2024 Minnesota Invite: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

2024 Minnesota Invite

• December 4-7, 2024
• Prelims: 10 am CST/ Finals: 6 pm CST
• SCY (25 Yards)
• University of Minnesota
• Participating Teams: Minnesota (host), University of California- Berkley, University of Nevada- Las Vegas, Harvard, Rutgers, University of Denver
• 2025 NCAA Championship Standards
• Live Stream
• Live Results
• Psych Sheets
• Prelims Live Recaps: Day 2 | Day 3
• Finals Live Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2

The times so far this week haven’t been as fast as what we saw at other invites a few weeks ago, but there should still be plenty of great racing this evening with finals of the 100 fly, 400 IM, 200 free, 100 breast, 100 back, and 400 medley relay.

The Cal Bears had a strong morning, taking the top seed in almost every event. The lone exception was Minnesota freshman Jacob Johnson, who’ll swim in lane 4 for the 100 fly tonight after cutting under last year’s NCAA cutline with a 45.21 this morning.

Isabelle Stadden would’ve been swimming for two wins tonight — she posted the fastest time of the morning in the 100 fly, but she opted to focus tonight on the 100 back, where she finished 2nd this morning (52.40) behind teammate Mary-Ambre Moluh (50.34).

Day 3 Finals Heat Sheets

WOMEN’S 100 FLY – Finals

• NCAA Record: 47.42, Gretchen Walsh (UVA) – 2024
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 50.52
• 2024 NCAA Cutline: 51.88

Top 8:

1. Lilou Ressencourt (CAL), 51.81
2. Claire Reinke (MINN), 52.14
3. Morgan Brophy (CAL), 52.21
4. Lizzy Cook (CAL), 52.30
5. Mckenna Stone (CAL), 52.59
6. Mia Kragh (CAL), 52.71
7. Morgan Thomas (MINN), 52.93
8. Arielle Brotman (CAL), 53.57

With teammate Isabelle Stadden out of the final after posting the fast time in prelims, Cal freshman Lilou Ressencourt made the most of the opportunity, going under 52 for the first time in her career and winning with a 51.81. That puts her just under last year’s NCAA cut time of 51.88.

Ressencourt was the only woman under last year’s cut line, but there was still a great race for second behind her. Minnesota’s Claire Reinke and Cal’s Morgan Brophy touched at the 50 in nearly the exact same time, 24.32 for the Gopher and 24.35 for the Bear. Brophy touched first at the final turn, but Reinke ran her down over the final length, winning 52.14 to 52.21.

Reinke improved her lifetime best by nearly a second today, with her previous best coming of 53.11 coming at this meet last year.

MEN’S 100 FLY – Finals

• NCAA Record: 42.80, Caeleb Dressel (FLOR) – 2018
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 44.51
• 2024 NCAA Cutline: 45.37

1. Jacob Johnson (MINN), 45.44
2. Samuel Quarles (CAL), 46.04
3. David Schmitt (HARV), 46.26
4. August Vetsch (CAL), 46.66
5. Sonny Wang (HARV), 46.81
6. Frank Applebaum (CAL), 46.84
7. Aayush Deshpande (HARV), 47.45
8. Kaiser Neverman (MINN), 47.48

Minnesota freshman Jacob Johnson couldn’t quite improve on his lifetime best from this morning (45.21), but he still won by a comfortable margin as the only man under 46 tonight.

Sophomores Samuel Quarles (Cal) and David Schmitt (Harvard), both chipped a bit of of their lifetime bests, with Quarles taking 2nd at 46.04 and Schmitt 3rd at 46.26.

WOMEN’S 400 IM – Finals

• NCAA Record: 3:54.60, Ella Eastin (STAN) – 2018
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 4:03.62
• 2024 NCAA Cutline: 4:10.74

Top 8:

1. Kathryn Hazle (CAL), 4:11.66
2. Katie McCarthy (MINN), 4:11.96
3. Molly Urkiel (RUT), 4:13.49
4. Alexandra Bastone (HARV), 4:14.30
5. Grace Drabot (MINN), 4:15.00
6. Mina Ada Solaker (DU), 4:15.32
7. Stephanie Iannaccone (HARV), 4:16.45
8. Shannon Meadway (RUT), 4:17.50

Kathryn Hazle of Cal shaved 0.32s off her top-seeded time from this morning to secure the win tonight. Unlike this morning, where she comfortably posted the fastest time by nearly two seconds, it was a much closer affair tonight. Minnesota’s Katie McCarthy was over two seconds behind after the breaststroke leg, but she charged hard over the last 100 yards and nearly ran down Hazle, taking 2nd in 4:11.96.

