27        23.61 (12.34)
          36.48 (12.87)       49.27 (12.79)
  6 Davis, Jessica         SR CINC                49.32      49.45  
             11.26        23.63 (12.37)
          36.54 (12.91)       49.45 (12.91)
  7 Gould, Serena          SR TCU                 49.83      49.76  
             11.44        23.79 (12.35)
          36.83 (13.04)       49.76 (12.93)
  8 Fulton, Alexa          FR TEX                 49.14      49.80  
             11.35        23.66 (12.31)
          36.69 (13.03)       49.80 (13.11)

Men’s 100 Freestyle

Brigham Young University’s Jordan Tiffany will try to become the first non-Texas swimmer with multiple titles this week. The freshman who won the 100 fly Thursday touched first in the 100 free prelims in 42.60. But he will be surrounded in the final by two Texas freshmen. Nate Germonprez has been dynamite on relays while finishing second in both the 200 IM and 200 free, and he came in second here at 42.79, with fellow first-year Longhorn Camden Taylor third in 42.91.

Cincinnati’s Jon Osa took fourth in 43.37, and watch out for Coby Carrozza, the Texas senior who has already won the 200 and 500 free, in fifth after he clocked 43.40 in the morning.

Event 38  Men 100 Yard Freestyle
==================================================================
      NCAA D1: ! 39.90  3/24/2018 Caeleb Dressel
     American: $ 39.90  3/24/2018 Caeleb Dressel
      US Open: & 39.90  3/24/2018 Caeleb Dressel
       Big 12: * 41.06  12/1/2018 Tate Jackson, Texas
         Meet: # 41.26  2/29/2020 Daniel Krueger, Texas
     NCAA "A": A 41.50
     NCAA "B": B 43.46
 NCCA Invit23:   42.32
    Name                 Year School               Seed    Prelims        
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Tiffany, Jordan        FR BYU                 42.60      42.60B 
              9.69        20.28 (10.59)
          31.47 (11.19)       42.60 (11.13)
  2 Germonprez, Nate       FR TEX                 43.17      42.79B 
              9.84        20.54 (10.70)
          31.84 (11.30)       42.79 (10.95)
  3 Taylor, Camden         FR TEX                 43.31      42.91B 
              9.85        20.62 (10.77)
          31.78 (11.16)       42.91 (11.13)
  4 Osa, Jon               GS CINC                43.78      43.37B 
             10.07        20.85 (10.78)
          32.22 (11.37)       43.37 (11.15)
  5 Carrozza, Coby         SR TEX                 43.07      43.40B 
             10.03        20.89 (10.86)
          32.24 (11.35)       43.40 (11.16)
  6 Hawthorne, Drew        SR CINC                43.57      43.62  
              9.86        20.81 (10.95)
          32.38 (11.57)       43.62 (11.24)
  7 Plumb, Payton          SR BYU                 44.21      43.76  
             10.14        21.26 (11.12)
          32.72 (11.46)       43.76 (11.04)
  8 Haskal, Manning        SO TEX                 44.22      43.78  
             10.22        21.28 (11.06)
          32.59 (11.31)       43.78 (11.19)

Women’s 200 Breaststroke

Lydia Jacoby got the better of Texas teammate Anna Elendt Friday evening in the 100 breast, but Elendt will try to turn the table over 200 yards in Saturday’s final. Elendt clocked 2:09.69 in the heats for the top qualifying time by less than two tenths, with West Virginia’s Mia Cheatwood second (2:09.87). Jacoby will swim next to Elendt in the final after clocking 2:10.18 for the third seed.

