DALLAS – The SMU men’s team and the Houston women’s team were the top performers following the first day of the American Athletic Conference Swimming and Diving Championships on Thursday at the Robson & Lindley Aquatics Center/Barr-McMillion Natatorium. The Mustangs scored 374 points to outpace Cincinnati at 299 points in the men’s standings after night one, while Houston (307), SMU (240), Cincinnati (189) and Tulane (156) comprised the women’s order.
Houston got off to a fiery start in the women’s 200 freestyle relay to open the first finals session. The Cougar lineup of Rachel Hicks, Mykenzie Leehy, Katie Power and Hannah Farmer hunted a meet record with a winning time of 1:29.99. SMU’s Alexandra Stevens, Johanna Gudmundttir, Indra Vandenbussche and Sam Smith were runners up in 1:30.74, with Cincinnati’s Maddie Exton, Jessica Davis, Abby Johnston and Molly Chelovitz in third with a time of 1:31.92.
SMU narrowly missed a meet mark of its own in the men’s 200 freestyle relay, swimming a program record time for the event victory. Justin Baker, Daniel Forndal, Lance Butler and Charlie Kaye led the Mustangs to the win in 1:18.38. Cincinnati’s Alberto Garcia, Dominic Polling, Hunter Gubeno and Murgat Sagdullaev placed second with a time of 1:19.98.
Nicole Stambo claimed the first diving championship of the weekend to lead SMU off the 1-meter board, scoring 288.45 points to pick up the event win. Katie Crown was the runner-up with after tallying 285.50 points and Taylor Ohlhauser capped the Mustang sweep in third with 281.25 points.
Matea Sumajstorcic earned the first Cincinnati win of the meet in the women’s 500 freestyle, as the transfer from New Mexico touched the wall with a time of 4:47.77. Houston’s Laura Garcia Martin was the runner-up in 4:47.90 and Cincinnati’s Sydney St. Rose-Finear was third with a time of 4:48.38.
Michael Balcerak earned the fourth straight victory by a Cincinnati swimmer in the men’s 500 freestyle by notching an NCAA B-cut swim of 4:22.64 in the championship heat. Calvin Coetzee cruised in just off the pace at 4:23.19 and Noah Smith completed the Bearcat sweep in third place in 4:23.36.
Houston’s Ioanna Sacha repeated as the women’s 200 IM champion, adding to an NCAA B-cut swim of 1:57.43 from the morning prelim with a winning time of 1:58.01. SMU’s Gabi Grobler closed the gap late and scored a runner-up finish with an NCAA B-cut showing of 1:59.43. Houston’s Mai Ortega Bonilla placed third with a time of 2:01.65.
Colin Feehery swam a meet record time of 1:45.14 in the morning prelim session in the men’s 200 IM and nearly broke that record in the final, clocking a winning showing of 1:45.15 for SMU to coast in under NCAA B-cut range. Cincinnati’s Blake Hanna turned in a strong swim of 1:45.76 for second place and SMU’s Brayden Rudd claimed third with a time of 1:47.27.
Leehy completed the back-to-back double in the women’s 50 freestyle, building on an NCAA B-cut prelim time with a winning showing of :22.54 in the final representing Houston. Power was the runner-up with a time of :22.77 for the Cougars and SMU’s Stevens took third in :22.99.
SMU’s Baker led a six-man Mustang contingent to the top of the men’s 50 freestyle standings, blazing to the gold medal with an NCAA B-cut time of :19.67. Forndal was runner-up with a time of :19.97 and Butler came in third place with a showing of :19.99.
Peter Smithson was dominant in capturing the men’s 3-meter diving crown for the second straight season, scoring a phenomenal 410.10 to reclaim the gold. Parker Hardigree tallied 348.45 points for second and Dominic Hoefer scored 338.75 points for the SMU event sweep.
The Houston 400 medley relay contingent of Sacha, Audrey McKinnon, Katie Higgins and Leehy tracked for a time on the meet record in a 3:36.10 win to close out the first night. SMU’s entry of Grobler, Maddy Lewis, Olivia Grossklaus and Stevens were runners-up in 3:41.53, and Tulane’s lineup of Danielle Titus, Kate McDonald, Mya Drost-Parra and Courtney Barker claimed third place with a time of 3:41.73.
A spectacular comeback in the freestyle leg of the men’s 400 medley relay lifted Forndal, Riley Hill, Caleb Rhodenbaugh and Jack Easton to the win with a pool record 3:09.84. Cincinnati’s Hanna, Polling, Balcerak and Garcia turned in a great swim of 3:10.61.
The second day of the American Swimming and Diving Championships will begin at 10 a.m. (CT) on Friday with prelim action on ESPN+. The Friday finals session is set to commence at 6 p.m. (CT).
Men’s Teams Scores
1. SMU – 374
2. Cincinnati – 299
Women’s Teams Scores
1. Houston – 307
2. SMU – 240
3. Cincinnati – 189
4. Tulane – 156
Championships Schedule:
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26
SESSION 3 – 10:00 A.M. (SWIMMING PRELIMS)
12:30 P.M. (DIVING PRELIMS)
SESSION 4 – 6:00 P.M. (FINALS)
Event #23 1-Meter Diving PRELIMS Men
Event #24 3-Meter Diving PRELIMS Women
Event #25 200 Yard Medley Relay Women
Event #26 200 Yard Medley Relay Men
Event #23 1-Meter Diving FINALS Men
Event #13 400 Yard IM Women
Event #14 400 Yard IM Men
Event #15 100 Yard Butterfly Women
Event #16 100 Yard Butterfly Men
Event #17 200 Yard Freestyle Women
Event #18 200 Yard Freestyle Men
Event #19 100 Yard Breaststroke Women
Event #20 100 Yard Breaststroke Men
Event #21 100 Yard Backstroke Women
Event #22 100 Yard Backstroke Men
Event #24 3-Meter Diving FINALS Women
Event #27 800 Yard Freestyle Relay Women
Event #28 800 Yard Freestyle Relay Men
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27
SESSION 5 – 10:00 A.M. (SWIMMING PRELIMS)
12 P.M. (DIVING PRELIMS)
SESSION 6 – 5:00 P.M. (FINALS)
Event #37 Platform Diving PRELIMS Women
Event #38 Platform Diving PRELIMS Men
Event #39 1,650 Yard Freestyle Women
Event #40 1,650 Yard Freestyle Men
Event #37 Platform Diving FINALS Women
Event #29 200 Yard Backstroke Women
Event #30 200 Yard Backstroke Men
Event #31 100 Yard Freestyle Women
Event #32 100 Yard Freestyle Men
Event #33 200 Yard Breaststroke Women
Event #34 200 Yard Breaststroke Men
Event #35 200 Yard Butterfly Women
Event #36 200 Yard Butterfly Men
Event #38 Platform Diving FINALS Men
Event #41 400 Yard Freestyle Relay Women
Event #42 400 Yard Freestyle Relay Men