Rutgers’ Molly Urkiel continued her strong week by breaking her own school record that she set this morning, en route to finishing 3rd in 4:13.39.

MEN’S 400 IM – Finals

• NCAA Record: 3:28.82, Leon Marchand (ASU) – 2023
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 3:38.37
• 2024 NCAA Cutline: 3:42.93

Top 8:

1. Humberto Najera (CAL), 3:41.25
2. Tyler Kopp (CAL), 3:46.92
3. Carter Lancaster (CAL), 3:47.11
4. Alberto Hernandez Garcia (MINN) / Colby Raffel (UNLV), 3:50.04
5. (tie)
6. Joey Tepper (MINN), 3:50.92
7. Nico Morton (DU), 3:52.37
8. Kyle Adamson (UNLV), 3:55.24

It’s been a pretty quiet meet so far on the men’s side, but Cal sophomore Humberto Najera made some noise this evening by smashing his lifetime best by nearly five seconds and probably punching his first NCAA ticket in the process.

Najera came into today with a best time of 3:46.13 from last season’s Pac-12 Championships. He went 3:46.84 this morning to take the top seed. He swam the front half of the race relatively similarly to this morning, going out in 1:46.16 versus 1:47.74, but he split each of the last four 50s roughly a second faster than he did this morning, touching in 3:41.25.

Cal fifth-year Tyler Kopp was over three seconds faster than this morning to take 2nd in 3:46.92, followed closely by freshman Carter Lancaster (3:49.49).

WOMEN’S 200 FREE – Finals

• NCAA Record: 1:39.10, Missy Franklin (CAL) – 2015
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:42.60
• 2024 NCAA Cutline: 1:44.80

Top 8:

1. Leah Polonsky (CAL), 1:45.24
2. Ava Chavez (CAL), 1:45.30
3. Mina Kaljevic (MINN), 1:46.50
4. Anja Kaljevic (MINN), 1:47.19
5. Erika Carlson (UNLV), 1:47.20
6. Alexandra Bastone (HARV), 1:47.26
7. Ines Marin Alexandre (DU), 1:47.83
8. Livi Wanner (MINN), 1:48.89

Cal’s Leah Polonsky won her second event of the meet after a riveting battle against teammate Ava Chavez. At the halfway point, Chavez held a 0.33s lead, but Polonsky pulled ahead with a 26.57 split on the third leg, and held on to win, 1:45.24 to 1:45.30.

The two Bears were the only two women under 1:46, while Mina Kaljevic of Minnesota shaved 0.16s off of her lifetime best to take 3rd in 1:46.50.

MEN’S 200 FREE – Finals

• NCAA Record: 1:28.81, Luke Hobson (TEX) – 2024
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:31.21
• 2024 NCAA Cutline: 1:32.93

Top 8:

1. Gabriel Jett (CAL), 1:32.13
2. Nans Mazellier (CAL), 1:33.02
3. Trent Frandson (CAL), 1:33.77
4. Keaton Jones (CAL), 1:34.03
5. Nikolas Antoniou (CAL), 1:34.47
6. David Greeley (HARV), 1:35.62
7. Thackston McMullan (CAL), 1:36.64
8. Bar Soloveychik (MINN), 1:37.53

The Cal men swept the top five spots, led by Gabriel Jett at 1:32.13. Jett, who was the runner-up at NCAAs in this event as a sophomore in 2023, owns a lifetime best of 1:30.32 from leading off the 800 free relay at the 2024 NCAAs.

Freshman Nans Mazellier, who posted the top time of the morning at 1:33.82, improved on that time to take 2nd in 1:33.02. That puts him within striking distance of last year’s NCAA cut time of 1:32.93.

