Virginia Cavaliers Swimming Wins USC Invite as Paige Madden Swims 4:38 500 Free

Paige Madden leads the NCAA in the 500 early on. Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

The Virginia Cavaliers swimming teams concluded the second day of competition (Oct. 5) at the Trojan Swim Invite, hosted by Southern California, at the Uytengsu Aquatics Center with nine Cavaliers recording a first-place finish in an individual event and the team winning two relay races.

RESULTS

Virginia Cavaliers Swimming Press Release

Junior Paige Madden (Mobile, Ala.) and freshman Kate Douglass (Pelham, N.Y.) led the Virginia men’s and women’s swimming teams on the opening day (Oct. 4) of the Trojan Swim Invite, hosted by Southern California, at the Uytengsu Aquatics Center.

Madden opened the individual events for the Cavaliers with the top time in the 500-yard freestyle. The 2019 NCAA runner-up in the event topped the competition by over three seconds as she finished with a time of 4:38.67.

In her first collegiate competition, freshman Kate Douglass (Pelham, N.Y.) recorded the second-fastest time in program history in the 200-yard individual medley, swimming a time of 1:55.15 for first place at the meet.

Douglass followed with the fastest time in the 50-yard freestyle, recording a time of 22.12. The time ranks fifth in UVA history.

Freshman Jack Walker (Charlotte, N.C.) captured the top collegiate time and second fastest overall time in the 500-yard freestyle, finishing with a time of 4:18.46.

Sophomore Casey Storch (Great Falls, Va.) finished second in the 200-yard individual medley, swimming a time of 1:46.88. He was the fastest collegiate swimmers in the event.

The Virginia Cavaliers swept the 100-yard medley relay. The women’s team of junior Caroline Gmelich (Rumson, N.J.), sophomore Alexis Wenger (Detroit, Mich.), Douglass and senior Morgan Hill (Olney, Md.) swam a time of 44.24, while the men’s team of senior Joe Clark (Worcester Park, Great Britain), junior Keefer Barnum (Louisville, Ky.), junior Cooper Wozencraft (Houston, Texas) and freshman Henry Schutte (Grand Rapids, Mich) recorded a time of 38.96.

Additionally, Hill finished third in the 500-yard freestyle with a personal-best time of 4:47.17. Junior Abby Richter (Henderson, Nev.) recorded a time of 1:59.24 to place third in the 200-yard individual medley, while freshman Sean Conway (Round Hill, Va.) finished third in the event on the men’s side with a time of 1:47.99.

DAY 2

In addition to winning the 100-yard breaststroke, Virginia Cavaliers swimming and diving freshman Kate Douglass (Pelham, N.Y.) recorded the third-fastest time in Virginia Cavaliers swimming history in the event with a time of 59.55. Before the day concluded she would record two more swims that placed in the top 10 all-time at Virginia. The freshman finished second in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 51.58, recording the second-fastest time in program history, and placed second in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 48.45, recording the seventh-best swim in program history.

Junior Abby Richter (Henderson, Nev.) won the 400-yard individual medley, reaching the wall with a time of 4:15.00 to finish first by over a second. Junior Paige Madden (Mobile, Ala.) won the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:45.51, while junior Caroline Gmelich (Rumson, N.J.) recorded a time of 53.91 to finish first in the 100-yard backstroke. Freshman Maddie Donohoe (Annandale, Va.) topped the mile, placing first with a time of 16:21.68 as junior Emma Seiberlich (Audubon, Pa.) recorded a time of 1:54.64 to win the 200-yard backstroke.

On the men’s side, sophomore Casey Storch (Great Falls, Va.) recorded a first-place finish in the 400-yard individual medley with a time of 3:48.36. Senior Joe Clark (Worcester Park, Great Britain) won the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 46.51, while sophomore Justin Grender (Cincinnati, Ohio) topped the 1000-yard freestyle with a time of 9:14.09.

The Cavaliers also swept the 200-yard medley relay. The women’s team of Gmelich, sophomore Alexis Wenger (Detroit, Mich.), Douglass and senior Morgan Hill (Olney, Md.) recorded a time of 1:38.67, while the men’s team of Clark, junior Keefer Barnum (Louisville, Ky.), junior Cooper Wozencraft (Houston, Texas) and freshman Jack Walker (Charlotte, N.C.) recorded a time of 1:20.80.

Additionally, Barnum recorded the top collegiate swim and second overall swim in both the 100 and 200-yard breaststroke. He recorded a time of 53.07 in the 100-yard breaststroke and a time of 1:56.74 in the 200-yard breaststroke.

