SEC Weekly Recap: Texas A&M Sweeps LSU; Arkansas’ Schultz Shines

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The No. 8 Texas A&M women’s swimming and diving captured 13 of the 16 events leading the way to a 172-121 win over Southeastern Conference rival LSU on Saturday afternoon at the Student Recreation Natatorium.

The Aggies swept the top three spots in five races, improving to 6-1 in dual meet action.

“LSU is a traditional rival, so it’s always good to race and beat them” Texas A&M head coach Steve Bultman said. “It’s been a long week coming from the Longhorn Long Course Invite in Austin back home, I have to say with having three consecutive days of racing I am pleased with how we came out, and now we look ahead to Senior Day against Vanderbilt and Houston.”

The Aggies opened and closed the meet with relay victories. The foursome of junior Raena Eldridge, junior Anna Belousova, freshman Emma Carlton, and senior Claire Rasmus combined to win the 200-yard medley relay in 1:39.75, while senior Sydney Pickrem, Rasmus, Carlton and Eldridge won the 200-yard freestyle relay in 1:32.16.

Leading the way individually for the Aggies were Rasmus and Pickrem, who both tallied a pair of race victories. Rasmus was victorious in the 200-yard freestyle (1:47.99), and the 100-yard freestyle (50.30), while Pickrem posted wins in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:01.56), and the 200-yard backstroke (1:57.61).

Logging solo victories were sophomore Joy Field in the 1000-yard freestyle (10:11.10), senior McKenna Debever in the 100-yard backstroke (54.75), sophomore Taylor Pike in the 200-yard butterfly (1:58.53), Belousova in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:12.11), sophomore Haley Yelle in the 500-yard freestyle (4:53.50), and senior Monika Gonzalez-Hermosillo in the 200-yard IM (2:01.69). Junior Haley Allen placed first in the three-meter dive (384.75).

The No. 10 Texas A&M men beat LSU on Senior Day Saturday afternoon at the Student Recreation Natatorium.

“It is a win in the SEC. That’s always a great thing when you go up against a rival,” Texas A&M head coach Jay Holmes said. “I appreciate LSU and the program that they have over there that we have this rivalry and it helps us all. “Being senior day, it was truly special watching these kids grow, and watching that last relay where all four of them being seniors and going out there was something to watch.”

The six-member Senior Class of 2019 were honored prior to the competition. Being honored were: Mateo Gonzalez (Torreon, Mexico), Connor Long (Charlotte, North Carolina), Angel Martinez (San Nicolas De Los Garza, Mexico), Steven Richardson (Humble, Texas), Sam Thornton (Baildon, United Kingdom) and Jerik Wong (Flower Mound, Texas).

The Aggies got off to a fast start taking the first and third spots in the 200-yard medley relay with freshman Shaine Casas leading the winning relay (1:27.94), alongside junior Benjamin Walker, senior Angel Martinez, and junior Adam Koster.

Leading the way individually for the Aggies were Martinez, Walker and Koster, who all tallied a pair of race victories. Martinez was victorious in the100-yard butterfly (48.18) and 200-yard butterfly (1:47.85), while Walker posted wins in the 100-yard breast (54.52), and the 200 breast in (2:00.35), and Koster nabbed wins in the 50-yard freestyle (20.13), and the 100-yard freestyle (43.95).

LSU senior Thomas Smith won two individual races with a time of 1:45.90 in the 200-yard backstroke and 1:51.76 in the 200-yard individual medley.

Lewis Clough won the men’s 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:38.75, and also was first in the 200-yard freestyle relay with teammates Matt Klotz, Karl Luht and Will Arthur finishing with a time of 1:21.48.

Luht touched the wall first in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 47:89, and Arthur came in second with a time of 48.90. Arthur also anchored the 200-yard freestyle relay to a Tiger win to end the meet.

For the women, senior Haylee Knight took the win in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 23:17, and Leyre Casarin came in second with a time of 23:46.

Helen Grossman touched the wall first with a time of 54:01 in the 100-yard butterfly.

On springboard, Juan Celaya-Hernandez came in first on the three-meter with a score of 475.36. On one-meter, he came in third with a score of 363.00. Matt McClellan had a strong performance on three-meter as well, scoring 374.03.

Lizzie Cui and Aimee Wilson went 1-2 for the sweep in the one-meter. Cui dove to a score of 343.50 taking first, and Wilson recorded a personal best with a score of 335.63 claiming second.

