GRANVILLE, Ohio – The
nationally-ranked UIndy swimming & diving teams produced a number of impressive performances at their annual midseason meet. The teams split forces, with the swimmers competing at the Denison Invitational and the divers heading to the Miami Invitational.
UIndy won six of the 10 relay events at Denison, with
Andrea Gomez,
Celina Schmidt and
Jeremias Pock each winning three individual races.
The Denison field featured teams from all three NCAA divisions, including some of the top programs in DIII. Both teams from Emory University, host Denison and WashU—all ranked in the DIII top 12—were in attendance, as were the women of DI Eastern Michigan.
THURSDAY
The history-making started right away, with
Andrea Gomez clocking pool and school records in the first individual event of the week. Her 500 free time of 4:48.23 hit the NCAA automatic qualifying standard while besting the oldest record in the UIndy record book—Maura Donahue's national runner-up time of 4:51.90 from the 2011 NCAA DII Championships.
Later,
Jeremias Pock and
Silas Buessing authored the two fastest 200 IM swims in program history. Pock sliced nearly two-and-a-half seconds off the school record with an A-cut time of 1:44.04, while Buessing took second place with a 1:45.95.
Kirabo Namutebi (50 free) and
Celina Schmidt (200 IM) both notched wins. The former continues to put up lightning-fast, sub-23 times, while the latter crept closer to the A cut standard.
Six other UIndy sprinters hit or improved B-cut times in the 50, including runners-up
Julia Magierowska (23.31) and
Aqeel Joseph (20.26). Furthermore, Magierowska's time was good for seventh in the UIndy annals.
Pedro Peixoto managed a B time in the men's 500 free with a personal-best 4:33.66. Meanwhile, three UIndy relays hit provisional marks, including a winning time of 3:42.62 by the women's 400 MR team of
Caroline Reinke, Schmidt,
Andrea Paaske and Namutebi.
FRIDAY
For the second day in a row, both
Andrea Gomez and
Jeremias Pock set pool records at the Trumbull Aquatics Center. Gomez won the women's 400 IM by seven seconds, posting an A-cut time of 4:15.57. Later, Pock touched first in the men's 100 breaststroke with a time of 52.52—his second A-cut time in the event this semester.
Celina Schmidt and
Megan Gregory finished 1-2 in the women's 100 breast. Schmidt, the reigning national champ, outpaced her own time from Nationals last year with a 1:00.59 while also hitting the automatic standard. Gregory placed second with a B-cut time of 1:02.71, good for a spot in the UIndy top 10.
Silas Buessing won the men's 400 IM, improving his B-cut status with a personal-best 3:48.38.
Five Greyhounds qualified for the A final in the men's 100 fly, with
Mihir Ambre,
Elias Noe and
Oskar Sawicki taking to top three spots.
Brayden Cole (100 breast) and
Andrea Paaske (100 fly) improved their B-standard times, while fresh B-cuts came from freshman
Davi de Carvalho (100 breast) and junior
Caroline Reinke (100 back). Both de Carvalho and junior-transfer
Jokubas Jankaukas (100 back) etched their names in the UIndy top 10.
Both UIndy 200 medley relay teams won their respective races with provisional times. The men's 800 free relay just missed a provo but got the win nonetheless.
Meanwhile, diving wrapped up at Miami. On the women's side,
Alexis Lumaj and
Megan Sunderman qualified for the finals on both boards, with Lumaj placing 10th on the 1-meter and 15th on the 3-meter and Sunderman 14th and 16th.
Adam Carr also scored points in both events, finishing eighth and ninth and the 3- and 1-meter, respectively.
Sarah Kerbrat just missed the finals in both events.
SATURDAY
Andrea Gomez and
Jeremias Pock each bookended their meet with another record-breaking performance. Just as they did on Thursday evening, the two reset both school and pool marks, with Gomez snapping the 200 fly record (1:58.79) and Pock turning the trick in the 200 breast (1:52.87). Both times were A-cuts as well.
Celina Schmidt won the women's 200 breast with an A-cut time of 2:11.96, while teammate
Elisa Funes set a personal best and B standard with a 2:18.20. Funes' time was good for fourth in the race and sixth on the UIndy top 10 list.
Three Hounds notched B-cuts in the mile, with
Brynhildur Traustadottir and
Jamie Glover placing third and fifth, respectively, in the women's race and
William Pettifer finishing fifth in the men's.
UIndy swept gold in the 200 back.
Mia Krstevska improved her B standard with a 1:58.49 and
Silas Buessing hit his first B-cut in the event with a 1:45.26.
Jackson Vanwanzeele hit a B time with a runner-up finish in the 200 fly, while
Kirabo Namutebi and
Aqeel Joseph each placed fifth in their corresponding 100 free race.
UIndy also had four student-athlete set B standards while winning their respective B finals, including
Julia Magierowska (100 free),
Bartosz Mielniczuk (100 free),
Davi de Carvalho (200 breast) and
Elias Noe (200 fly).
The meet was capped by the always-exciting 400 free relay. The Greyhounds won both races with NCAA provisional times.
UP NEXT
The Greyhound step away from competition for the rest of the calendar year. They return to racing on Jan. 10 to face DI opponents Indiana State and Southern Illinois in Terre Haute.
