2023 Ohio State Invitational: Day 1 Prelims Live Recap

2023 Ohio State Invitational

• November 16-18, 2023
• Gabrielsen Natatorium, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
• Long Course Meters (50 meters) Prelims, Short Course Yards (25 yards) Finals
• Prelims start at 9:30AM Eastern, Finals at 5:30 PM Eastern
• Participating teams: #12M/#4W Ohio State, #4M/#8W Indiana, #16M/#3W Louisville, #14M Notre Dame, Cincinnati, Ohio (diving), Cal (diving), Pitt (diving)
• Live Streaming: Big Ten Network ($)
• Meet Central
• Meet Results

Thursday Prelims Heat Sheet

The 2023 Ohio State Invitational kicks off on Thursday morning featuring a big local flavor from Indiana and Ohio, including top 25 teams from Ohio State, Indiana, Louisville, and Notre Dame.

For the host Buckeyes, who have been quiet early in the season where many of their top 10 competitors have had much splashier dual meet performances, this is a chance to make a statement that, in spite of a lot of coaching turnover in recent years, they are still at the top of the Big Ten.

The meet is also a chance for the Louisville women to find the depth to get them over the hump for a top three finish, and for Indiana’s men to show that they’re still a top 5 team even without Olympic champion Ahmed Hafnoui (whose future with the program is still not confirmed).

Day 1 will also feature surprise US World Championship Team member Chris Guiliano of Notre Dame racing the 50 free. This is a big collegiate season for him, and this will be his first taper meet since those World Championships.

WOMEN’S 400-METER FREESTYLE — PRELIMS

• Converted NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 4:07.67
• Converted 2023 NCAA Invite Time: 4:10.52
• U.S Olympic Trials Standard: 4:15.49

Top 10 Qualifiers:

1. Anna Peplowski, Junior, Indiana – 4:12.80
2. Ching Gan, Junior, Indiana – 4:13.90
3. Ella Ristic, Senior, Indiana – 4:15.76
4. Maya Geringer, Senior, Ohio State – 4:15.77
5. Summer Cardwell, Freshman, Louisville – 4:16.62
6. Elyse Heiser, Junior, Indiana – 4:17.19
7. Megan Glass, 5th year, Notre Dame – 4:19.77
8. Gwen Woodbury, Junior, Ohio State – 4:20.73
9. Mia Rankin, Junior, Ohio State – 4:22.13
10. Mary Catherine Pruitt, Junior, Notre Dame – 4:22.34

After a breakout summer that saw her swim a 200 free that puts her in big contention for the US Olympic Team, Indiana junior Anna Peplowski is carrying that over into the college season.

She swam a 4:26 in the 400 free in a dual meet earlier this year, enough to worry, but Indiana’s training often relies on big taper drops, and Peplowski got just that on Thursday morning, swimming 4:12.80 in the 400 free. That improves her previous best time of 4:19.65 that was done at Sectionals in 2021.

While this 400 is probably not an event she’ll pursue seriously at an international level (100/200 has been her better double in long course), if she can follow that drop with one in the 500 yard free on Thursday night, that’s big for Indiana: she only swam two events at NCAAs last year. She scored in both (6th in the 200 free, 9th in the 200 back), but had no day 2 individual event on her schedule.

She led an Indiana 1-2-3 finish in that race. They scored Big points at Big Tens in the 500 free last year – it was 2nd only to the 200 breast (100 vs 74) as their best-scoring swimming event of the meet.

Megan Glass, a Notre Dame 5th year on transfer from Michigan, also swam a best time of 4:19.77 to make the A final. That improves her previous best of 4:20.70 from May 2022.

MEN’S 400-METER FREESTYLE — PRELIMS

• Converted NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 3:44.87
• Converted 2023 NCAA Invite Time: 3:48.12
• U.S Olympic Trials Standard: 3:55.59

Top 10 Qualifiers:

1. Alex Axon, Senior, Ohio State – 3:51.89
2. Ilia Sibirtsev, 5th Year, Louisville – 3:52.42
3. Tyler Watson, 5th Year, Louisville – 3:53.32
4. Tomas Navikonis, Soph, Ohio State – 3:55.50
5. Jackson Carlile, Junior, Indiana – 3:56.16
6. Mason Carlton, Junior, Indiana – 3:57.23
7. Gustavo Saldo, Junior, Indiana – 3:57.80
8. Kayden Lancaster, Freshman, Louisville – 3:57.81
9. Denis Loktev, Junior, Louisville – 3:57.98
10. Warren Briggs, Senior, Indiana – 3:58.20

Canadian sophomore Alex Axon led the heats of the men’s 400 meter free, swimming 3:51.89. That’s about seven-tenths of a second shy of his personal best, done at the US Pro Championships meet in July to end his summer season. The swim makes him the 2nd-fastest Canadian of the new season behind only Lorne Wiggington’s 3:49.

