{"id":624151,"date":"2025-10-11T15:45:52","date_gmt":"2025-10-11T22:45:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=624151"},"modified":"2025-10-11T16:12:48","modified_gmt":"2025-10-11T23:12:48","slug":"julia-dennis-stars-in-sprint-events-as-louisville-sweeps-smu-classic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/julia-dennis-stars-in-sprint-events-as-louisville-sweeps-smu-classic\/","title":{"rendered":"Julia Dennis Stars in Sprint Events as Louisville Sweeps SMU Classic"},"content":{"rendered":"

Julia Dennis Stars in Sprint Events as Louisville Sweeps SMU Classic<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u00a0Julia Dennis<\/strong>, 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).<\/p>\n

The Cardinals’ team of\u00a0Julie Mishler<\/strong>,\u00a0Caroline Larsen<\/strong>, Ella Welch<\/strong> 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\u00a0Gabi Albiero<\/strong> last season. In 3-meter diving, Louisville’s\u00a0Sammantha Helmboldt<\/strong> took first (305.85)<\/p>\n

Kim Herkle<\/strong> earned victory in the 400 IM in 4:13.72 while teammate Summer Cardwell<\/strong> actually had the meet’s quickest time with a mark of 4:12.47 in the B-final.\u00a0Daria Golovaty<\/strong> 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,\u00a0Xeniya Ignatova<\/strong> and Dennis wrapped up day one with a winning time of 7:04.74 in the 800 free relay.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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<\/strong>. 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.<\/p>\n

LSU’s first win came courtesy of\u00a0Sofia Sartori<\/strong>, 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\u00a0Lora Komoroczy<\/strong> took the top spot in the 100 backstroke, holding off Mishler 52.34 to 52.46. Her teammate\u00a0Kim Metsakonkola<\/strong> won the 100 breast in 1:01.44.<\/p>\n