UT Invite Night 2: Kate Douglass Rules, Brownstead & King Pop 18-Second Splits | SwimSwam

By Karl Ortegon on SwimSwam

TENNESSEE INVITE (DOUBLE DUAL)

• Thursday, November 19-Saturday, November 21, 2020
• Allen Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center, Knoxville, TN
• SCY
• Double Dual format
• Results on Meet Mobile as “2020 UT Double Dual”
• Live Results

Kate Douglass is one of the most buzz-worthy swimmers in the nation for the second straight NCAA season, and not for nothing.

Tonight, she kicked off the program with a 21.95 butterfly split on UVA’s 200 medley relay, which makes her the fastest woman ever on a fly split. She edges Kelsi Dahlia‘s old mark of 21.96, done while she swam for Louisville, and she’s now just the second woman to split under 22 on the medley relay fly leg in history.

The entire UVA ‘A’ medley was fantastic, with Caroline Gmelich leading off (24.26), Alexis Wenger on breast (26.39) and Alex Walsh anchoring (21.75). They combined for a 1:34.35, beating Tennessee’s ‘A’ by three full seconds, as Wenger, Douglass and Walsh had field-best splits (and Douglass out-split every free leg but Walsh). Tennessee’s ‘A’ was second in 1:37.47, with UVA ‘B’ close behind (1:37.91).

Fireworks continued in the men’s 200 medley, as Alabama out-touched UVA, 1:24.65 to 1:24.90. The big splits were both teams’ freshman anchors named Matt; Matt Brownstead was 18.78 anchoring UVA, while Matt King was 18.87 on ‘Bama’s. Tennessee was third in 1:25.21, getting a 23.17 breast leg from Michael Houlie.

Douglass was back, though, to shatter the 50-second barrier in the 100 fly with a winning time of 49.73, dropping from her previous best of 50.12 from prelims. She split 23.17/26.56 en route to her new personal best, climbing to #5 all-time and #3 among American performers, now tied with age group phenom Claire Curzan.

The time was a pool and meet record, taking out Erika Brown’s time of 49.79 that previously held both marks.

ALL-TIME TOP PERFORMERS, WOMEN’S 100 FLY 

1. (TIE) Maggie MacNeil/Louise Hansson – 49.26
2. –
3. Erika Brown – 49.38
4. Kelsi Dahli – 49.43
5. (TIE) Claire Curzan/Kate Douglass – 49.73

Douglass is just the seventh woman to ever break 50 seconds in this event, while she’s the fifth American to do so. Tonight, Alabama’s Rhyan White (51.41), UVA freshman Abby Harter (51.73) and Tennessee’s Trude Rothrock (51.77) all touched under 52 seconds, with Harter breaking 52 for the first time.

White was very quick in the women’s 100 back, though, snagging the win at 50.45, not far off of her 50.02 lifetime best from the 2020 SEC Championships. The swim marked a new pool record, erasing UGA standout and Olympian Olivia Smoliga’s old pool record of 50.60. She was the only swimmer under 52 seconds tonight, with Gmelich of UVA touching second in 52.10. Tennessee freshman Olivia Harper was 52.90 for third, her first time sub-53.

In the women’s 200 free, Virginia senior Paige Madden charged to a win at 1:42.39, taking the event by almost three full seconds. That time clears Leah Smith’s program record of 1:42.46 from 2017, and it’s Madden’s first time under 1:43. Alabama’s Morgan Scott was second in 1:45.20, ahead of a pair of Lady Vols; Tjasa Pintar (1:45.60) and Abby Samansky (1:45.88).

After leading the way in prelims, Tennessee freshman Mona McSharry popped a 58.28 to take the 100 breast, leaving her just .06 off of Molly Hannis’s program record. She’s also just hundredths away from the top 25 list all-time. Tonight, she was ahead of a UVA trio consisting of Walsh (59.02), Wenger (59.12) and Anna Keating (59.32). On the men’s side, Michael Houlie grabbed a win in the next event, the only man under 52 in the 100 breast (51.89).

Alabama’s men got a win tonight in the 100 back courtesy of Indiana transfer Jake Marcum, who was 46.83, just off of his morning lifetime best. This is now just his second swim under 48 seconds in this race. His teammate Matt Menke was 46.84, just behind him.

OTHER NOTABLE SWIMS

• Tennessee senior Kayky Mota clocked a lifetime best 45.50 to easily win the men’s 100 fly, the only finisher under 46.
• UVA’s Ella Nelson dominated the women’s 400 IM, posting a 4:05.02 as the only finisher under 4:10. She was the only swimmer under 2:00 out in the first 200 before bagging a strong 1:08-low breast leg. She was just off of her 4:04.36 lifetime best from 2020 ACCs.
• Casey Storch of Virginia dropped a second from prelims to win the men’s 400 IM, finishing in 3:45.71.
• The UVA men went 1-2 in the 200 free, led by Jack Wright (1:34.88) and Sam Schilling (1:35.38).
• Alabama’s men won the 800 free relay in 6:25.50, their fastest split a 1:35.43 from Kacper Piotrowski. Tennessee was second in 6:30.28, while Virginia did not enter a relay.
• The Virginia women also did not enter an 800 free relay. Alabama won in a tight race with Tennessee, 7:05.69 to 7:05.83.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: UT Invite Night 2: Kate Douglass Rules, Brownstead & King Pop 18-Second Splits