Wozencraft recorded the seventh-fastest time in program history in the 100-yard butterfly at 46.92, placing third overall and first among collegiate athletes. He was also the top collegiate swimmer in the 200-yard backstroke, placing second overall with a time of 1:43.79.

Freshman Ella Nelson (Nashville, Tenn.) recorded the eighth-best time in program history in the 200-yard breaststroke. The first-year finished second in the event with a time of 2:11.75.

“We wrapped up the Trojan Invite today with some great energy and some great swimming,” Virginia Cavaliers swimming head coach Todd DeSorbo said. “I think we are in a really great spot for this time of year. We saw our athletes closing races really well. They’re definitely executing a lot of races and swims the way we talk about in practice and training, which is exciting for the future. A lot of our athletes were swimming multiple events in a matter of 10 to 15 minutes and doing well with that.

“For this early in the season, there was a lot of great swimming. A lot of the athletes are showing some great speed and we’re putting ourselves in a position to accelerate through the rest of the season. It just shows us where we are right now and what we need to work on. There were some positive takeaways from the weekend. Again, a lot of great racing and I think we put ourselves in a really good position for the first five to six weeks of the season. The team is in great shape and I’m definitely looking forward to building some speed and taking on Michigan and Tennessee in two weeks.”

USC Press Release

Senior Tatum Wade (200y IM) and junior Marta Ciesla (50y free) posted a pair of second-place swims while sophomore Victor Johansson was third in the 500y free to lead the USC men’s and women’s swim teams in the Trojan Invite on Friday (Oct 4) to kick off the 2019-20 regular season.

The Trojans competed against swimmers from UC San Diego, Virginia, and CS Bakerfield in the in the invite as well as a handful of club teams.

Wade took second in the 200y IM in 1:58.37, an NCAA ‘B’ cut time. Also in the race, freshman Aela Janvier took fifth, posting a 2:00.26. Sophomore Alexei Sancov was fifth in the men’s race in 1:49.07.

The Trojan women won the 100y free relay to close the meet, finishing in 40.89. It was the only victory of the day for USC.

Ciesla posted a B-cut time in the 50y free in 22.21 while sophomore Jemma Schlicht was took fifth with a B standard of 22.69. Senior Nikoka Miljenic led USC’s sprinters in the men’s race in seventh with a 20.22. Former All-American Dylan Carter was second in 19.75.

DAY 2

Senior Catherine Sanchez (200y fly), junior Marta Ciesla (100y free) and sophomores Isa Odgers (200y breast) and Victor Johansson (1650y free) all posted wins on the two-session final day of the Trojan Invite on Saturday (Oct. 5) at the Uytengsu Aquatics Center.

The Trojans, for the second day in a row, competed against swimmers from UC San Diego, Virginia, and CS Bakersfield in the in the invite as well as a handful of club teams.

Sanchez won the 200y fly in 1:56.90 with an NCAA ‘B’ cut. Ciesla, second in the 50y free, won the 100y free in an NCAA B cut as well of 48.27 while sophomores Jemma Schlicht (48.85) and Laticia Transom (49.15) and senior Tatum Wade (49.43) went 4-5-6.

Odgers won the 200y breast by more than two seconds with a 2:09.46 (B). Odgers also was second in the 100y breast with a 1:00.76 (B). Junior Maggie Aroesty took third in the 200y breast (2:11.78) and was fourth in the 100y breast (1:01.50), both B times. Senior Kirsten Vose was fifth in the 100 breast (1:02.05) while Greek freshman Nicole Pavlopoulou was sixth (1:02.61). Pavlopoulou was also fourth in the 200y breast (2:11.99, B).

Transom was second in the 200y free in 1:46.83 (B) while Schlicht was third in the 100y fly (52.65, B). Wade was fourth in the 200y free (1:48.23).

Senior co-captain Hanni Leach posted a fifth in the 100y back (54.61), Canadian freshman Aela Janvier taking fourth in the 200y back (1:58.08) with Leach sixth (1:59.57).

For the men, Johansson won in 14:56.04 for an NCAA B cut in the mile. Freshman Ivan Puskovitch placed second in 15:37.85.

Sophomore Alexei Sancov hit the back end of the 200y free B standard on the nose, posting a 1:36.32 for fourth. He later was second in the 200y fly (1:46.93). Freshman Jack Kirby from Barbados was fifth in the men’s 200y back (1:48.98).

The USC women won both the 200y free (1:29.41) and 300y free relays on the final day.

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Thomas A. Small

4 years ago

Congratulations great job

Lisa Bendall

4 years ago

Wahoowa!