Julia Dennis Stars in Sprint Events as Louisville Sweeps SMU Classic
The annual SMU Classic was held Friday and Saturday in Dallas and featured the Louisville Cardinals earning victories in the women’s competition as well as the men’s. Led by senior sprinter Julia Dennis, Louisville’s women scored 358 points to win by 80 over LSU (278), with Auburn (248), Drury (210) and SMU (207) also competing. The Cardinals had a much closer contest on the men’s side, winning 313 to 304 over Auburn, followed by LSU (240), Drury (223) and SMU (221).
The Cardinals’ team of Julie Mishler, Caroline Larsen, Ella Welch and Dennis opened the meet by winning the 400 medley relay in 3:31.05, with Dennis providing a scorching 46.85 anchor split. Later on, Dennis set a meet record of 21.54 in the 50 freestyle, erasing the previous mark of 21.75 established by former teammate Gabi Albiero last season. In 3-meter diving, Louisville’s Sammantha Helmboldt took first (305.85)
Kim Herkle earned victory in the 400 IM in 4:13.72 while teammate Summer Cardwell actually had the meet’s quickest time with a mark of 4:12.47 in the B-final. Daria Golovaty took first in the 200 free (1:44.81). Welch had the meet’s quickest time in the 100 breaststroke, although her 1:00.54 came in the B-final. Cardwell, Golovaty, Xeniya Ignatova and Dennis wrapped up day one with a winning time of 7:04.74 in the 800 free relay.
The Saturday portion of competition began with Mishler, Larsen, Welch and Dennis topping the 200 medley relay in 1:35.83, crushing the meet record of 1:37.02 posted by USC two years ago. Golavaty topped the 500 free in 4:44.89, and Herkle went 2:10.53 for first in the 200 breast. Helmoldt completed the diving sweep, scoring 274.50 on 1-meter.
Dennis again provided sprint fireworks as she won the 100 free in 47.52, erasing the meet record of 47.57 established seven years ago by former Louisville star Mallory Comerford. Herkle was the only swimmer to crack 2:00 in the 200 IM (1:59.79), and the women’s racing concluded with Larsen, Dennis, Mishler and Welch going 1:27.49 in the 200 free relay, crushing the previous meet mark Louisville set in 2017.
LSU’s first win came courtesy of Sofia Sartori, who came from behind to beat Larsen in the 100 butterfly, 51.89 to 52.06. Sartori picked up two more wins on day two, clocking 1:54.22 in the 200 back and 1:54.73 in the 200 fly. Auburn’s Lora Komoroczy took the top spot in the 100 backstroke, holding off Mishler 52.34 to 52.46. Her teammate Kim Metsakonkola won the 100 breast in 1:01.44.
On the men’s side, Louisville’s Jackson Millard, Finnley Conklin, Rian Graham and Guy Brooks opened up with a time of 3:06.53 to win the 400 medley relay, and Gregg Enoch dominated the 400 IM in 3:48.20, with Millard going just a tick slower (3:48.25) in the B-final. Brooks made it three consecutive victories for the Cardinals as he overtook Auburn’s Daniel Krichevsky in the 200 free, winning 1:33.67 to 1:33.74. Conklin topped the 100 breast for Louisville in 52.67.
The Cardinals would go through much of day two’s action without a win before Millard topped the 200 back in 1:41.39. Enoch followed that with a time of 1:44.58 in the 200 fly before Millard won again in the 200 IM (1:44.79).
Auburn got its first win from Sohib Khaled, who narrowly kept Louisville’s Rian Graham at bay in the 100 fly. Khaled clocked 46.68 to Graham’s 46.76, with Krichevsky the meet’s quickest performer at 46.47 in the B-final. Danny Schmidt, Krichevsky, Warner Russ and Maston Ballew pulled away from LSU for the win in the 800 free relay, with a final time of 6:21.09.
On day two, Auburn’s Ivan Tarasov, Uros Zivanovic, Sohib Khaled and Kalle Makinen edged out Louisville for first in the 200 medley relay in 1:24.37. Ballew won the 200 breast in 1:55.77, narrowly beating Louisville’s Jake Eccleston (1:55.98).
LSU’s Jere Hribar blasted a time of 19.21 in the 50 free. Hribar lowered the 2013 meet record of 19.28 previously held by Vladimir Morozov, with Louisville’s Sheremet tying the old record in his second-place finish. LSU’s Stepan Goncharov won the 100 back (46.41), and Jovan Levic came in first in the 500 free (4:16.96). Hribar’s second victory came with a time of 42.24 in the 100 free, and he led off the winning team in the 200 free relay, combining with Stepan Goncharov, Albert Bouley and Simon Meubry to hold off Auburn by three hundredths in a time of 1:18.36.
SMU’s Luke Sitz was first in 1-meter diving (389.10) as well as the 3-meter event (405.25).