2024 Tennessee Invite: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

by Madeline Folsom 107

November 21st, 2024 ACC, College, SEC

2024 Tennessee Invite

TEAM SCORES ENTERING DAY 3

Women

  • Tennessee 105, Kentucky 23
  • Virginia 68, Tennessee 58
  • Virginia 87, Kentucky 37

Men

  • Tennessee 98, Kentucky 29
  • Tennessee 90, Virginia 33
  • Virginia 76, Kentucky 49

Gretchen Walsh and Claire Curzan highlighted the women’s session this morning, with Curzan earning a “super-finals” spot in both the 100 fly and the 100 back. Aimee Canny also earned two A final spots, placing 1st in the 200 freestyle and 2nd in the 200 breaststroke.

On the men’s side, Jordan Crooks, who has been having a fast meet so far, will swim in the A final of the 100 fly. Crooks led the field by almost a second at this morning prelim’s session.

We are in for another exciting night of “super-finals” as almost all of the top two finishers were within a second of each other. The women’s 100 breaststroke had a prelims difference of .01.

There is also one relay this evening, the 200 medley relay. The Tennessee men have yet to loose a relay this meet, but Virginia was nipping their heels on the 400 medley. On the women’s side, Virginia has won every relay they have competed, and tonight isn’t expected to be any different.

MEN’S 1-METER DIVING- FINALS

  1. Bennett Greene (TENN)- 361.15
  2. Samuel Duncan (UKY)- 348.70
  3. Nicholas Stone (TENN)- 342.15
  4. Owen Redfearn (TENN)-301.40
  5. Mitchell Brown (UVA)- 286.75
  6. Nicholas Sanders (UVA)- 268.80
  7. Liam Miller (UVA)- 268.60
  8. Dean Treanor (UVA)- 260.00

The Tennessee divers did very well this evening earning 3 of the top 4 spots. Freshman Bennett Greene was 2-for-2 on the springboard diving events, winning this evenings board 361.15. Samuel Duncan from Kentucky took second, and Nicholas Stone from Tennessee came in third.

WOMEN’S 200 MEDLEY RELAY- TIMED FINALS

  • NCAA Record: 1:31.73, Virginia- 2023
  • 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:36.24
  • 2025 NCAA ‘B’ Cut: 1:36.76
  1. Virginia A- 1:32.58 A
  2. Tennessee A- 1:34.35 A
  3. Virginia B- 1:35.89
  4. Tennessee B- 1:37.94
  5. Kentucky A- 1:39.66
  6. Kentucky B- 1::41.35

Gretchen Walsh led off the relay with the #8 50 back performance all time of 22.80. This is the 7th fastest relay split in history. Unfortunately, due to technology issues, the rest of the UVA splits are lost to time, but their total time of 1:32.58 would have been good for second at last year’s NCAA Championships behind only themselves.

Tennessee’s A relay was the victim of the same technological problems, so the only split available is Josephine Fuller’s 23.95. She was just slightly faster, leading off the same relay at NCAAs at 23.74.

MEN’S 200 MEDLEY RELAY- TIMED FINALS

  • NCAA Record: 1:20.15, Florida- 2024
  • 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:23.62
  • 2025 NCAA ‘B’ Cut: 1:23.90
  1. Tennessee A- 1:21.71 A
  2. Tennessee B- 1:25.31
  3. Kentucky A- 1:26.75
  4. Kentucky B- 1:27.48
  5. Virginia A- DQ
  6. Virginia B- DQ

The Tennessee men, and the Virginia men were locked in a fierce battle through the first 100 of the race. Harrison Lierz led off in 21.21 on the backstroke, and Kevin Houseman came in at 23.62 on the breaststroke. Gui Caribe blasted a 19.31 to tie for the 9th fastest relay split of all time, which helped Tennessee gain the lead. The real story, however, was Jordan Crooks going 17.57 to anchor the relay. This is the 2nd fastest ever 50 freestyle on a relay, behind only Caeleb Dressel’s 17.30 at the 2018 NCAA Championships.

While Virginia was locked in a tight race with Tennessee throughout the relay, both of their men’s relays were disqualified for an early jump on swimmer #4 which was Connor Boyle on the A and Jack Madoch for the B. Their disqualification led to Tennessee sweeping the points for first and second.

