Michigan Takes Team Title at SMU Classic Over Strong Florida Team; Blanco Voted Swimmer of the Meet

DALLAS, Texas, January 19. THE Michigan Wolverines used their strengths in the middle-distance stroke events to take the team victory over a determined Florida team at the SMU Classic.

Michigan scored 333 points to Florida’s 321 for second place. Well back in the scoring was Southern California, who rallied past Louisville for third with 298 points, while Louisville finished fourth with 266.5 points. Purdue University was fifth with 244.5 points, while host SMU rounded out the team scoring with 210 points. The meet format allows only eight swimmers and one diver per team, with each of the six teams getting one swimmer in the timed-final “championship heat.” Only one swimmer per team is also allowed in the “B final” and can only score as high as seventh in points, despite the time he posts.

Three of the races featured winners of the “B final” posting times that would have challenged for the overall win, but meet rules stipulate that those swims can only count as high as seventh place in team scoring.

Richard Funk completed a sweep of the breaststroke events for Michigan with a 1:54.75 in the 200 after winning the 100 breast on the first day. Eduardo Solache-Gomez of Florida was second with a 1:56.42 and Lyam Dias of Purdue took third with a 1:57.75. In the “B final,” Florida’s Matthew Elliott nearly eclipsed Funk’s time with a 1:54.95, but only scored seven points per meet rules.

Michigan’s Connor Jaeger, the reigning NCAA champion in the 500 freestyle, took that event with a 4:16.54. He had a close battle with USC’s Cristian Quintero, who was never more than a second behind Jaeger until the final 100 yards. Quintero posted a 4:17.99 to easily place second ahead of Florida’s Sebastien Rousseau and his 4:20.21. Another strong swim took place in the “B final,” as Florida’s Dan Wallace put up a 4:17.23 to get the heat win and post the second-fastest swim of the day. Wallace outsplit Jaeger through the first 200 yards but fell off Jaeger’s pace for the final 300.

Florida’s Corey Main held off a fast-charging Grigory Tarasevich of Louisville in the 200 backstroke, winning with a 1:43.18 over Tarasevich’s 1:44.65. Chase Bloch of Southern California placed third with a 1:45.08. Once again, the “B final” winner posted the second-fastest time of the day, with Nolan Tesone of Louisville posting a 1:44.51 to beat his teammate.

Joao de Lucca added a win in the 100 freestyle to the one he captured on Friday in the 200 free with a 42.98 to outswim a trio of sub-44 swims featuring Bruno Ortiz of Michigan (43.37), Quintero (43.46) and Florida’s Brad Deborde (43.93). Southern California’s Santo Condorelli won the “B final” with a 44.15.

Dylan Bosch, the USA Swimming national champion in the 200 fly and the top collegiate swimmer in the event so far this season, posted a 1:43.00 over Rousseau’s 1:44.16. While Bosch and Rousseau – both South Africa natives – were close through the first 150 yards before Bosch pulled away with a 26.89 on the final 50 to Rousseau’s 27.44. USC’s Michael Domagala was third with a 1:46.02, and Jaeger posted the “B final” win with a 1:46.40.

Solache-Gomez got his win at the SMU Classic in the 200 IM with a 1:44.61, not far off the 1:43.90 he swam in November to stand as his season best. And a day after posting a school record in the 400 IM, Guillermo Blanco of Purdue swam a season-best 1:44.89 to place second, just two tenths off the school record. Michigan’s Kyle Whitaker placed third with a 1:45.01. Dan Wallace, the winner of the 400 IM, won the “B final” with a 1:45.95.

Michigan won the 200 medley relay to open the session with a 1:26.18 on the road to defending the NCAA title in that event. Florida placed second with a 1:27.50, and Southern California took third with a 1:27.61. The Trojans took the meet’s final event with a 1:19.61 in the 200 free relay, beating Florida’s 1:19.67 and Purdue’s 1:20.58.

For scoring 46 points through the meet, Purdue’s Guillermo Blanco was voted swimmer of the meet by attending coaches.

Results For: SMU Classic

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