2018 Georgia Fall Invite: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

2018 GEORGIA FALL INVITATIONAL

• November 29 – December 1, 2018
• Athens, Georgia
• Ramsey Center, University of Georgia
• SCY (25y)
• Psych Sheet
• Live Results
• Live Stream (Thursday & Friday Finals)

Swimmers are getting an earlier start on finals today at the UGA Invite. This afternoon brings the 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, 200 fly, and 400 free relay.

WOMEN’S 200 BACK:

1. Chloe Hicks, Michigan, 1:54.00
2. (T-2) Erin Earley, Virginia, 1:54.32
3. (T-2) Emma Sieberlich, Virginia, 1:54.32

It was a close race between the top 3 throughout the 200 as Virginia’s Erin Earley took the slight lead in 55.52 at halfway. Michigan’s Chloe Hicks reeled her in on the back half, matching the 2018 NCAA invite time to the hundredth as she won in 1:54.00. Earley wound up 2nd in 1:54.32. It was a tie with teammate Emma Sieberlich, who came through on the back half to touch 2nd as well.

The fastest time of the afternoon, however, came from Cal’s Keaton Blovad, who cleared last season’s NCAA invite mark in 1:53.79 to win the B final.

MEN’S 200 BACK:

1. Daniel Carr, Cal, 1:39.43
2. Javier Acevedo, Georgia, 1:39.88
3. Robby Giller, Virginia, 1:40.21

Cal’s Daniel Carr was just hundredths short of the NCAA ‘A’ cut, taking it out in 49.00 and holding steady ahead of Georgia’s Javier Acevedo. Carr hit the wall in 1:39.43 with Acevedo trailing by a few tenths in 1:39.88.

Virginia’s Robby Giller was also well under the 2018 NCAA mark as he dropped nearly a second in 1:40.21. Cal’s Bryce Mefford was the fastest man to the flip at the 100 in 48.49. He still led at the 150, but faded to 4th on the closing leg in 1:40.59. Behind him, Virginia’s Cooper Wozencraft clipped the 2018 NCAA time in 1:41.62.

WOMEN’S 100 FREE:

1. Abbey Weitzeil, Cal, 46.49
2. Siobhan Haughey, Michigan, 46.72
3. Veronica Burchill, Georgia, 47.37

Cal’s Abbey Weitzeil swam the fastest 100 free of her collegiate career, just 2 tenths shy of her lifetime best to win in 46.49. She’s now the current #1 in the nation for both sprint freestyles. Michigan’s Siobhan Haughey shaved over a tenth off her best to take a close 2nd in 46.72 as both women achieved the NCAA ‘A’ cut. Georgia’s Veronica Burchill was just 2 hundredths off that cut, touching in 47.37 for 3rd and clipping her best.

There were 4 more swimmers in that heat under the 2018 NCAA invited time, with Virginia’s Morgan Hill clearing 48 seconds to take 4th in 47.83. Cal got 2 under the mark with Robin Neumann (48.09) and Katie McLaughlin (48.40), while Michigan’s Margaret McNair MacNeil was also under in 48.25.

MEN’S 100 FREE:

1. Michael Jensen, Cal, 42.10
2. Pawel Sendyk, Cal, 42.40
3. Ryan Hoffer, Cal, 42.43

Cal’s Michael Jensen took almost 4 tenths off his lifetime best, using his back half speed to top teammate Pawel Sendyk 42.10 to 42.40. The Bears swept the top 3 as Ryan Hoffer was a nail behind Sendyk in 42.43. Michigan’s Gus Borges broke 43 for the first time, swimming below the 2018 NCAA cutoff in 42.53 for 4th place.

