2021 Big 12 Swimming & Diving Championships: Texas Men Cruise to 6:12 in 800 Free Relay

Photo Courtesy: Andy Ringgold / Aringo Photos

The 2021 Big 12 swimming and diving championships kicked off Wednesday night from Austin, Texas as the Texas Longhorns showed why they are one of the top college swim teams in the country with four wins across the four relays for men and women.

The most impressive swim of the day came from the 800 free relay as the Longhorns team of Drew Kibler (1:32.38), Carson Foster (1:32.29), Austin Katz (1:34.58) and Jake Sannem (1:32.82) won with a 6:12.07, which was slower than Texas A&M’s 6:11 last night, although the Longhorns have already been 6:07 this season. The Longhorns should have the top seed in that event for NCAAs in four weeks.

 Event 6  Men 800 Yard Freestyle Relay
==================================================================================
         6:17.18  A Ncaa Auto
         6:21.85  B Ncaa Cons
    Team                             Seed     Finals       Points 
==================================================================================
  1 Texas                         6:09.98    6:12.07 A       40  
     1) Drew Kibler 20                2) r:+0.16 Carson Foster 19     
     3) r:+0.25 Austin Katz 21        4) r:+0.28 Jake Sannem 22       
    r:+0.62  21.35        44.49 (44.49)
      1:08.31 (1:08.31)   1:32.38 (1:32.38)
        1:53.71 (21.33)     2:17.04 (44.66)
      2:40.82 (1:08.44)   3:04.67 (1:32.29)
        3:26.21 (21.54)     3:50.15 (45.48)
      4:14.65 (1:09.98)   4:39.25 (1:34.58)
        5:00.45 (21.20)     5:24.08 (44.83)
      5:47.90 (1:08.65)   6:12.07 (1:32.82)
  2 West Virginia                      NT    6:31.40         34  
     1) Max Gustafson 21              2) r:+0.31 Roanoke Shirk 19     
     3) r:+0.15 Logan McFadden 19     4) r:+0.30 Brendan Williams 19  
    r:+0.68  22.91        47.44 (47.44)
      1:12.10 (1:12.10)   1:36.97 (1:36.97)
        1:59.69 (22.72)     2:24.35 (47.38)
      2:49.11 (1:12.14)   3:14.08 (1:37.11)
        3:36.66 (22.58)     4:01.82 (47.74)
      4:27.36 (1:13.28)   4:52.57 (1:38.49)
        5:15.04 (22.47)     5:40.04 (47.47)
      6:05.60 (1:13.03)   6:31.40 (1:38.83)
  3 TCU                           6:26.23    6:33.16         32  
     1) Dusan Babic 20                2) r:+0.11 Rasmus Pedersen 20   
     3) r:+0.10 Michael Chwaluk 20    4) r:+0.32 Nicco Velasquez 18   
    r:+0.63  22.35        46.55 (46.55)
      1:11.11 (1:11.11)   1:36.75 (1:36.75)
        1:58.60 (21.85)     2:23.40 (46.65)
      2:48.65 (1:11.90)   3:14.79 (1:38.04)
        3:37.63 (22.84)     4:02.59 (47.80)
      4:28.16 (1:13.37)   4:53.82 (1:39.03)
        5:16.33 (22.51)     5:41.43 (47.61)
      6:07.27 (1:13.45)   6:33.16 (1:39.34)

The Longhorn men also took care of business in the 200 medley relay with a 1:23.21 with the team of Chris Staka (21.03), Caspar Corbeau (23.39), Alvin Jiang (20.10) and Daniel Krueger (18.69). With relays being timed finals at NCAAs in four weeks, that leaves Texas as the third seed right now behind Louisville and Florida. Texas is always tough to beat in relays at NCAAs and this quartet should be no different, with a little more rest.

TCU was second and West Virginia was third.