WOMEN’S 100 FLY – FINALS

  • NCAA Record: 47.42, Gretchen Walsh (UVA) – 2024  47.35, Gretchen Walsh (UVA)- 2024
  • 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 50.52
  • 2025 NCAA ‘B’ Cut: 53.34
  • 2024 NCAA Cutline: 51.88
  1. Gretchen Walsh (UVA)- 47.35 *New NCAA Record*
  2. Claire Curzan (UVA)- 49.50 A
  3. Josephine Fuller (TENN)- 51.51 B
  4. Sara Stolter (TENN)- 52.15 B
  5. Maggie Schalow (UVA)- 52.33 B
  6. Emily Brown (TENN)- 52.85 B
  7. Lydia Hanlon (UKY)- 53.85
  8. Maddy Hartley (UKY)- 54.33

Gretchen Walsh set a new NCAA, American, and US Open record to win the women’s 100 fly. She now owns the top 5 performances all time in this event. Walsh was actully out slightly slower this evening than she was when she set the former NCAA record. tonight she was out 21.90 compared to the 21.75 she was out at NCAAs. Her second 50 was quite a bit faster, though at 25.45 compared to 25.67. Her 4th 25 was the big difference maker with Walsh splitting a 12.92 tonight versus 13.13 at NCAAs.

Claire Curzan also had a fast swim in her first swim of the evening at 49.50. This is her 2nd best time in the event ever, and is the fastest she has been since February of 2022. Curzan was out 23.04, and back 26.46.

MEN’S 100 FLY – FINALS

  • NCAA Record: 42.80, Caeleb Dressel (FLOR) – 2018
  • 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 44.51
  • 2025 NCAA ‘B’ Cut: 46.80
  • 2024 NCAA Cutline: 45.37
  1. Jordan Crooks (TENN)- 43.77 A
  2. Spencer Nicholas– 44.41 A
  3. Gui Caribe (TENN)- 45.18 B
  4. Hayden Bellotti (UVA)- 45.85 B
  5. Martin Espernberger (TENN)- 46.29 B
  6. Ryan Merani (UKY)- 47.12
  7. Simon Lins (UVA)- 47.43
  8. Logan Ingerick (UKY)- 48.29

Jordan Crooks goes the #9 100 fly all time with the 43.77. This is a personal best time for Crooks who has never been under the 44 second mark until tonight. It also marks a new team record for Tennessee, as Crooks was the previous record holder.

Freshman Spencer Nicholas had the other spot in the “super-final” and went a huge best time of 44.41 to drop over half a second from his pre-college best of 45.08 and break the UVA record. With this time, Nicholas is now also the #5 Freshman ever in the event.

WOMEN’S 400 IM – FINALS

  • NCAA Record: 3:54.60, Ella Eastin (STAN) – 2018
  • 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 4:03.62
  • 2025 NCAA “B’ Cut: 4:16.78
  • 2024 NCAA Cutline: 4:10.74
  1. Leah Hayes (UVA)- 4:01.34 A
  2. Ella Jansen (TENN)- 4:06.29 B
  3. Ella Bathurst (UVA)- 4:09.53 B
  4. Emma Redman (4:11.33)- 4:11.33 B
  5. Kate McCarville (TENN)- 4:11.39 B
  6. Emily Brown (TENN)- 4:13.17 B
  7. Marie Bell (UKY)- 4:17.57
  8. Fernanda De Goeij (UKY)- 4:19.56

UVA freshman Leah Hayes is already proving herself to be a serious contender in the women’s 400 IM at the end of the season. Hayes went almost a 2 second personal best in tonight’s finals to drop from her 4:03.05 that she set in February of 2023. Hayes was behind at the 100, but powered through to pass Tennessee freshman and other super-finalist Ella Jansen on the back and keep expanding her lead throughout the rest of the race.

Ella Jansen was out fast, but struggled to hold on to the lead. Her back split was around a second behind Hayes, but her breaststroke is where she struggled the most to keep up with the Virginia freshman, splitting a 1:12.53. For comparison Hayes split a 1:08.20. Jansen brought it home well, though, splitting a 56.93 on her freestyle leg

  • Hayes 100 splits: 55.55/1:00.69/1:08.20/56.90
  • Jansen 100 splits: 55.12/1:01.71/1:12.53/56.93

MEN’S 400 IM – FINALS

  • NCAA Record: 3:28.82, Leon Marchand (ASU) – 2023
  • 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 3:38.37
  • 2025 NCAA “B’ Cut: 3:49.53
  • 2024 NCAA Cutline: 3:42.93
  1. Levi Sandidge (UKY)- 3:42.52 B
  2. Tony Laurito (TENN)- 3:44.06 B
  3. Matt Styczen (UVA)- 3:44.95 B
  4. Dillon Wright (UVA)- 3:45.45 B
  5. Colin Bitz (UVA)- 3:46.13 B
  6. Gus Rothrock (TENN)- 3:46.47 B
  7. Aidan Crisci (TENN)- 3:47.84 B
  8. Jackson Mussler (UKY)- 3:54.39

Kentucky Junior Levi Sandidge won Kentucky’s only title of the evening in the men’s 200 IM. Sandidge dropped a ton of time today to go from 3:46.05 in February to 3:42.52 today. After running out of room to catch Tennessee’s Tony Laurito this morning, Sandidge made sure not to make the same mistake this evening. He began slowly chipping away a little at Laurito’s lead during the breaststroke, and by the time it got to the freestyle, he was less than 2 seconds back. He came home like a rocket blasting a 50.40 on the final leg, and a 20.47 on his last 50 to catch, pass, and beat Laurito by a second and a half.

