Missouri Continues Impressive Run With More A Cuts, School Records

COLUMBIA, Missouri, November 22. DAY two of the Mizzou Invitational in Columbia looked a lot like day one, with numerous performances ranking among the best in the country this season. The highlight of the night may have been in the women’s 100 breast, as Abby Duncan and Katharine Ross became only the second and third swimmers to break 1:00 this season.

The Mizzou women continued their hot streak in the relays with another victory tonight, this time in the 200 medley relay. Emily Doucette, Katharine Ross, Dani Barbiea and Anna Patterson combined forces to post a 1:37.42, which clears the NCAA A cut by nearly six-tenths. Arkansas (1:39.33) and UC Davis (1:41.18) rounded out the top three in the night’s opening event. On the men’s side, Mizzou delivered a 1-2 punch with it’s A squad of Logan Mosley, Sam Tierney, Igor Kozlovskij and Michael Chadwick earning the victory in 1:26.12, followed by the B team in 1:27.84. The winning quartet just missed the automatic NCAA qualifying mark of 1:26.08 in the event. West Virginia took third in 1:27.97.

After posting a lifetime best in the 200 IM last night and breaking 2:00 for the first time in her career, Florida International’s Sonia Perez Arau kept the ball rolling with an outstanding time of 4:09.59 in the 400 IM, breaking her own school record of 4:10.54 from last season. Mizzou’s Ellie Suek finished a distant second in 4:16.01, followed closely by Arkansas’ Julia Kucherich at 4:16.41. In the men’s race, Mizzou’s Mack Darragh sliced four seconds off his prelim swim to take the win in 3:45.78, ahead of teammate Daniel Graviss (3:47.14). Darragh’s time is about two seconds off the A cut in the event but may earn him a ticket to the big dance in March and broke his own school record from NCAAs last year. Utah’s Kristian Kron slipped in for third at 3:48.78.

Arkansas’ Anna Mayfield, who posted the fastest time in the 500 free last night as an exhibition swimmer, earned her first official victory tonight with a 1:47.10 in the 200 free. She held off Missouri’s Anna Patterson, who had posted the top qualifying time this morning at 1:46.56 but faded to second in 1:47.59. Arkansas’ Nina Drolc took third in 1:48.78. Meanwhile, Eegan Groome of Missouri picked up his second win of the meet in the men’s 200. Last night, Groome posted the fastest time in the nation in the 500, and he followed that up with a 1:35.98 tonight, which as it currently stands is second nationally behind Clay Youngquist’s 1:35.71. Teammate Michael Chadwick placed second in 1:36.59, while Southern Illinois’ Till Pallmann grabbed third in 1:37.10.

In the women’s 100 breast, two swimmers cleared the magical one-minute barrier, led by Missouri junior Abby Duncan. Duncan swam a lifetime best of 59.21 to take almost seven tenths off her previous best of 59.90, which she swam at the 2013 SEC Championships while attending Auburn. Missouri freshman Katharine Ross hung on for second, also cracking 1:00 with a 59.95. Texas A&M’s Breeja Larson is the only other swimmer to break 1:00 this season in the event. Arkansas’ Nikki Daniels took third in 1:00.27. The Missouri men continued their dominance in the men’s 100 breast, placing five swimmers in the top eight. Igor Kozlovskij led the way with a 53.64, with Sam Tierney right on his heels (53.88). Jowan Qupty, competing unattached, swam a 54.14 for third.

After an incredible performance in the 100 fly yesterday, Mizzou’s Dani Barbiea picked up right where she left off with another solid effort in the 100 back. Barbiea posted the top qualifying time this morning at 52.75, then went on to post the fastest time of the evening again at 52.72, though this time as an exhibition swim. That allowed Utah’s Traycie Swartz to take the official win in 53.50, with Arkansas’ Anna Mayfield picking up her second podium finish of the day in 53.90 and UC Davis’ Hilary Hunt rounding out the top three in 54.18. West Virginia’s Bryce Bohman denied Missouri’s Logan Mosley his second win of the meet by touching him out in the men’s 100 back, 46.40 to 46.80. Max Grodecki, also of Missouri, took third in 47.57.

In the final swimming event of the night, the Arkansas foursome of Anna Mayfield, Lauren Jordan, Rachel Stoehr and Nicole Menzel dominated the rest of the field in the women’s 800 free relay, touching in 7:15.56. Utah finished five seconds back in 7:20.76, followed by Florida International (7:21.20). Meanwhile, Utah’s Kristian Kron, Nick Soedel, Bence Kiraly and Jonas Holmstroem topped the field in a time of 6:27.65. Missouri’s A (6:29.34) and B (6:34.78) teams rounded out the top three.

In the diving well, Southern Illinois’ Cheri Zhang earned her second win of the meet with a score of 309.90 in the 1-meter. Arkansas’ Kesha Naylor (285.70) and Utah’s Kersten Merry (278.50) took second and third. Mizzou’s David Bonuchi won the men’s 3-meter with 392.85 points, while Utah swept the second and third spots with Josiah Purss (376.55) and Jake Crayne (339.60).

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