 Event 2  Men 200 Yard Medley Relay
==================================================================================
         1:24.30  A Ncaa Auto
         1:24.97  B Ncaa Cons
    Team                             Seed     Finals       Points 
==================================================================================
  1 Texas                         1:23.21    1:23.21 A       40  
     1) Chris Staka 22                2) r:+0.17 Caspar Corbeau 19    
     3) r:+0.35 Alvin Jiang 22        4) r:+0.05 Daniel Krueger 21    
             10.63        21.03 (21.03)
          31.43 (10.40)       44.42 (23.39)
           53.58 (9.16)     1:04.52 (20.10)
         1:13.35 (8.83)     1:23.21 (18.69)
  2 TCU                           1:28.31    1:26.03         34  
     1) Stefan Varga 20               2) r:+0.33 Vitauts Silins 20    
     3) r:+0.14 Piotr Sadlowski 21    4) r:+0.20 Noah Cumby 20        
             10.94        21.86 (21.86)
          32.44 (10.58)       45.53 (23.67)
           54.80 (9.27)     1:06.33 (20.80)
         1:15.61 (9.28)     1:26.03 (19.70)
  3 West Virginia                 1:29.94    1:27.55         32  
     1) Justin Heimes 18              2) r:+0.30 Fausto Huerta 21     
     3) r:+0.26 David Dixon 22        4) r:+0.30 Ryen Van Wyk 22      
             11.17        22.52 (22.52)
          33.49 (10.97)       46.97 (24.45)
           56.45 (9.48)     1:08.12 (21.15)
         1:17.18 (9.06)     1:27.55 (19.43)

On the women’s side, the Longhorns won the medley relay with a 1:34.82 which put them fifth nationally with 21 days until NCAAs. The team of Julia Cook (24.04), Anna Elendt (26.26), Olivia Bray (22.74) and Grace Cooper (21.78) sit behind Virginia, NC State, Ohio State and Alabama in the national rankings, with just the Pac-12 left to swim this relay.

Kansas was second and TCU was third.

 Event 1  Women 200 Yard Medley Relay
==================================================================================
         1:36.40  A Ncaa Auto
         1:37.05  B Ncaa Cons
    Team                             Seed     Finals       Points 
==================================================================================
  1 Texas                         1:35.39    1:34.82 A       40  
     1) Julia Cook 20                 2) r:+0.34 Anna Elendt 19       
     3) r:+0.30 Olivia Bray 19        4) r:+0.16 Grace Cooper 18      
             12.00        24.04 (24.04)
          36.00 (11.96)       50.30 (26.26)
        1:00.78 (10.48)     1:13.04 (22.74)
        1:23.25 (10.21)     1:34.82 (21.78)
  2 Kansas                        1:40.73    1:39.63         34  
     1) Manon Manning 21              2) r:+0.30 Kate Steward 21      
     3) r:+0.18 Kaitlyn Witt 20       4) r:+0.28 Dewi Blose 20        
             12.40        24.76 (24.76)
          37.29 (12.53)       52.64 (27.88)
        1:03.35 (10.71)     1:16.52 (23.88)
        1:27.49 (10.97)     1:39.63 (23.11)
  3 TCU                           1:40.06    1:40.78         32  
     1) Ashleen O'Brien 20            2) r:+0.11 Lauren Halliburton 22
     3) r:+0.18 Megan Morris 20       4) r:+0.14 Katelyn Kenchel 22   
             12.88        25.31 (25.31)
          38.45 (13.14)       54.16 (28.85)
        1:04.90 (10.74)     1:18.02 (23.86)
        1:28.90 (10.88)     1:40.78 (22.76)
  4 Iowa State                    1:43.50    1:41.07         30  
     1) Emily Haan 21                 2) r:+0.35 Paige Hanley 20      
     3) r:+0.08 Wyli Erlechman 21     4) r:+0.21 Martha Haas 22       
             12.41        25.60 (25.60)
          38.46 (12.86)       54.14 (28.54)
        1:05.00 (10.86)     1:18.16 (24.02)
        1:28.89 (10.73)     1:41.07 (22.91)
  5 West Virginia                 1:42.34    1:41.82         28  
     1) Jacqueline McCutchan 19       2) r:+0.36 Mathilde Kaelbel 20  
     3) r:+0.26 Harna Minezawa 20     4) r:+0.15 Emily Haimes 19      
             12.72        25.63 (25.63)
          39.38 (13.75)       55.62 (29.99)
        1:06.40 (10.78)     1:19.56 (23.94)
        1:30.21 (10.65)     1:41.82 (22.26)

In the 800 free relay, Texas improved on its season best with a 6:58.42 to put themselves third nationally ahead of NCAAs behind Virginia and California. The team of Kelly Pash (1:42.70), Evie Pfeifer (1:45.15), Olivia Bray (1:45.84) and Julia Cook (1:44.73) nearly broke the school record as Pash’s lead-off time was a school record for the sophomore.

