2022 SMU Classic Preview: Texas Men, Louisville Women Headline Stacked Field

2022 SMU Classic

• Friday, October 7 – Saturday, October 8, 2022
• Robson & Lindley Aquatics Center and Barr-McMillion Natatorium
• Dallas, Texas
• Start Times
  • Friday: 6 pm ET
  • Saturday: 11 am ET
• SCY (25 yards)
• SMU Preview
• Live Results
• Live Stream (PonyUp TV)

The annual SMU Classic is set to kick off on Friday from the Robson & Lindley Aquatics Center and Barr-McMillion Natatorium in Dallas, with some of the top teams in the nation converging in the competition that frequently produces some quick times early in the season.

The two-day event will feature a number of teams ranked inside SwimSwam’s pre-season Top 25 Power Rankings. Historically a women’s-only competition, this year will mark the second time the men will compete after making their debut in 2021.

The Michigan Wolverines are the defending champions for the men and women.

PARTICIPANTS

Men’s Lineup (SwimSwam Pre-Season Power Ranking):

• SMU (Host)
• Texas (#2)
• Louisville (#13)
• Michigan (#15)
• Texas A&M (#20)
• Missouri (HM)

Women’s Lineup (SwimSwam Pre-Season Power Ranking):

• SMU (Host)
• Louisville (#6)
• Michigan (#13)
• USC (#17)
• Miami (FL) (#21)
• Missouri (HM)

THE FORMAT

Not only does the meet bring some of the top teams together for some fast early-season racing, it also presents a unique format.

The schedule includes 12 individual events, four relays, and two diving events. Excluded are the 1650 free, the 800 free relay, and platform diving.

Schedule

Friday

• 400 medley relay
• 400 IM
• 200 free
• 50 free
• 3 meter
• 100 fly
• 100 back
• 100 breast
• 800 free relay

Saturday

• 200 medley relay
• 500 free
• 200 breast
• 200 back
• 1 meter
• 100 free
• 200 fly
• 200 IM
• 200 free relay

Each team can only bring eight swimmers and one diver to fill up their lineup.

The catch is that each individual event is swum in two heats: an ‘A’ flight and a ‘B’ flight. Each team gets one swimmer in each flight, and each swimmer can race up to three events per day. So to win this meet, you not only need swimmers who are fast, but swimmers who are versatile and durable.

The format was developed around the legendary six-lane Perkins Natatorium that was SMU swimming’s home until it was demolished in 2014. A former basketball arena, the pool had a six-lane course and 360-degree arena seating. When it was full, it was one of the loudest venues in the country.

Even though the team has moved into a new facility, they retain the six-team, six-lane format for this meet that has existed for almost 30 years.

THE ROSTERS

Texas Men

• Carson Foster
• Jake Foster
• Caspar Corbeau
• Luke Hobson
• Daniel Krueger
• Cole Crane
• Chris O’Connor
• Coby Carrozza
• Noah Duperre (diving)

Louisville Men

• Guy Brooks
• Charlie Crush
• Denis Loktev
• Dalton Lowe
• Jackson Millard
• Denis Petrashov
• Abdelrahman El-Araby
• Murilo Sartori
• Adam Sneden (diving)

Michigan Men

• Eitan Ben-Shitrit
• Jared Daigle
• Wyatt Davis
• Brendan Fitzpatrick
• Gal Groumi
• Cameron Peel
• Bence Szabados
• Logan Zucker
• Cameron Gammage (diving)

Texas A&M Men

• Kaloyan Bratanov
• Ethan Gogulski
• Anze Fers Erzen
• Andres Puente
• Thomas Shomper
• Baylor Nelson
• Connor Foote
• Maximiliano Vega
• Rhett Hensley (diving)

Mizzou Men

• Grant Bochenski
• Jack Dahlgren
• Will Goodwin
• Kevin Hammer
• Ben Patton
• Noah Scheuermann
• Clement Secchi
• Daniel Wilson
• Collier Dyer (diving)

SMU Men

• Lance Butler
• Angus Corbeau
• Jack Easton
• Russell Exum
• Colin Feehery
• Davis Edwards
• Joe Rusnock
• Sage Sungail
• Peter Smithson (diving)

Louisville Women

• Gabi Albiero
• Madie Hall
• Paige Hetrick
• Paige Kuwata
• Christiana Regenauer
• Rye Ulett
• Tristen Ulett
• Cecilia Viberg
• Jiselle Miller (diving)

Michigan Women

• Kathryn Ackerman
• Casey Chung
• Katie Crom
• Lindsay Flynn
• Megan Glass
• Devon Kitchel
• Claire Newman
• Letitia Sim
• Lucy Hogan (diving)

USC Women

• Kaitlyn Dobler
• Anicka Delgado
• Isabelle Odgers
• Elise Garcia
• Ashley McMillan
• Marlene Kahler
• Hanna Henderson
• Justina Kozan
• Carolina Sculti (diving)

Mizzou Women

• Katrina Brathwaite
• Fernanda De Goeij
• Amy Feddersen
• Molly Gowans
• Malin Grosse
• Meredith Rees
• Macy Rink
• Taylor Williams
• Kamryn Wong (diving)

SMU Women

• Annabelle Corcoran
• Johanna Gudmundsdottir
• Kate Janzen
• Jimena Leguizamon Leal
• Lucrezia Napoletano
• Maxine Parkinson
• Indra Vandenbussche
• Jenna Watson
• Nicole Stambo (diving)

TOP MATCHUPS

Men’s 200 Free – An intriguing battle is brewing in the men’s 200 free, with potentially four swimmers who earned a second swim at NCAAs last season competing. Louisville’s Murilo Sartori was eighth last year, and Texas’ Luke Hobson and Coby Carrozza were in the consolation final and are coming off big summers. Mizzou’s Jack Dahlgren was also a ‘B’ finalist in March. The Cardinals also bring Denis Loktev, the Israeli Record holder in the event in long course.

Women’s 100 Breast – Last season, Michigan freshman Letitia Sim made some noise at the SMU Classic with a blistering 59.09 swim in the 100 breast. This year she’ll go head-to-head with reigning NCAA champion Kaitlyn Dobler, plus Dobler’s USC teammate, Isabelle Odgers.

OTHER NAMES TO WATCH

• Justina Kozan, who will be making her USC debut this weekend. Kozan is a multi-event threat who should be in the thick of things in the 200 free, 200 fly, 200 IM and 400 IM.
• Also making their highly-anticipated collegiate debut this weekend is Texas A&M’s Baylor Nelson, SwimSwam’s #1 ranked recruit in the boys’ high school class of 2022. Nelson is a dynamite IMer, and could also contend in any of the stroke 200s.
• Carson Foster, who is coming off a sensational summer that included a pair of individual silver medals at the World Championships in the 200 and 400 IM, plus a gold on the 800 free relay. One of the most versatile swimmers in the country, Foster could race free, back, fly and IM and be competitive no matter the distance.
• Gabi Albiero, who led the Louisville women last season with 36 individual points at NCAAs and is a threat to win the 50 free, 100 free and 100 fly.

SwimSwam will update this post once more rosters are released.