2022 Big 12 Championships: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

2022 BIG 12 SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, February 23-Saturday, February 26, 2022
• The Aquatic Center at Mylan Park – Morgantown, WV
• SCY (25 yards)
• Defending Champions:
  • Women: Texas (9x)
  • Men: Texas (25x)
• Women’s Big 12 Record Book
• Men’s Big 12 Record Book
• 2021 Big 12 Champs Results
• Championship Central
• Psych Sheet
• Live Results
• Live Streaming: Big 12 Now On ESPN+

Team Scores – Thru Day 1

Women

1. Texas, 80.0
2. Kansas, 68.0
3. TCU, 64.0
4. Iowa State / West Virginia, 58.0

Men

1. Texas, 142.0
2. West Virginia, 115.0
3. TCU, 107.0

Although Big 12s may lack the drama we see at the other Power Five conference meets in terms of team battles, the first night of individual finals projects to be an exciting one with all six events tightly contested in this morning’s prelims.

The 500 free, 200 IM and 50 free is on tap in the pool, followed by the women’s 1-meter diving finals and then the 400 medley relays.

All six individual champions from last season will be defending their titles tonight, having all qualified either first or second in their respective events. On the men’s side, Texas’ Coby Carrozza, Carson Foster and Daniel Krueger will aim to repeat their titles from last season in the 500 free, 200 IM and 50 free, respectively, while defending women’s champions Evie Pfeifer, Kelly Pash and Grace Cooper will do the same.

Women’s 500 Free – Finals

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 4:35.76
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut – 4:47.20
• Meet Record – 4:36.35, Evie Pfeifer (Texas), 2021
• Conference Record – 4:35.02, Evie Pfeifer (Texas), 2021

Top 3:

1. Erica Sullivan – 4:39.46
2. Evie Pfeifer – 4:39.92
3. Olivia McMurray – 4:46.49

Longhorn teammates Erica Sullivan and Evie Pfeifer traded the lead a couple times throughout the race, but Sullivan kicked it up over the final 50 and hung on to touch first, 4:39.46 to 4:39.92. Pfeifer was a little over three seconds shy of the meet record, which she set here last year.

There was no one else really close, but Texas freshman Olivia McMurray led the rest of the A-final with a 4:46.49, followed by teammate Mary Smutny at 4:47.66. McMurray was about three seconds off of her lifetime best of 4:43.73, which she clocked three weeks ago at the Texas-Rice dual meet.

West Virginia’s Abby Reardon (4:51.54) and freshman Emily Knorr (4:53.00) took 5th and 6th behind the Longhorn quartet. Iowa State’s Brinley Horras touched 7th in 4:53.24, followed by Kansas freshman Addi Barnes (4:55.68).

Men’s 500 Free – Finals

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 4:11.62
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut – 4:23.34
• Meet Record – 4:11.11, Clark Smith (Texas), 2017
• Conference Record – 4:08.19, Clark Smith (Texas), 2019

Top 3:

1. Coby Carrozza (Texas) – 4:13.31
2. Luke Hobson (Texas) – 4:14.25
3. David Johnston (Texas) – 4:14.99

Texas sophomore Coby Carrozza led a 1-4 sweep by the Longhorn men, touching in 4:13.31. That’s a new lifetime best for Carrozza, whose previous best of 4:13.50 came from the Minnesota Invite in December. Freshman Luke Hobson took 2nd in 4:14.25. He currently sits #2 in the nation-with his time of 4:09.72 from that same invite.

David Johnston, who just missed scoring at NCAAs last year with a 17th place effort in prelims, touched next at 4:14.99, followed by Peter Larson (4:15.43). Longhorn senior Alex Zettle, who made B-final at NCAAs last year, took 6th tonight with a 4:20.10.

TCU’s Geremia Freri led the non-Longhorns with a time of 4:16.93, knocking nearly five seconds off of his lifetime best from November. West Virginia teammates William Mullen (4:27.61) and Brendan Williams (4:28.18) took 7th and 8th.

Women’s 200 IM – Finals

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 1:53.66
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut – 1:59.94
• Meet Record – 1:52.82, Madisyn Cox (Texas), 2017
• Conference Record – 1:52.58, Madisyn Cox (Texas), 2017

Top 3:

1. Kelly Pash (Texas) – 1:55.31
2. Olivia Bray (Texas) – 1:56.13
3. Emma Sticklen (Texas) – 1:56.69

With only three Longhorns in the A-final, they could only hope to sweep the top three spots. They did, easily, with Kelly Pash leading the trio at 1:55.31. Olivia Bray took 2nd in 1:56.13, followed by Emma Sticklen at 1:56.69. All three were well under last year’s invite time of 1:57.62.

Kansas also had three women in the A-final: Kate Stewart (1:58.64), Dannie Dilsaver (2:01.40), and Brigid Gwidt (2:02.25), and they finished 4th, 5th, and 7th,

TCU’s Marlene Hirschberg took 6th with a 2:02.17, followed by Iowa State’s Trinity Gilbert (2:02.79).

Men’s 200 IM – Finals

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 1:41.34
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut – 1:46.77
• Meet Record – 1:41.46, Carson Foster (Texas), 2021
• Conference Record – 1:39.63, John Shebat (Texas), 2019

Top 3:

1. Carson Foster (Texas) – 1:41.32
2. Jake Foster (Texas) – 1:42.84
3. Tim Connery (Texas) – 1:43.16

Freshman Tim Connery jumped out to an early lead, but Carson Foster quickly took control on the backstroke leg and didn’t relinquish the lead. Foster won in 1:41.32, breaking his own meet record of 1:41.46 from last year.

