HOUSTON, Texas – East Carolina and
Houston both officially brought home fourth team championships in The American after securing the top spots in the final standings of the 2020 American Athletic Conference Swimming and Diving Championships at the CRWC Natatorium.
For the first time since 2017, ECU sat atop the men’s table with 845 points to narrowly edge out two-time defending champion Cincinnati (838 points). SMU was third in the men’s draw with 763 points, followed by UConn in fourth with 588 points.
Houston won its fourth women’s crown in as many seasons with a dominant total of 952.5 points, the second-highest women’s total in meet history behind only Louisville (977) in 2014. SMU turned in a runner-up performance with 640.5 points, and Cincinnati rounded out the top three with 562 points. ECU (461.5 points), Tulane (456 points) and UConn (356.5 points) rounded out the women’s field.
Swimming the 1,650 freestyle for the first time in her career, ECU freshman Kristen Stege walked out with the meet championship win. Stege blew by the previous meet record of 16:15.51 set by Sara Wanasek of Cincinnati during the afternoon mile heat to win the title in 16:11.96. Tulane’s Lilly Byrne was the event runner-up with a time of 16:15.69, followed by teammate and defending champion Olivia Johnson in third place (16:18.63).
Noah Smith earned his first career American gold medal by taking the men’s 1,650 freestyle with a time of 15:03.83. Defending champion and Cincinnati teammate Tyler Jones placed second behind Smith in 15:05.71, and UConn’s Gavin Moak was third with a time of 15:07.59.
Houston’s Chase Farris earned her first career conference championship in platform diving, scoring 263.10 points to defeat SMU’s Johanna Holloway (258.70). Nicole Stambo of SMU was third with 249.90 points.
Ioanna Sacha became the third different 200 backstroke champion from Houston in Saturday’s event final, racing to the wall with a time of 1:54.96. Laura Laderoute made it a 1-2 finish for the Cougars with a runner-up time for 1:56.26, and ECU’s Jodi Ogle was third with a time of 1:56.54.
ECU’s Marek Osina completed an incredible surge in his final lap of the 200 backstroke, jumping into the fray with Cincinnati’s Blake Hanna and Joey Puglessi. Osina touched the wall in 1:43.04 to unseat the defending champion Hanna (1:43.49). Puglessi was third with a time of 1:44.37.
Mykenzie Leehy narrowly missed the meet record in the women’s 100 freestyle but was able to unseat her Houston teammate and two-time defending champion Zarena Brown, slapping the wall in :48.67. Brown claimed the silver medal with a time of :48.98 and SMU’s Samantha Smith was third in :50.27.
Will Kearsey of UConn added another mark to his impressive meet in the men’s 100 freestyle, capitalizing on the top seed to win the event final with a time of :42.64. ECU’s Gustavo Santos was second with a time of :43.45 and Daniel Forndal placed third in :43.47.
Houston’s Peyton Kondis stormed to victory in the women’s 200 breaststroke, clocking a championship time of 2:09.93. Angeliki Mavarntza was the runner-up for the Cougars with a time of 2:10.94, and Tulane’s Kate McDonald finished third in 2:11.08.
SMU’s Caleb Rhodenbaugh won a competitive men’s 200 breaststroke heat against two-time defending champion Jacek Arentewicz of ECU, as Rhodenbaugh reached the wall in 1:54.74 to take the victory ahead of Arentewicz’s time of 1:54.93. ECU’s Lyubomir Epitropov placed third with a time of 1:55.40.
Olivia Grossklaus prevented SMU teammate Erin Trahan from a repeat victory in the women’s 200 butterfly, as the two Mustangs battled to the end with Grossklaus taking the win in 1:56.44. Trahan was second with a time of 1:57.06, and Shannon Stott of ECU was third in 1:58.51.
Adam Mahler came through for ECU with a crucial win in the men’s 200 butterfly in 1:44.74, unseating defending champion Parker Saladin of Cincinnati (1:44.97). Michael Balcerak joined his teammate Saladin on the podium in third place with a time of 1:45.72.
SMU’s Peter Smithson captured his second diving championship of the meet, winning the platform dive with a score of 356.40 points. ECU’s Rodrigo Romero was the runner-up with 319.15 points and SMU’s Parker Hardigree placed third with 309.60 points.
Houston closed a dominant meet in the women’s 400 freestyle relay, as Leehy, Kathryn Power, Laderoute and Brown took the gold medal with a time of 3:17.39. SMU’s Smith, Trahan, Felicia Anderson and Gabriella Grobler were second with a time of 3:19.55, and Cincinnati’s Maddie Exton, Lina Kutsko, Abigail Johnston and Claire Farrell were third in 3:20.38.
ECU sealed the men’s championship with a victorious showing in the 400 freestyle relay. James Ward, Eric Hinderup, Santos and Blaz Demsar placed first with a time of 2:54.04, followed by Cincinnati’s Dominic Polling, Alberto Garcia, Alex Fortman and Balcerak finished second (2:55.33) and SMU’s Forndal, Charles Kaye, Riley Hill and Ralph Koo were third (2:55.34).
Men’s Teams Scores
1. ECU – 845
2. Cincinnati – 838
3. SMU – 763
4. UConn – 588
Women’s Teams Scores
1. Houston – 952.5
2. SMU – 640.5
3. Cincinnati – 562
4. ECU –461.5
5. Tulane – 456
6. UConn – 356.5
Most Outstanding Swimmers
Will Kearsey, UConn (Men)
Zarena Brown and Peyton Kondis, Houston (Women)
Most Outstanding Divers
Peter Smithson, SMU (Men)
Lauren Burrell, Houston (Women)
Swimming and Diving Freshmen Of The Year
Michael Balcerak, Cincinnati (Men’s Swimming)
Peter Smithson, SMU (Men’s Diving)
Lilly Byrne, Tulane (Women’s Swimming)
Swimming Coaches of the Year
Matthew Jabs, ECU (Men’s Swimming)
Ryan Wochomurka, Houston (Women’s Swimming)
Diving Coaches of the Year
Darian Schmidt, SMU (Men’s Diving)
Bob Gunter, Houston (Women’s Diving)