2024 Tennessee Invitational
- November 19-22, 2024
- Knoxville, Tennessee
- Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center
- SCY (25 yards)
- Prelims: 9am Est/Finals: 6pm EST
- 2025 NCAA Championship Standards
- Psych Sheets
- Live Stream
- Live Results: “2024 Tennessee Invitational” on MeetMobile
The 2024 Tennessee Invite starts tonight with the 800 freestyle relays.
Virginia is not competing this evening on the men’s or women’s side, which is in-line with Todd DeSorbo’s typical approach to midseason meets. In the last few years, they have put their fastest swimmers on 4 relays to qualify for NCAAs and focused on the 800 free relay at ACCs.
With Virginia out, it will be a two way battle between Tennessee and Kentucky for points. On the women’s side, Tennessee is the clear favorite. They have all 4 swimmers returning from their NCAA second place relay last year, and Kentucky is yet to have a swimmer under 1:50 this season.
On the men’s side, however, it is likely to be a race to the finish. Tennessee edged out Kentucky at last year’s SEC championships by 7 tenths of a second and they have 3 of the 4 members of that relay again this year. Kentucky lost two of their relay members, but they have a number of freshmen and sophomores that could step into those positions and do well.
Important Note: The top two relays from each team will score in the position they finish. This means if an A and B finish first and second, that team will collect points for both placements.
Women’s 800 Freestyle Relay Timed Finals
- NCAA Record: 6:45.91, Stanford- 2017 NCAA Championships
- SEC Record: 6:48.59, Florida- 2024 NCAA Championships
- NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 7:00.86
- NCAA ‘B’ Cut: 7:05.56
- Tennessee A- 6:56.95 (A)
- Tennessee B- 7:00.95
- Kentucky A- 7:10.95
- Kentucky B- 7:14.78
The Tennessee Women were out fast with A leadoff Camille Spink touching first at 1:43.46 and B leadoff Josephine Fuller coming in at 1:43.92. Both women are well under the NCAA ‘B’ cut of 1:46.85 with those times. Freshman Ella Jansen on the A had an exceptional second leg, going 1:42.98. Rounding out the A relay was Julia Mrozinski with at 3rd and Brooklyn Douthwright on anchor.
The Tennessee B relay was just over the NCAA A cut. Second leg Emily Brown went a 1:45.71. Julia Burroughs went next at a 1:46.46, and Sara Stotler brought it home in 1:44.86 for their final time of 7:00.95.
The Kentucky women all swam the fastest they have this year. Coming in to tonight, they didn’t have any girls under 1:50 this season. Both their A and B relays had all 4 girls in the 1:47-1:49 range. Their A relay led off with Maddy Hartley with a time of 1:47.35, second was Grace Frericks at 1:47.50, Lauren West went 1:47.46 at third and Hayden Penny brought them home with 1:48.64. At a final time f 7:10.95, the Kentucky women are already faster than their SEC time from last season of 7:13.21
Men’s 800 Freestyle Relay Timed Finals
- NCAA Record: 6:02.26, Cal- 2024 NCAA Championships
- SEC Record: 6:06.36, Florida- 2024 SEC Championships
- NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 6:15.80
- NCAA ‘B’ Cut: 6:18.42
- Tennessee A- 6:12.33 (A)
- Tennessee B- 6:23.09
- Kentucky A- 6:23.84
- Kentucky B- 6:30.94
Saying the Tennessee men were also out fast would be an understatement. Jordan Crooks led off the men’s A relay with a school record and nation leading time of 1:30.00. Crooks was out quick at 20.48/22.74 to go 43.22 to his feet. He held on well though to bring it home with 23.20/23.58 for a second 100 split of 46.78. This time moves Crooks up to the #8 all time performer in the 200 freestyle. The rest of the Tennessee A relay also did well. Gui Caribe went 1:33.81 at second, Joaquin Vargas was 1:34.31, and Bjoern Kamman brought them home at 1:34.21. Their final time of 6:12.33 shattered the previous Tennessee school record of 6:17.11 from 2018
It seems that Head Coach Matt Kredich had a similar plan for the men’s and women’s relays as the Tennessee B was also led off by one of their top 200 freestylers. Sophomore Nikoli Blackman led off the B relay with a 1:33.68 to help the Vols place ahead of Kentucky. The rest of the relay, Charlie Krone (1:36.97), Griffin Hadley (1:36.76), and Jack Stelter (1:35.68) held on nicely to beat the Kentucky A by less than 8 tenths of a second.
Similar to the women, the Kentucky men had a very consistent relay, and were actually ahead of the Vols B at the 600 mark. Justin Peresse led off in 1:35.85, which was behind Blackman from Tennessee, but Carson Hick‘s 1:34.09 and Ryan Merani‘s 1:36.20 had them ahead of the Vols when the last legs dove in. Anchor leg and freshman Jack Haywood was out fast, but experience won out and the senior Stelter just had more at the back half. Haywood finished at a 1:37.70, which was just about a second off his best time.
The Tennessee Invite picks back up tomorrow at 10am Eastern Time.
I can’t believe the previous Tennessee school record for the men’s 800 free relay was only 6:17, I thought they would have been faster. Nonetheless, great job guys, they smashed it!
1:30:00 is next level. Makes me think NCAA record will go down again next year.
Luke Hobson went a 1:28 last year
Crooks is cooking JEEZ
Is that the fastest 200 free this early? Has to be right?
For a day or two, I’m guessing.
I didn’t realize tonight was just the 800 free relay. That’s a little weirder that Virginia decided to not swim it then. Understand that logic way more in the 3 day format.
VA never swim the 800 until ACC.
Why?
Every year that DeSorbo has been at UVA their mid-seaon meet was a 3 day meet. I was completely understanding if not swimming it in that format, I’m less understanding of it with this setup. Seems like it would be a good practice to go through the closest thing they’ll get to the NCAA meet format all year.
i think part of it is that their intended “best” 800 free relay would include Grimes and A walsh. but the could easily hit the A cut without them.
Why would the men not swim it then?
They can travel later today maybe?
Nah….. they were all at warm ups.
Kinda sucks for all the 200 free swimmers too, takes out the only relay option for a lot of them. I feel like there’s going to be a lot of jockeying for a spot at NCAAs, too, with the addition of Curzan and some of the freshmen, doesn’t hurt to start getting data now.
Feels like playing with fire to not go into ACCs with a locked NCAA bid in the event. DQs happen, disasters happen. You’d have to think UVA’s B women could get under the A cut. Rest the A women and throw up the next best four to ensure that slot is secured.
I really don’t think it’s that big of a deal – they could easily get a bid with aggregate times from their best 4 in season. And even in some worst case scenario where they might somehow not qualify this relay for NCAAs, UVA is dominant enough that they would still win
People always forget you can aggregate time this relay. There is no risk of UVA not getting a bid in this relay.
I believe they already have the A cut? Their fastest 4 add up to 6:59.54 and the A cut is a 7:00.86
Please swim the relay at the Texas Duals scheduled in January, 2025. Anything to make Carol Capitani look bad.
1:30.00 is perfect
If only the 100 record were still 40.00
An aside really how hate how the call for the record swim is “can he break 39! No!” 🤦♂️
1:30.00 for Crooks
Does anyone know if he’s going to short course worlds?
anyone try unplugging meet mobile and plugging it back in again?
Yeah like 1,000,000 times