Event 41  Women 200 Yard Breaststroke
==================================================================
      NCAA D1: ! 2:01.29  3/18/2023 Kate Douglass
     American: $ 2:01.29  3/18/2023 Kate Douglass
      US Open: & 2:01.29  3/18/2023 Kate Douglass
       Big 12: * 2:03.26  2/18/2023 Anna Elendt, Texas
         Meet: # 2:03.92  2/26/2022 Anna Elendt, Texas
     NCAA "A": A 2:05.73
     NCAA "B": B 2:13.86
 NCCA Invit23:   2:09.68
    Name                 Year School               Seed    Prelims        
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 *Elendt, Anna          SR TEX               2:06.19    2:09.69B 
             29.83      1:02.22 (32.39)
        1:35.26 (33.04)     2:09.69 (34.43)
  2 Cheatwood, Mia         SO WVU               2:10.60    2:09.87B 
             30.16      1:02.64 (32.48)
        1:36.23 (33.59)     2:09.87 (33.64)
  3 Jacoby, Lydia          SO TEX               2:10.42    2:10.18B 
             28.98      1:02.25 (33.27)
        1:36.98 (34.73)     2:10.18 (33.20)
  4 Vadovicova, Nina       FR TCU               2:11.30    2:12.53B 
             29.96      1:03.25 (33.29)
        1:37.29 (34.04)     2:12.53 (35.24)
  5 Rose, Julie            FR CINC              2:13.26    2:13.07B 
             31.34      1:04.92 (33.58)
        1:39.06 (34.14)     2:13.07 (34.01)
  6 Miller, Mackenzie      SO BYU               2:10.98    2:13.12B 
             29.92      1:03.89 (33.97)
        1:38.79 (34.90)     2:13.12 (34.33)
  7 Peter, Flo             SO UH                2:14.23    2:13.13B 
             30.13      1:04.72 (34.59)
        1:39.06 (34.34)     2:13.13 (34.07)
  8 Stoll, Campbell        FR TEX               2:13.62    2:13.25B 
             29.95      1:04.41 (34.46)
        1:38.22 (33.81)     2:13.25 (35.03)

Men’s 200 Breaststroke

A stunning finish helped Texas freshman Brayden Taivassalo move up to second in the Big 12 final of the 100 breast Friday night. Now, he will be favored to win the 200 after clocking 1:54.61 in the morning, seven tenths clear of the field. The deep freshman class for the Longorns will again be on display as Will Scholtz, the 100 breast winner, took third in 1:55.81.

Splitting the difference was TCU’s Guilherme Camossato in 1:55.35, while BYU’s Brad Provo, fresh off a win in the 200 fly Friday night, placed fourth in 1:56.04.

Event 42  Men 200 Yard Breaststroke
==================================================================
      NCAA D1: ! 1:46.91  3/25/2023 Leon Marchand
     American: $ 1:47.91  3/25/2017 Will Licon
      US Open: & 1:46.91  3/25/2023 Leon Marchand
       Big 12: * 1:47.91  3/25/2017 Will Licon, Texas
         Meet: # 1:49.89  2/25/2017 Will Licon, Texas
     NCAA "A": A 1:51.09
     NCAA "B": B 1:57.44
 NCCA Invit23:   1:52.94
    Name                 Year School               Seed    Prelims        
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 *Taivassalo, Brayden   FR TEX               1:53.89    1:54.61B 
             26.03        55.45 (29.42)
        1:24.80 (29.35)     1:54.61 (29.81)
  2 Camossato, Guilherme   FR TCU               1:54.74    1:55.35B 
             25.71        54.86 (29.15)
        1:25.07 (30.21)     1:55.35 (30.28)
  3 Scholtz, Will          FR TEX               1:54.35    1:55.81B 
             25.89        54.97 (29.08)
        1:25.24 (30.27)     1:55.81 (30.57)
  4 Prolo, Brad               BYU               1:54.74    1:56.04B 
             26.19        55.92 (29.73)
        1:26.44 (30.52)     1:56.04 (29.60)
  5 Edwards, Emerson       JR BYU               1:55.85    1:56.21B 
             26.32        55.93 (29.61)
        1:25.76 (29.83)     1:56.21 (30.45)
  6 Berlitz, Danny         SR WVU               1:57.16    1:57.36B 
             26.85        56.71 (29.86)
        1:26.72 (30.01)     1:57.36 (30.64)
  7 Goncalves, Felipe      FR TCU               1:56.76    1:57.65  
             26.61        56.17 (29.56)
        1:26.73 (30.56)     1:57.65 (30.92)
  8 Wuilliez, Jadon        JR TCU               1:59.11    1:58.69  
             26.54        56.54 (30.00)
        1:27.33 (30.79)     1:58.69 (31.36)

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