Louisville’s men got off to a hot start as well, with the #2 and #3 qualifiers. That result shows just how much the Cardinals are relying on both distance swimmers and 5th years this season.

WOMEN’S 200-METER IM — PRELIMS

• Converted NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 2:09.60
• Converted 2023 NCAA Invite Time: 2:13.29
• U.S Olympic Trials Standard: 2:16.09

Top 10 Qualifiers: 

1. Krista Marlin, Soph, Ohio State – 2:15.31
2. Abby Hay, 5th Year, Louisville – 2:15.56
3. Kim Herkle, Junior, Louisville – 2:16.55
4. Paige Hall, Junior, Ohio State – 2:16.68
5. Josie Panitz, 5th Year, Ohio State – 2:16.93
6. Anna Freed, Senior, Indiana – 2:17.37
7. Celidonio Gomes, Junior, Louisville – 2:17.89
8. Mackenna Lieske, Sophomore, Indiana – 2:18.26
9. Jessica Eden, Soph, Ohio State – 2:18.83
10. Kyra Sommerstad, Senior, Ohio State – 2:19.25

After a difficult freshman season that included missing the spring semester, Ohio State sophomore Krista Marlin has come out with a fury in year two in Columbus. She swam 2:15.31 in the 200 IM in prelims to qualify first, knocking almost six seconds of the 2:21.19 that she swam over the summer, which was her previous best time.

Her dual meet times didn’t hint at this breakthrough – in yards, she swam 2:06 against Akron and 2:05 against Virginia Tech earlier this season. This should mean she’s able to knock a few seconds off her short course best of 1:59.28, from high school, in finals.

In the process, she beat Louisville 5th year Abby Hay, who placed 7th in the event at last year’s NCAA Championships. Hay was about a second shy of her best time in the event, though that best time cane at the 2021 US Olympic Trials. The 2:15.56 that she swam in prelims is faster than she was at US Nationals/Trials in July.

Ohio State’s Paige Hall was 5th in 2:16.68, just off her best time, while Josie Panitz was 6th in 2:16.93, which is a new personal best from her (for the first time since December 2021).

MEN’S 200-METER IM — PRELIMS

• Converted NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 1:56.52
• Converted 2023 NCAA Invite Time: 1:58.96
• U.S Olympic Trials Standard: 2:03.49

Top 10 Qualifiers:

1. Tristan Jankovics, Ohio St, Sophomore – 1:59.05
2. Luke Barr, Indiana, Junior – 2:00.98
3. Toby Barnett, Indiana, Freshman – 2:02.35
4. Sean Faikish, Notre Dame, Senior – 2:02.70
5. Jackson Millard, Louisville, Sophomore – 2:02.88
6. Jassen Yep, Indiana, Senior – 2:03.00
7. Drew Reiter, Indiana, Sophomore – 2:03.90
8. Max Reich, Indiana, Senior – 2:04.39
9. Tommy Bried, Louisville, Junior – 2:04.46
10. William Bansberg, Ohio State, Junior – 2:04.84

Ohio State sophomore Tristan Jankovics won the 200 IM in 1:59.05, which is his first time under two minutes in the event and the fastest time by a Canadian this season (Lorne Wiggington again).

While he was a little better across-the-board from his previous best of 2:00.63, it was his breaststroke split (35.50 down to 34.29) that made the big difference in this drop.

The Olympic “A” standard is 1:58.53.

Indiana swimmers Luke Barr (2:00.98) and Toby Barnett (2:02.35) went 2-3 in the heats, with Barr dropping about a second-and-a-half from his best time as well.

