NCAA Champions and Finalists Highlight Double Tri-Meet at Notre Dame

SOUTH BEND, Indiana, October 12. TWO tri-meets took place at Notre Dame, with the women’s competition featuring Auburn and Indiana and the men’s meet featuring Michigan and Auburn racing the Fighting Irish.

In the men’s competition, Michigan took the win against Auburn, 195-103, and beat Notre Dame 201-99. Auburn’s men’s team had a close meet against Notre Dame, winning with a score of 153-147. Auburn was able to win both meets on the women’s side. Coincidentally, the Tigers beat Indiana and Notre Dame with the same score, 180-120. Indiana’s women’s team also held off a strong Notre Dame team, winning with a score of 155-145.

NCAA champion Connor Jaeger of Michigan won the distance events as expected, taking the 1000 free with a 9:02.50 and the 500 with a 4:24.56. Jaeger’s time today beat his nation-leading time of 9:04.53 from the dual meet against Iowa two weeks ago, and his 500 free puts him second in the rankings behind Florida’s Dan Wallace’s 4:23.09. Notably, Jaeger led a 1-2-3 finish in the 1000 for Michigan, as Anders Nielsen was second with a 9:12.73 and Sean Ryan placed third with a 9:14.22. Michigan now has the top three swimmers in the 1000 free in the early season.

Lindsay Vrooman, a top-five finisher in the distance events at last season’s NCAA championships, also completed a distance double on the women’s side for Indiana. Vrooman won the 1000 free with a 956.99 and took the 500 free with a 4:54.57.

Michael Wynalda, an NCAA finalist in the 200 free at the 2013 championships with a 1:33.38, won a close battle in the 200 free today against Notre Dame’s Frank Dyer, an NCAA finalist in 2012. Wynalda won with a 1:37.31 over Dyer’s 1:37.42. Also in the race was Michigan’s Justin Glanda, who posted a 1:37.85 for third place.

Notre Dame’s Emma Reaney nearly posted the first sub-1:00 100 breast of the season with a winning time of 1:00.94. Reaney was fifth in the 100 breast at last season’s NCAAs with a 59.19. She won the event by nearly four seconds over Indiana’s Bronwyn Pasloski with a 1:04.37 and Notre Dame’s Christen McDonough’s 1:05.16. Reaney also won the 100 fly in the absence of reigning NCAA champion Olivia Scott of Auburn with a time of 55.03 over Auburn’s Megan Fonteno’s 55.55.

Another 100 breast NCAA finalist, Richard Funk of Michigan, won the event today with a 54.69 to post the first sub-55 second swim of the season. Funk was already at the top of the college rankings with a 55.22 from the Iowa-Oakland tri-meet two weeks ago. Notre Dame’s Zach Stevens 55.49 was second, with Notre Dame’s Matt McNamara third with a 56.42. Funk nearly won the 200 breast today,but was touched out by Notre Dame’s Zach Stephens. Stephens’ time of 1:59.91 is now the second swim under 2:00 in the event, behind Anton McKee’s 1:57.98 from earlier today. Funk was second with a 2:00.13, which greatly improved on his 2:02.9 from the Iowa-Oakland meet.

Auburn senior Marcelo Chierighini, a frontrunner for NCAA titles in sprint freestyle, now stands as the fastest 50 freestyler in collegiate competition thus far in the season with a time of 19.93 today. He and Minnesota’s Derek Toomey’s 19.99 stand as the only swims under 20 seconds this season. Michigan’s Bruno Ortiz was second with a equally respectable 20.09.

Dyer was able to post a big win today over Chierighini in the 100 free with a 44.34 to Chierighini’s 44.36. Dyer’s time just barely bumps Corey Main’s 44.35 off the top of the collegiate rankings, with Chierighini now third. Also breaking 45 seconds today was Wynalda with a 44.65 and Ortiz with a 44.68. Dyer missed out on another win in the 100 fly as his 48.55 was beaten by Michigan’s John Wojciechowski’s 48.24.

Wojciechowski, or “Wojo” as he is usually called, also won the 100 back with a 48.59 over Auburn’s Joe Patching’s time of 48.86.

Another top swimmer in the women’s competition was Allyx Purcell of Auburn who won the 50 (22.87) and 100 (50.30) freestyles. Emily Bos, who raced seven times yesterday in the Dennis Stark Relays, had a relatively light day today. She won the 100 back with a 54.07, then was second in the 100 free with a 50.56.

The Indiana women’s team got another win in the meet today, thanks to the 1:50.17 posted by Haley Lips in the 200 freestyle.

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