Trent Frandson (1:33.77), Keaton Jones (1:34.03) and Nikolas Antoniou (1:34.47) rounded out the top five.

WOMEN’S 100 BREAST – Finals

• NCAA Record: 55.73, Lilly King (IU) – 2019
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 58.01
• 2024 NCAA Cutline: 59.75

Top 8:

1. Margaux McDonald (CAL), 59.59
2. Alicia Henry (CAL), 1:00.11
3. Abigail Herscu (CAL), 1:00.14
4. Molly Urkiel (RUT), 1:01.07
5. Heather Gardner (UNLV), 1:01.11
6. Arielle Brotman (CAL), 1:01.48
7. Aleksandra Denisenko (HARV), 1:01.75
8. Jessica Maeda (DENV), 1:02.04

After breaking a minute for the first time in her career this morning, Cal grad transfer Margaux McDonald improved her lifetime best by a few more tenths to win in 59.59.

Teammates Alicia Henry and Abby Herscu battled it out for 2nd, with Henry just holding off Herscu, 1:00.11 to 1:00.14.

Each of the top three women swam this event at the 2024 NCAAs; Henry led the trio by finishing 18th in prelims.

MEN’S 100 BREAST – Finals

• NCAA Record: 49.53, Liam Bell (CAL) – 2024
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 51.02
• 2024 NCAA Cutline: 51.89

Top 8:

1. Yamato Okadome (CAL), 50.87
2. Hank Rivers (CAL), 51.63
3. Daniel Nicusan (UNLV), 52.11
4. Luca Gissendaner (CAL), 52.39
5. Danny Beji (UNLV), 52.57
6. Joe Rudd (MINN), 52.90
7. Jacob Soderlund (CAL), 52.54
8. Zachary Tan (CAL), 53.20

Freshman Yamato Okadome continues to shine early in his Cal Bear career. Tonight he knocked another second off of his lifetime best and guaranteed himself a NCAA invite by getting under the ‘A’ cut.

That puts him at #3 in the nation this season, behind only Julian Smith (49.98) and Nate Germonprez (50.39). Additionally, that should make him one of the fastest freshmen ever in the event, and we’ll do some additional digging to verify that.

Teammate Hank Rivers took 2nd in 51.63, also under last year’s NCAA cut time, while UNLV’s Daniel Nicusan finished 3rd in 52.11

WOMEN’S 100 BACK – Finals

• NCAA Record: 48.10, Gretchen Walsh (UVA) – 2024
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 50.66
• 2024 NCAA Cutline: 52.28

Top 8:

1. Mary-Ambre Moluh (CAL), 49.68
2. Isabelle Stadden (CAL), 50.41
3. Ava Yablonski (MINN), 52.45
4. Anya Mostek (HARV), 53.29
5. Dominka Trentkiewicz (UNLV), 53.66
6. Adriana Smith (CAL), 53.73
7. Paula Rodriguez (MINN), 53.74
8. Faith Johnson (MINN), 54.65

Cal freshmen are having a night. Mary-Ambre Moluh stormed under the 50-second barrier, clocking a 49.68 that makes her the 6th-fastest woman ever in NCAA competition, and the 7th-fastest woman overall.

All-Time Performers, 100 Back

1. Gretchen Walsh, 48.10 (2024)
2. Katharine Berkoff, 48.55 (2024)
3. Regan Smith, 49.16 (2021)
4. Beata Nelson, 49.18 (2019)
5. Claire Curzan, 49.37 (2024)
6. Charlotte Crush, 49.53 (2023)
7. Mary-Ambre Moluh, 49.68 (2024)

As the rest of the women on the list have American sporting citizenship, tonight’s time makes Moluh, who represented France at this summer’s Olympic Games, the fastest international swimmer ever in the yards version of this event.

Teammate Isabelle Stadden knocked two seconds off of her prelims time, and she cleared the NCAA cut with a 50.41, but it wasn’t enough to stay close to Moluh, who opened up a 0.43s lead at the halfway point and outsplit Stadden, who was the NCAA runner-up in this event last year, on the final 50 as well.