WOMEN’S 50-METER FREESTYLE — PRELIMS

• Converted NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 24.55
• Converted 2023 NCAA Invite Time: 25.14
• U.S Olympic Trials Standard: 25.69

Top 10 Qualifiers: 

1. Kristina Paegle, Indiana, Sophomore – 25.17
2. Amy Fulmer, Ohio State, 5th Year – 25.30
3. Gabi Albiero, Louisville, Senior – 25.32
4. Lucy Mehraban, Louisville, Freshman – 25.50
5. Julia Dennis, Louisville, Sophomore/Christiana Regenauer, Louisville, 5th Year – 25.55
7. Teresa Ivan, Ohio State, Junior – 25.58
8. Bianca Costea, Louisville, Freshman – 25.84
9. KitKat Zenick, Ohio State, Senior – 25.87
10. Ashley Turak, Indiana, 5th year – 25.89

There were lots of exciting swims in heats of the women’s 50 free, including a personal best of 25.17 from Indiana sophomore Kristina Paegle to lead the field into finals.

That shaved .05 seconds off her best time from the USA Swiming Pro Championships at the end of the summer.

Gabi Albiero of Louisville qualified 3rd in the event in 25.32. She’s among the swimmers that Paegle is chasing for a longshot spot on the US Olympic Team – Albiero was 7th at Trials last summer.

One of the keys to this meet for Louisville was showing off that they have the depth to compete with teams like Ohio State and NC State at NCAAs. At the end of a solid session, this 50 free was a vehement declaration of such, with the #3, #4, #5, #5 (tie), and #8 qualifiers. The new name is Bianca Costea, a freshman from Romania. While she’s one of the top juniors in Europe, she hasn’t received much name recognition in her first semester in the NCAA, but will be crucial both for depth for Louisville and for continuing the success after the graduation of Regenauer.

MEN’S 50-METER FREESTYLE — PRELIMS

• Converted NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 21.63
• Converted 2023 NCAA Invite Time: 22.08
• U.S Olympic Trials Standard: 22.79

Top 10 Qualifiers: 

1. Chris Guiliano, Notre Dame, Sophomore – 22.25
2. Mikkel Lee, Indiana, Freshman – 22.44
3. Ruslan Gaziev, Ohio State, Senior – 22.59
4. Abdelrahman Elaraby, Notre Dame, 5th year – 22.65
5. Daniel Baltes, Ohio State, Junior – 22.84
6. Rafael Miroslaw, Indiana, Junior – 22.91
7. Gavin Wight, Indiana, Senior – 22.96
8. Tommy Janton, Notre Dame, Sophomore/Evan Fentress, Ohio State, Sophomore – 23.07
10. Caleb Duncan, Louisville, 5th year/Jon Osa, Cincinnati, 5th year/Finn Brooks, Indiana, Junior – 23.08

A bunch of guys coming off big international summers came in at the top of this field, led by Notre Dame’s Chris Guiliano. A surprise member of the US team at the World Championships, his prelims swim was .29 seconds shy of his lifetime best from US Trials.

His finals swim, in the collegiate yards course, will be more telling of just how high he can rise for Notre Dame this season.

His teammate Abdelrahman Elaraby, a transfer from Louisville, qualified 4th in 22.65. He’s coming off a World Cup run where he picked up a 50 fly win in Athens in 23.04.

For sake of evaluating ND’s relay chances, 5th year Luka Cvetko qualified 13th in 23.10 and their next-best finisher was another 5th year, Cason Wilburn, in 23.61.

Indiana’s Mikkel Lee, who turned heads with his 100 free performance at the Asian Games, was 22.44 to be the 2nd qualifier in heats. That time is .08 away from his best time done in March 2022.

In absence of the ACC Champion Elaraby, Louisville’s top finisher was Caleb Duncan in 23.08. He’s part of a three-way tie for 10th that will have to be settled with a swimoff (the meet appears to be swimming 10 per heat in finals).

Highlights among swimmers outside of the A-final: Indiana’s Tomer Frankel swam 23.16, a best time, to qualify 16th; and his teammate Brendan Burns swam 23.62 for 27th. That’s a best time for Burns and an interesting choice on day 1, as likely his third-best event of the choices. He has historically he has not raced a day 1/2 event at NCAAs, instead doubling up on a butterfly/backstroke combination later in the meet.

He is the defending NCAA Champion in the 100 back and was the 2022 champion in the 200 fly.