Schultz sets records in Arkansas win

Arkansas sophomore Brooke Schultz set the 3-meter (391.43) pool record and the 1-meter (375.53) school and pool records as the swimming and diving team defeated No. 25 Houston 193-107 Friday night.

This is the second time this season Schultz has broken a record, setting the 3-meter school record in October.

The Hogs got off to a solid start, winning the 200 yard medley relay before recording 13 more wins and 27 podium finishes. Sophomore Peyton Palsha earned three individual first-place finishes, while Vannessa Herrmann, Hopkin, and Schultz each recorded two.

The Razorbacks swept the podium in both springboard events, as Maha Amer finished second in the 1-meter (302.70).

Senior Marlena Pigliacampi set a season-best time of 2:01.08 in the 200 yard butterfly, winning the event in the first of her two podium finishes.

Missouri sweeps Missouri State

The No. 17/19 Mizzou men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams closed out the dual meet portion of their schedule with a sweep over Missouri State Saturday afternoon at the Mizzou Aquatic Center on Senior Day. The Tiger men earned a 164-118 win, while the Tiger women were victorious 164-115.

Junior Nick Alexander and sophomore Emily Snyder both earned two event wins in the dual against the Bears. Alexander swept the backstroke events, with wins in the 100 (48.64) and 200 (1:46.38), and Synder swept the breaststroke races, as she took first in the 100 (1:03.94) and 200 (2:17.96).

In the diving well, seniors Payton Conrad and Kyle Goodwin both earned wins as well. Conrad took first in the women’s 3-meter competition after a score of 314.18 and Goodwin won the men’s 1-meter with a six-round total of 380.33.

Seniors Annie Ochitwa and Luke Mankus claimed wins in the 50 free in 22.96 and 20.69, respectively, while junior Haley Hynes and freshman Kyle Leach earned victories in the 100 free in 51.48 and 45.40.

South Carolina splits with Georgia Tech

South Carolina swimming and diving teams split a dual meet at Georgia Tech Saturday afternoon with the women winning 193-107 and the men falling 153-147 to the 20th-ranked Yellow Jackets. The Gamecocks combined for 20 event wins, including three first-place touches by Lionel Khoo and four women claiming two victories each.

The Gamecock women dominated the meet from the onset, taking first in 11 of the 14 swimming events, while the men claimed seven swimming events in addition to Anton Down-Jenkins sweeping the two diving competitions.

While the women’s result was never in doubt, the men pushed No. 20 Georgia Tech to the last event of the day, trailing by just three points heading into the 400 free relay. The Yellow Jackets picked up the win in that event to seal the team victory for the day.

Senior Emma Barksdale remained undefeated in the 100 breast this season, clocking a 1:02.11 to take first in the event on Saturday. She added a first in the 200 IM for the fifth time this season, touching in 2:01.19. Barksdale was also part of the Gamecocks’ two winning relay teams.

Junior Emily Cornell picked up a pair of individual firsts for the third time this season and helped the Gamecocks to both relay wins at Georgia Tech as well. She swept both backstroke events, posting a 56.09 in the 100 back and a 1:59.82 in the 200.

Freshman Hallie Kinsey closed her first dual-meet season with two individual victories and a spot on the winning 200 medley relay team. Her 2:02.14 in the 200 butterfly was her second win in the event this season, and she completed the stroke sweep with a 55.14 in the 100 fly.

Junior Christina Lappin‘s pair of firsts marked her second two-win meet in as many duals. She also anchored both winning relay squads on Saturday. Her 50 freestyle victory (23.32) as her third of the season, while she touched first in the 100 free for the first time this season.

Sophomore Lionel Khoo picked up three individual wins for the Gamecocks for the first time this season. His 100 breaststroke victory (54.78) as his fourth of the season in the event and second in as many meets. He added firsts in the 200 beast (2:03.12) and the 200 IM (1:50.39), his second wins in those events this season.

Senior Fynn Minuth added wins in the 200 free (1:38.20) and 500 free (4:28.98), his third and fourth in those events, respectively, this season.

Freshman diver Anton Down-Jenkins continued his undefeated dual-meet season, claiming first on both the one- and three-meter boards. His 369.50 on the one-meter was a personal best, while he claimed first on the three-meter with a score of 416.55.

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