WATCH | DAY TWO RESULTS | CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
HOUSTON, Texas – East Carolina and Houston both increased their team leads following the second day of racing at the American Athletic Conference Swimming and Diving Championships on Thursday night at the CRWC Natatorium.
The Pirates raised their meet total to 292 points to establish a slim advantage over Cincinnati (267 points) in the men’s draw, with UConn (224 points) and SMU (212 points) within striking distance. Houston finished the night session with 388.5 points to open a comfortable lead over SMU (279.5 points), as Cincinnati (212 points), ECU (183 points), Tulane (149 points) and UConn (133 points) represented the remainder of the women’s leaderboard.
Zarena Brown got the Houston women rolling in the first event of the evening, winning her third straight 500 freestyle title with a meet record time of 4:41.89. Brown broke the previous meet mark established by Louisville’s Jacqueline Keire (4:42.68) in 2014. Tulane’s Elizabeth Byrne was the event runner-up with a time of 4:42.78, and East Carolina’s Kristen Stege finished third in 4:43.85. Tulane’s Olivia Johnson (4:45.06) and Cincinnati’s Sydney St. Rose (4:47.01) completed the top five.
Cincinnati’s Din Selmanovic earned a repeat gold medal of his own in the 500 freestyle, touching the wall in 4:19.27. Teammate Noah Smith was second with a time of 4:20.84 and Michael Balcerak capped the Bearcat sweep of the podium in third place with a time of 4:22.57. ECU’s Grega Popovic (4:24.38) and UConn’s Joshua Wroblewski (4:24.89) were fourth and fifth, respectively.
Ioanna Sacha of Houston brought home her first American 200 IM championship by hitting the wall in 1:57.23 for the gold medal. Peyton Kondis was just behind her teammate as the runner-up in 1:57.85, and Tulane’s Katherine McDonald placed third with a time of 1:58.01. Defending champion Laura Laderoute of Houston (1:58.34) and SMU’s Gabriella Grobler (1:59.41) comprised the remainder of the top five.
Cincinnati’s Dominic Polling gathered his own three-peat in the 200 IM, taking the final with a time of 1:45.58. ECU’s Marek Osina swam to runner-up honors in 1:45.81, and UConn’s Emils Gustav Jurcik was third in 1:45.93. SMU’s Colin Feehery was fourth with a time of 1:46.28, followed by Cincinnati’s Spencer Sehlhor in fifth place with a time of 1:47.49.
Houston’s Mykenzie Leehy added her name to the list of American individual champions with a victorious swim in the 50 freestyle. Leehy claimed the gold medal with a time of :22.51 to lead the Cougars. Kathryn Power of Houston and Erin Trahan of SMU split second place with matching times of :22.91, as East Carolina’s Catherine Johns (:23.03) and Cincinnati’s Lina Kutsko (:23.12) made up the remainder of the top five.
Fresh off a blazing meet record swim of :19.47 in his morning prelim heat in the 50 freestyle, UConn’s Will Kearsey nearly did it again in the final heat. Kearsey finished in :19.48 to officially repeat as the conference’s 50 free champion. He also broke the prior meet record of Louisville’s Joao De Lucca (:19.58) that was set in 2014. East Carolina saw Pedro Gueiros (:20.05), James Ward (:20.08) and Gustavo Santos (:20.13) go two through four, and SMU’s Riley Hill placed fifth in :20.16.
Houston senior Lauren Burrell continued her stellar meet off the boards by completing the springboard sweep in the women’s 1-meter event. Burrell won the American 1-meter title for the first time in her career with 289.80 points. SMU’s Nicole Stambo was just behind with 289.55 points for second place, and Houston’s Katie Deininger joined the podium with 280.95 points.
The Cougars remained unbeaten on the night with a triumphant swim in the 200 freestyle relay to cap the night, as Brown, Laderoute, Power and Leehy combined for a 1:30.51 finish and the win. SMU’s Trahan, Samantha Smith, Grobler and Felicia Anderson placed second with 1:31.23, and Cincinnati’s Maddie Exton, Kutsko, Claire Farrell and Abigail Johnston were third in 1:31.40.
The ECU men won the 200 freestyle relay for the third straight season, with Gueiros, Eric Hinderup, Santos and Ward reaching the wall in 1:19.28. SMU’s entry of Hill, Daniel Forndal, Ralph Koo and Charles Kaye took runner-up honors in 1:19.59. UConn’s Kearsey broke the men’s 50 freestyle record for the second time on the day with a leadoff split of :19.40, and joined with teammates Kyle Dunlap, Jack Muratori and Cooper Knapp to finish third in 1:19.82.
Men’s Teams Scores
1. ECU – 292
2. Cincinnati – 267
3. UConn – 224
4. SMU – 212
Women’s Teams Scores
1. Houston – 388.5
2. SMU – 279.5
3. Cincinnati – 212
4. ECU –183
5. Tulane – 149
6. UConn – 133
Championships Schedule:
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21
SESSION 4 – 10:00 A.M. (SWIMMING PRELIMS)
12:30 P.M. (DIVING PRELIMS)
SESSION 5– 6:00 P.M. (FINALS)
Prelims – Men’s 3M Diving
Consols – Men’s 3M Diving
Women’s 400 Individual Medley
Men’s 400 Individual Medley
Women’s 100 Yard Butterfly
Men’s 100 Yard Butterfly
Women’s 200 Yard Freestyle
Men’s 200 Yard Freestyle
Women’s 100 Yard Breaststroke
Men’s 100 Yard Breaststroke
Women’s 100 Yard Backstroke
Men’s 100 Yard Backstroke
Finals – Men’s 3M Diving
Women’s 400 Yard Medley Relay*
Men’s 400 Yard Medley Relay*
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22
SESSION 6 – 10:00 A.M. (SWIMMING PRELIMS)
12:30 P.M. (DIVING PRELIMS)
SESSION 7 – 5:00 P.M. (FINALS)
Prelims – Women’s Platform Diving
Prelims – Men’s Platform Diving
Women’s 1,650 Yard Freestyle^
Men’s 1,650 Yard Freestyle^
Finals – Women’s Platform Diving
Women’s 200 Yard Backstroke
Men’s 200 Yard Backstroke
Women’s 100 Yard Freestyle
Men’s 100 Yard Freestyle
Women’s 200 Yard Breaststroke
Men’s 200 Yard Breaststroke
Women’s 200 Yard Butterfly
Men’s 200 Yard Butterfly
Finals – Men’s Platform Diving
Women’s 400 Yard Freestyle Relay*
Men’s 400 Yard Freestyle Relay*
All times Central