Kansas and West Virginia finished second and third.

 Event 5  Women 800 Yard Freestyle Relay
==================================================================================
         7:00.86  A Ncaa Auto
         7:05.88  B Ncaa Cons
    Team                             Seed     Finals       Points 
==================================================================================
  1 Texas                         6:58.63    6:58.42 A       40  
     1) Kelly Pash 19                 2) r:+0.25 Evie Pfeifer 21      
     3) r:+0.19 Olivia Bray 19        4) r:+0.33 Julia Cook 20        
    r:+0.69  23.88        49.59 (49.59)
      1:16.05 (1:16.05)   1:42.70 (1:42.70)
        2:08.01 (25.31)     2:34.35 (51.65)
      3:01.26 (1:18.56)   3:27.85 (1:45.15)
        3:51.36 (23.51)     4:18.13 (50.28)
      4:45.84 (1:17.99)   5:13.69 (1:45.84)
        5:29.30 (15.61)     6:03.15 (49.46)
      6:29.88 (1:16.19)   6:58.42 (1:44.73)
  2 Kansas                        7:25.68    7:16.80         34  
     1) Kara Church 18                2) r:+0.00 Dannie Dilsaver 22   
     3) r:+0.36 Claire Campbell 20    4) r:+0.26 Lauryn Parrish 22    
    r:+0.76  25.35        52.93 (52.93)
      1:21.23 (1:21.23)   1:49.71 (1:49.71)
        2:14.39 (24.68)     2:42.01 (52.30)
      3:10.07 (1:20.36)   3:38.75 (1:49.04)
        4:03.94 (25.19)     4:31.66 (52.91)
      4:59.96 (1:21.21)   5:28.23 (1:49.48)
        5:53.61 (25.38)     6:21.39 (53.16)
      6:49.23 (1:21.00)   7:16.80 (1:48.57)
  3 West Virginia                      NT    7:19.53         32  
     1) Jordan Buechler 18            2) r:+0.28 Luisa Winkler 22     
     3) r:+0.43 Abby Reardon 18       4) r:+0.40 Lauryn Kallay 21     
    r:+0.78  25.16        52.79 (52.79)
      1:20.97 (1:20.97)   1:48.81 (1:48.81)
        2:01.98 (13.17)     2:41.98 (53.17)
      3:09.80 (1:20.99)   3:37.89 (1:49.08)
        3:51.09 (13.20)     4:32.07 (54.18)
      4:59.48 (1:21.59)   5:26.84 (1:48.95)
        5:40.16 (13.32)     6:20.26 (53.42)
      6:49.49 (1:22.65)   7:19.53 (1:52.69)
  4 Iowa State                    7:28.87    7:20.99         30  
     1) Lucia Rizzo 21                2) r:+0.30 Brinley Horras 18    
     3) r:+0.42 Kennedy Tranel 21     4) r:+0.57 Ashley Bengtson 18   
    r:+0.74  25.91        53.60 (53.60)
      1:21.82 (1:21.82)   1:49.61 (1:49.61)
        2:14.89 (25.28)     2:42.97 (53.36)
      3:11.30 (1:21.69)   3:39.26 (1:49.65)
        4:04.92 (25.66)     4:33.01 (53.75)
      5:01.91 (1:22.65)   5:31.08 (1:51.82)
        5:56.67 (25.59)     6:24.41 (53.33)
      6:52.82 (1:21.74)   7:20.99 (1:49.91)
  5 TCU                           7:22.24    7:23.89         28  
     1) Sally Clough 22               2) r:+0.33 Emma Hultquist 19    
     3) r:+0.31 Audrey McMurry 22     4) r:+0.22 Kaeleigh Rice 21     
    r:+0.74  26.13        54.00 (54.00)
      1:21.87 (1:21.87)   1:50.42 (1:50.42)
        2:04.07 (13.65)     2:42.75 (52.33)
      3:11.54 (1:21.12)   3:41.14 (1:50.72)
        4:02.68 (21.54)     4:33.22 (52.08)
      5:02.23 (1:21.09)   5:32.33 (1:51.19)
        5:46.00 (13.67)     6:25.59 (53.26)
      6:54.80 (1:22.47)   7:23.89 (1:51.56)

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