WOMEN’S 200 BREAST:

1. Miranda Tucker, Michigan, 2:08.53
2. Jamie Yeung, Michigan, 2:10.26
3. Kaki Christensen, Virginia, 2:10.38

UCLA’s Emma Schanz (2:10.97) had the early lead in 1:02.47, but Michigan’s Miranda Tucker quickly took over on the 3rd 50 with the only sub-33 split of the field. Tucker went on to win it in 2:08.53 with the only time in the field that was faster than what it took to make 2018 NCAAs. Teammate Jamie Yeung was just a tenth shy of the mark in 2:10.26, narrowly out-touching Virginia freshman Kaki Christensen, who dropped almost 2 seconds to take 3rd in 2:10.38.

MEN’S 200 BREAST:

1. Andrew Seliskar, Cal, 1:51.85
2. Reece Whitley, Cal, 1:52.47
3. Charlie Swanson, Michigan, 1:53.68

Cal’s Andrew Seliskar continued his string of impressive wins with another NCAA ‘A’ cut. Seliskar hit the wall in 1:51.85, with teammate Reece Whitley coming in behind with an NCAA ‘A’ cut time of 1:52.47. Between those two, the Bears could be seeing a lot more NCAA points in the 200 breast than they have in the recent past.

Michigan had a trio of men under the 2018 NCAA time as Charlie Swanson ran down Tommy Cope for 3rd, 1:53.68 to 1:53.70. Jacob Montague was just behind in 1:53.86.

WOMEN’S 200 FLY:

1. Dakota Luther, Georgia, 1:53.55
2. Katie McLaughlin, Cal, 1:54.63
3. Olivia Carter, Georgia, 1:55.76

Georgia’s Dakota Luther was already leading by a second at the halfway mark as she ran away with this one in 1:53.55. The top 3 were all under the 2018 NCAA invited time. Cal’s Katie McLaughlin and Georgia’s Olivia Carter had already hit that mark in the 100 free and this was their 2nd race of the afternoon. McLaughlin hit the wall 2nd in 1:54.63, while Carter touched in 1:55.76 for 3rd.

MEN’S 200 FLY:

1. Zheng Quah, Cal, 1:39.29
2. Mike Thomas, Cal, 1:41.29
3. Camden Murphy, Georgia, 1:41.51

Cal’s Zheng Quah was over a second ahead when he turned in 47.48 at the 100-yard mark, and he continued to distance himself from the field. He was about half a second shy of his lifetime best to win it in 1:39.29. Teammate Mike Thomas held off a hard-charging Camden Murphy of Georgia at the finish, 1:41.29 to 1:41.51. Virginia’s Zach Fong was the final man under the 2018 NCAA time as he took 4th in 1:42.20.

WOMEN’S 400 FREE RELAY:

1. Cal- 3:11.14
2. Michigan- 3:14.16
3. Georgia- 3:16.82

Both Cal and Michigan were under the NCAA ‘A’ cut as the Bears dominated the race. Abbey Weitzeil had the fastest split of the field with her 46.66 anchor. Michigan’s Siobhan Haughey was also sub-47 with a 46.93 on the 2nd leg, giving the Wolverines the lead halfway, but Cal’s Katie McLaughlin roared back with a 47.43 for the Bears on the 3rd leg to give them the lead en route to victory.

MEN’S 400 FREE RELAY:

1. Cal (A)- 2:48.44
2. Michigan- 2:52.70
3. Cal (B)- 2:53.03

The Cal men nearly pulled off a 1-2 finish. The winning squad got a 42.16 leadoff from Michael Jensen and a 41.84 split from Pawel Sendyk as they swam to an NCAA ‘A’ cut. Zheng Quah anchored the B team in 41.85, but came up just short to Michigan in the race for 2nd. The Wolverines got a 42.59 start from Gus Borges and a 42.69 split from Charlie Swanson.

FINAL TEAM SCORES – WOMEN:

  1. University of Michigan            944   2. Georgia, University of            835
  3. California, University of, Ber  827.5   4. University of Virginia            631
  5. UCLA Swimming                   425.5   6. Harvard University                 78

FINAL TEAM SCORES – MEN:

  1. California, University of, Ber   1163   2. University of Michigan         1027.5
  3. Georgia, University of          795.5   4. University of Virginia            515
  5. Harvard University                 45