2023-24 NCAA Recap, Week 4: It’s Time to Talk About USC

Welcome to week three of our 2023-24 NCAA weekly recaps! Each week in these recaps, we take a look at some of the highlights from around the NCAA. This week, we’re reviewing USC’s first two meets before returning to some mid-major action. Finally, we’ve got some quick hits from around the rest of the NCAA.

It’s Time To Talk About USC

USC caught our attention two weeks ago at the SMU Classic. There, both returning and new swimmers got in on the action. Kaitlyn Dobler, Justina Kozan, Chris O’Grady, and Krzysztof Chmielewski turning in noteworthy times as the women won the meet for the second-straight year.

The team continued to turn heads at their Trojan Invite this past weekend, starting with the very first event: the women’s 400 medley relay. USC’s squad of Caroline Famous (51.63), Dobler (57.69), Anicka Delgado (51.87), and Vasilissa Buinaia (47.14) won the event in a 3:28.33, which is over a second faster than their NCAAs performance last season. The time would move them from 10th to 7th at 2023 NCAAs. Famous’ 51.63 lead-off marked a personal best for her as well.

Claire Tuggle (photo: Jack Spitser)

Then, transfer Claire Tuggle dropped a nation-leading personal best in the 500 free, rocketing to a 4:39.16. It’s her first time sub-4:40, better her 4:40.41 from last season’s ACC Championships. In two meets with the Trojans, Tuggle has swum five lifetime bests (100 free, 500 free, 100 breast, 200 IM, 400 IM).

Hungarian freshman Minna Abraham placed 2nd behind Tuggle with a time of 4:41.74, registering the 4th time in the NCAA her first time ever swimming the 500 free. That nicely follows up the 1:43.53 200 free she swam at the SMU Classic.

Speaking of international freshmen, butterfly specialist Chmielewski logged the NCAA’s fastest 1650 freestyle at the Trojan Invite, hitting 14:41.62. Not a lot of meets have offered the mile yet, but that time should guarantee him an NCAA berth in his first time swimming the event.

So, what does this all mean?

USC is coming off a tough 2022-23 season, but things seem to be looking up for the Trojans, especially the women’s team. The women finished 12th at NCAAs last year, and if they keep this momentum going could crack the top 10 again. The SMU Classic has historically been a fast meet and the Trojan Invitational is a suited meet, so it will be key for the USC women to replicate (or better) these performances again in February and March. It’s a long season, but this is probably the best start to the season the Trojans could have hoped for.

Mid-Major Noise

With the speed we’ve been seeing out of the mid-majors this season, it feels like this section is going to become a staple of these recaps. The fast swims kept coming from the mid-majors this week, including at the Trojan Invite. In her first non-intrasquad collegiate meet, UCSD freshman Eva Boehlke broke two program records, first swimming a 4:16.58 400 IM then a 1:57.09 200 backstroke.

Her personal best in the 400 IM is a 4:15.94 so watch for her to lower at least that school record again this season.

Overall, the Triton women had a strong showing at the meet. Boehlke, Chloe Braun, Sandy Li, and Maria Renner teamed for a 3:39.70 in the 400 medley relay, four-hundredths faster than UCSD went at 2023 MPSF Championships. It’s a positive sign for the quartet that features two freshman and returns only Renner from last year’s championship relay.

In addition, Juli Arzave sits atop the NCAA standings in the 1650 freestyle with a 16:35.84, over seven seconds faster than she was at this meet last season. The 1650 rankings are filled with mid-major swimmers, as it’s really only been raced at the Trojan Invite, the Akron Zips Classic, and a handful of dual meets.

On the men’s side of the meet, Hawaii’s Mario Surkovic hit a personal best 20.18 in the 50 free, and also scorched 19.59/42.79 freestyle legs on the medley relays. UCSD’s Andrija Petkovic came within .04 seconds of his 50 free personal best, swimming 20.20 for 3rd.

Maddy Gatrall Courtesy: Akron Athletics

Speaking of the Akron Zips Classic, the home team’s Maddy Gatrall and Weronika Gorecka kicked off their season with several noteworthy times. Gatrall began her defense of her MAC conference title in the 100 back with a 52.42 leading off the 400 medley relay, and later won the individual event in 53.14. Her relay lead-off is about two-tenths faster than she went at this meet last year. Last year, she earned a point for Akron at NCAAs with a 16th place finish in the event.

Gorecka–who was 13th in the 200 back last year–swam personal bests in some of her off events. She swam 23.23/24.91 in the 50 free/50 back. The latter time may speak to what she’s been focusing on in training; her previous best was 25.74 her opening 50 of her 100 back at the 2023 MAC Championships.

Gorecka also swam 52.94/1:55.70 in the 100/200 back. Gatrall and Gorecka are now 4th and 10th in the NCAA’s 100 back rankings this season. In the 200 back, Gorecka is 4th. Outside of the 1650 free, their 4th place rankings in the 100/200 back make them the highest placed mid-major women in the NCAA standings.

Finally, last season’s top female mid-major swimmer Nicole Maier hit season-bests in the 200 free (1:46.38) and 4oo IM (4:14.82). Her winning 200 free time is 4.10 seconds faster than she was at this time last season–a huge improvement for the IM’er. Though it’s not her main event, she did lead-off Miami’s 800 free relay at conferences last year.

At 2023 NCAAs, Maier won the 400 IM ‘B’ final with a personal best 4:05.84.

Finally, BYU’s Jordan Tiffany swam just the second sub-46 100 fly we’ve seen this season. Tiffany, a transfer from Tennessee, ripped a 45.86 in the 100 fly at BYU’s dual against TCU. He now sits 2nd in the NCAA behind only ASU’s Ilya Kharun (44.88). Tiffany also hit season-bests in the 100 free (44.05) and 100 back (47.12) at the meet.

Quick Hits

• We did a lot of coverage of the Virginia vs. Florida dual meet including a live recap and key takeaways from the meet. The Virginia women won, but there were a lot of positive takeaways for the Florida women. Emma Weyant had her best meet as a Gator, and strong performances from depth swimmers who often fly under the radar like Olivia Peoples and Micayla Cronk kept the meet close. The Florida men won their meet in style, showing off their depth and winning every event.
• The Stanford men’s roster has taken a hit. Andrei Minakov, Ron Polonsky, and Zhier Fan are all redshirting “at least” the fall semester. In addition, Jonny Affeld and Leon MacAlister have retired from swimming. Polonsky and Minakov were the Cardinal’s highest NCAA scorers at the last two NCAAs respectively. Affeld and MacAlister were also key contributers, particularly on relays. If Minakov and Polonsky remain out for the spring, Stanford will have to replace 12 of their 20 relay legs from 2023 NCAAs.
• Derek Maas kicked off his NYU career at the Violets’ dual against Westchester University of Pennsylvania. The Violets picked up the win, with Maas winning the 100 free (46.36)/100 breast (55.68)/100 fly (49.26). Maas is part of a 13-strong incoming class that helped the NYU men rank 5th in the CSCAA’s preseason poll after finishing 13th at NCAAs.