DALLAS – The SMU men’s team and the Houston women’s team sat at the top of the leaderboard following the first night of the 2022 American Athletic Conference Swimming and Diving Championships on Wednesday at the Robson & Lindley Aquatics Center and Barr-McMillion Natatorium in Dallas.
SMU scored 147 points in the men’s draw to outpoint Cincinnati with 128 points. Houston’s 154 points paced a competitive women’s field, with SMU at 109 points and Tulane at 90 points just off the pace. Cincinnati checked in fourth with 38 points and East Carolina rounded out the women’s field with 36 points.
SMU started off the night with a win off the 1-meter board in men’s diving, as Parker Hardigree defended his conference championship and earned a third career title representing the Mustangs after scoring 367.35 points. Teammate Peter Smithson finished as the runner-up with 352.30 points and Dominic Hoefer completed the SMU sweep in third place with a score of 325.45 points.
Tulane made program history with its first team relay victory as members of The American, taking a thrilling 800 women’s freestyle relay to kick off the swimming competition. Isabella Pelka, Lilly Byrne, Sam Krew and Noa Herron touched the wall in 7:11.44 for the Green Wave win. Cincinnati’s entry of Erin Shema, Maddie Exton, Jessica Davis and Sydney St. Rose-Finear earned a silver medal with a time of 7:11.80, and SMU’s Indra Vandenbussche, Jenna Watson, Ilektra Lebl and Janelle Gursoy took third in 7:14.54.
SMU picked up a second straight team win in the men’s 800 freestyle relay, shaving nearly three seconds off last year’s winning effort. Colin Feehery, Tyler Mansheim, Robby King and Wyatt Cronk took the 800 title with a winning swim of 6:22.60. Cincinnati’s Calvin Coetzee, Quinton Cynor, Michael Balcerak and Hunter Gubeno took the silver with a time of 6:22.84.
Chase Farris earned a second career American championship and first springboard win in the women’s 3-meter dive, taking the gold medal for Houston with a score of 328.80 points. SMU’s Johanna Holloway was in second place with 324.25 points and Houston’s Katie Deininger finished third with a score of 317.05 points.
Houston took the team win in the women’s 200 medley relay, clocking a time of 1:39.48 with a strong swim from Katie Power, Henrietta Fangli, Adelaide Meuter and Emma Wright. SMU’s Gabi Grobler, Maddy Lewis, Valentina Becerra and Johanna Gudmundttir were the runners-up with a time of 1:39.66 and Tulane’s Danielle Titus, Christiana Williams, Eleanor McMeen and Riley Hendrix claimed bronze in 1:41.87.
SMU swam the first sub-1:25 effort in meet history in the men’s 200 medley relay to claim the night’s final gold medal. Cole Bruns, Caleb Rhodenbaugh, Riley Hill and Justin Baker hit the wall with a time of 1:24.64 for a meet and pool record. Cincinnati’s Blake Hanna, Dominic Poling, Balcerak and Gubeno placed second with a time of 1:26.23.
The second day of the American Swimming and Diving Championships will begin at 10 a.m. (CT) on Thursday with prelim action on ESPN+. The Thursday finals session is set to commence at 6 p.m. (CT).
Men’s Teams Scores
1. SMU – 147
2. Cincinnati – 128
Women’s Teams Scores
1. Houston – 154
2. SMU – 109
3. Tulane – 90
4. Cincinnati – 38
5. East Carolina – 36
Championships Schedule:
Thursday, February 17 (ESPN+)
Swimming Prelims: 10 A.M. (CT) (ESPN+) | Diving Prelims: 12:30 P.M. (CT) | Finals: 6:00 P.M. (CT) (ESPN+)
Event #7 1-Meter Diving PRELIM Women
Event #7 1-Meter Diving CONSOLS Women
Event #8 500 Yard Freestyle Women
Event #9 500 Yard Freestyle Men
Event #10 200 Yard IM Women
Event #11 200 Yard IM Men
Event #12 50 Yard Freestyle Women
Event #13 50 Yard Freestyle Men
Event #7 1-Meter Diving FINALS Women
Event #14 200 Yard Freestyle Relay Women
Event #15 200 Yard Freestyle Relay Men
Friday, February 18 (ESPN+)
Swimming Prelims: 10 A.M. (CT) (ESPN+) | Diving Prelims: 12:30 P.M. (CT) | Finals: 6:00 P.M. (CT) (ESPN+)
Event #16 3-Meter Diving PRELIM Men
Event #16 3-Meter Diving CONSOLS Men
Event #17 400 Yard IM Women
Event #18 400 Yard IM Men
Event #19 100 Yard Butterfly Women
Event #20 100 Yard Butterfly Men
Event #21 200 Yard Freestyle Women
Event #22 200 Yard Freestyle Men
Event #23 100 Yard Breaststroke Women
Event #24 100 Yard Breaststroke Men
Event #25 100 Yard Backstroke Women
Event #26 100 Yard Backstroke Men
Event #16 3-Meter Diving FINALS Men
Event #27 400 Yard Medley Relay Women
Event #28 400 Yard Medley Relay Men
Saturday, February 19 (ESPN+)
Swimming Prelims: 10 A.M. (CT) (ESPN+) | Diving Prelims: 12:30 P.M. (CT) | Finals: 5:00 P.M. (CT) (ESPN+)
Event #30 Platform Diving PRELIMS Women
Event #29 Platform Diving PRELIMS Men
Event #31 1,650 Yard Freestyle Women
Event #32 1,650 Yard Freestyle Men
Event #30 Platform Diving FINALS Women
Event #33 200 Yard Backstroke Women
Event #34 200 Yard Backstroke Men
Event #35 100 Yard Freestyle Women
Event #36 100 Yard Freestyle Men
Event #37 200 Yard Breaststroke Women
Event #38 200 Yard Breaststroke Men
Event #39 200 Yard Butterfly Women
Event #40 200 Yard Butterfly Men
Event #29 Platform Diving FINALS Men
Event #41 400 Yard Freestyle Relay Women
Event #42 400 Yard Freestyle Relay Men