Carson’s brother Jake Foster hung back over the first half, then surged on a 29.13 breast split and took 2nd to his brother with a 1:42.84.

Connery hung on to take 3rd in 1:43.16. That should be enough to punch a NCAA invite for the freshman, who hasn’t shown a lot of speed yet for the Longhorns this season. It’s also a lifetime best, improving on his previous best of 1:44.05 from 2019.

2021 NCAA B-finalists Caspar Corbeau (1:43.72) and Braden Vines (1:45.53) took 4th and 6th.

West Virginia’s David Dixon touched just ahead of Vines at 1:45.47. TCU’s Luke Dimiceli and WVU’s Josh Harlan both dropped about three-tenths of a second from this morning, touching 7th and 8th at 1:47.24 and 1:48.37, respectively.

Women’s 50 Free – Finals

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 21.66
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut – 22.76
• Meet Record – 21.87, Hee-Jin Chang (Texas), 2009
• Conference Record – 21.73, Rebecca Millard (Texas) / Grace Ariola (Texas), 2017 / 2018

Top 3:

1. Grace Cooper (Texas) – 22.38
2. Bridget Semenuk (Texas) – 22.45
3. Kyla Leibel (Texas) – 22.74

The Texas women once again swept the top four spots, led by sophomore Grace Cooper at 22.38. That was almost a tenth slower than her prelims time of 22.29, but was still just enough to put her ahead of Bridget Semenuk, who touched 2nd at 22.45. Kyla Leibel, meanwhile, got her hand on the wall just a bit faster than Julia Cook, 22.74 to 22.78.

TCU’s Olivia Rhodes shaved 0.02s off of her prelims time to touch 5th in 23.06. WVU’s Ana Zortea was also 0.02s faster than this morning, taking 6th in 23.14. There was another close battle, this time for 7th place, with WVU’s Harna Minezawa just touching out Kansas’ Keyla Brown, 23.40 to 23.41.

Men’s 50 Free – Finals

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 18.96
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut – 19.96
• Meet Record – 18.76, Joseph Schooling (Texas), 2017
• Conference Record – 18.76, Joseph Schooling (Texas), 2017

Top 3:

1. Daniel Krueger (Texas) – 19.17
2. Cameron Auchinachie (Texas) – 19.21
3. Drew Kibler (Texas) – 19.48

In one of those fun little numeric twists we occasionally see in swimming, Longhorn teammates Daniel Krueger and Cameron Auchinachie swapped times from prelims and finals.

This morning, Auchinachie swam a 19.17 to put up the fastest time in prelims, followed by Kreuger at 19.21. Tonight, Krueger swam a 19.17 to win, while Auchinachie touched just behind at…19.21.

That’s a season-best for Krueger, who went 19.20 at the Minnesota Invite. Auchinachie, meanwhile, currently owns the #4 time in the NCAA with a 18.80, also from the Minnesota Invite.

Drew Kibler seems to be favoring the 50 free over the 500 free this year, and he took 3rd in 19.48. He went 19.19 back in December. A fourth Longhorn, Zac Van Zandt, took 5th in 20.09.

Jadon Wuilliez of Texas Christian joined the top three finishers in the sub-20 club, taking 4th in 19.92. The Horned Frogs, like the Longhorns, put four men into the A-final. Jake Litchfield (20.17), Noah Cumby (20.20) and Raphael Paiva Da (20.20) rounded out the A-final.

Women’s 1-Meter Diving – Finals

Women’s 400 Medley Relay – Finals

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 3:31.66
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut – 3:33.78
• Meet Record – 3:28.26, Texas, 2021
• Conference Record – 3:28.26, Texas, 2021

Top 3:

1. Texas – 3:26.32
2. Kansas – 3:37.59
3. TCU – 3:39.26

The Longhorn women smashed the conference record with a 3:26.32 that moves them to #3 in the nation this season.

Olivia Bray is better known for her butterfly skills, but she led off in a fast 50.87, setting a new personal best. Texas record-holder Anna Elendt followed that with a scorching 56.42 breast split, which appears to be the fastest relay split by anyone other than Lilly King. Emma Sticklen kept it going with a 50.64 fly split then Kelly Pash anchored in 48.39.

Kansas finished over 11 seconds behind, touching in 3:37.59. TCU took 3rd in 3:39.26.

Men’s 400 Medley Relay – Finals

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 3:05.47
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut – 3:07.53
• Meet Record – 3:02.11, Texas, 2021
• Conference Record – 2:59.22, Texas, 2017

Top 3:

1. Texas – 3:03.86
2. TCU – 3:09.98
3. WVU – 3:11.88

The Longhorns took 1st by nearly seconds, but weren’t at their best, swimming a little over a second slower than they did back in December.

Freshman Anthony Grimm led off in 45.93, about three-tenths off of his lifetime best. Caspar Corbeau split 51.30 on breast, about half a second slower than his 50.79 flat start from December. Alvin Jiang has been sub-44 on fly, and tonight he cruised to a 45.38 split, then 50 free champ Daniel Krueger anchored in a quick 41.25

TCU took 2nd in 3:09.98, exactly two seconds ahead of WVU (3:11.88).

Texas’ B relay went 3:06.47, highlighted by a 45.89 split by Sam Artmann, whose individual lifetime best is a 46.87 from December.

Team Scores Through Day 2

Women:

1. Texas – 402
2. Kansas – 220
3. Texas Christian – 184
4. West Virginia – 172
5. Iowa State – 134

Men:

1. Texas – 411
2. Texas Christian – 253
3. West Virginia – 247