Minnesota’s Ava Yablonski (52.45) and Harvard’s Anya Mostek (53.29) were both under the NCAA ‘B’ cut.

MEN’S 100 BACK – Finals

• NCAA Record: 43.35, Luca Urlando (UGA) – 2022
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 44.48
• 2024 NCAA Cutline: 45.56

Top 8:

1. Destin Lasco (CAL), 45.23
2. Evan Petty (CAL), 45.62
3. Lucca Battaglini (CAL), 46.00
4. Bjorn Seeliger (CAL), 46.32
5. Kai Crews (CAL), 46.38
6. Ziyad Saleem (CAL), 46.54
7. Anthony Rincon (HARV), 46.82
8. Tommy Roder (CAL), 46.83

Cal fifth-year Destin Lasco cruised to his second individual win of the meet, taking the 100 back in 45.23. Lasco own’s a personal best of 43.93 from 2023 and has gone 44-low on what feels like a regular basis.

Teammate Evan Petty improved his liftime best by roughly a second today to finish 2nd in 45.62. Freshman Lucca Battaglini nearly cracked the 46-second barrier, taking 3rd with a time of exactly 46.00.

Cal lived up to the “Backstroke U” moniker, owning the top six finishes tonight and eight of the top nine overall.

Women’s 400 Medley Relay – Timed Finals

• NCAA Record: 3:21.80, Virginia – 2023
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 3:30.89
• 2025 NCAA ‘B’ Cut: 3:32.88

Top 8:

1. Cal ‘A’ – 3:29.60
2. Cal ‘C’ – 3:33.17
3. Cal ‘B’ – 3:35.13
4. Minnesota ‘A’ – 3:36.76
5. Harvard ‘A’ – 3:39.25
6. UNLV ‘A’ – 3:40.17
7. Rutgers ‘A’ – 3:41.95
8. Denver ‘A’ – 3:43.43

Only a single squad was under either NCAA cut tonight, and unsurprisingly, that was Cal’s ‘A’ team. Isabelle Stadden led off in 51.52, about a second off of her individual time from earlier in the session. Leah Polonsky split 58.81 on breast, Lilou Ressencourt split 51.96 on fly, and Mary-Ambre Moluh, fresh off her fast swim in the 100 back, anchored in 47.31. That time of 3:26.60 puts the Bears under the NCAA ‘A’ cut.

All three Cal relays were faster than the rest of the field, with butterfliers Lizzy Cook (51.65) and Morgan Brophy (51.99) propelling the ‘C’ and ‘B’ teams to times of 3:33.17 and 3:35.13, respectively.

Men’s 400 Medley Relay – Timed Finals

• NCAA Record: 2:57.32, ASU – 2024
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 3:04.96
• 2025 NCAA ‘B’ Cut: 3:06.37

Top 8:

1. Cal ‘A’ – 3:03.17
2. Cal ‘B’ – 3:05.57
3. Minnesota ‘A’ – 3:08.03
4. Cal ‘C’ – 3:08.49
5. Cal ‘D’ – 3:08.91
6. Harvard ‘A’ – 3:09.97
7. UNLV ‘A’ – 3:10.31
8. Denver ‘A’ – 3:14.46

Cal winning with an ‘A’ cut wasn’t too much of a surprise. But the lineup the Bears used may have been a little more unexpected. Assuming the results are correct, Gabriel Jett led off, and made the most of the opportunity, improving his lifetime best from 46.89 to 44.54. That time moves him to #3 in the nation this season, behind only Will Modglin (43.91) and Johnny Crush (44.53). Yamato Okadome followed up his 100 breast win with a 51.03 split, Samuel Quarles split a solid 45.29 on fly, and Bjorn Seeliger anchored in 42.31.

The Bears’ time of 3:03.17 puts them at #6 this season, and that’s without three-fourths of their likely lineup: Destin Lasco, Dare Rose, and Jack Alexy, as the latter two are preparing to represent the USA at the Short Course World Championships next week.

Cal’s ‘B’ relay finished 2nd in 3:05.57, with Nans Mazellier‘s 41.80 anchor leading the field. Minnesota took 3rd in 3:08.03, ahead of Cal’s ‘C’ and ‘D’ relays.