Laurito chopped even more time off his previous personal best, bringing his grand total to almost a 2 second drop from the 3:45.76 he had coming into the day.

  • Sandidge splits: 52.09/57.56/1:02.47/50.40
  • Laurito splits: 49.80/57.02/1:03.48/53.76

WOMEN’S 200 FREE – FINALS

  • NCAA Record: 1:39.10, Missy Franklin (CAL) – 2015
  • 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:42.60
  • 2025 NCAA “B’ Cut: 1:46.85
  • 2024 NCAA Cutline: 1:44.80
  1. Aimee Canny (UVA)- 1:42.67 B
  2. Camille Spink (TENN)- 1:43.57 B
  3. Anna Moesch (UVA)- 1:43.12 B
  4. Cavan Gormsen (UVA)- 1:44.85 B
  5. Julia Mrozinski (TENN)- 1:45.64 B
  6. Sara Stolter (TENN)- 1:46.33 B
  7. Lauren West (UKY)- 1:46.46 B
  8. Katy Jost (UKY)- 1:48.10

In her first swim of the evening, Aimee Canny won the super-final of the women’s 200 free. She set a new season best in the event, and was just off her personal best of 1:42.33 from NCAAs. The other swimmer in the heat, Camille Spink also went a new season best in her swim, but was off her personal best of 1:42.37.

This race marks the first time this week we have seen one of the ‘B’ finalists, beat one of the super-A-finalist’s times. UVA Freshman Anna Moesch’s time would have placed her second in the event in a different finals format, but just like ‘B’ finalists can’t surpass ‘A’ finalists in normal finals formats, the same is the case here. since Spink was in the A final, she cannot place lower than second.

MEN’S 200 FREE – FINALS

  • NCAA Record: 1:28.81, Luke Hobson (TEX) – 2024
  • 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:31.21
  • 2025 NCAA “B’ Cut: 1:35.35
  • 2024 NCAA Cutline: 1:32.93
  1. Nikoli Blackman (TENN)- 1:32.12
  2. Sebastien Sergile (UVA)- 1:32.38
  3. David King (UVA)- 1:33.19
  4. Joaquin Vargas (TENN)- 1:34.67
  5. Jack Stelter (TENN)- 1:35.82
  6. Connor Boyle (UVA)- 1:36.54
  7. Justin Peresse (UKY)- 1:36.66
  8. Caue Gluck (UKY)- 1:36.93

Tennessee swimmer Nikoli Blackman went a new personal best time to win his final. His time of 1:32.12 was a personal best by over two seconds from his 1:34.62 from SECs last season. This time also ranks him the#2 performer on Tennessee’s all-time top-10 rankings, behind only Jordan Crooks and his 1:30.00 from earlier this meet.

Sebastien Sergile also went a new best time trying to chase down Blackman in the final. Sergiles’ 1:32.38 was not only a second and a half drop from his previous best of 1:34.05, but it was also fast enough to break the Virginia school record in the event. The previous record of 1:32.45 was set in 2010 by Matt McLean.

WOMEN’S 100 BREAST – FINALS

  • NCAA Record: 55.73, Lilly King (IU) – 2019
  • 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 58.01
  • 2025 NCAA “B’ Cut: 1:01.22
  • 2024 NCAA Cutline: 59.75
  1. McKenzie Siroky (TENN)- 58:00
  2. Aimee Canny (UVA)- 58.64
  3. Emelie Fast (TENN)- 58.41
  4. Emma Weber (UVA)- 58.67
  5. Zoe Skirboll (UVA)- 59.23
  6. Bridget Engel (UKY)- 59.83
  7. Hannah Marinovich (TENN)- 1:00.54
  8. Olivia Mendenhall (UKY)- 1:03.08

Tennessee Freshman McKenzie Sirkoy set a new personal best time in the 100 breast to win her final. The time she set would have been the nation’s leading time coming into the weekend.

Aimee Canny had never been under a minute heading into the week, so her 58.64 is a huge milestone for her.

Just like the women’s 200 freestyle, the 3rd place finisher actually beat the second place finisher, but due to the finals format, Tennessee’s Emilie Fast could not have placed higher than 3rd.

MEN’S 100 BREAST – FINALS

  • NCAA Record: 49.53, Liam Bell (CAL) – 2024
  • 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 51.02
  • 2025 NCAA “B’ Cut: 53.43
  • 2024 NCAA Cutline: 51.89
  1. Noah Nichols (UVA)- 51.32 B
  2. Adomas Gatulis (UKY)- 52.85 B
  3. Kevin Houseman (TENN)- 53.10 B
  4. Jed Garner (TENN)- 53.30 B
  5. Jay Gerloff (UVA)- 53.40 B
  6. Jonathan Rom (UKY)- 53.73
  7. Grayson Nye (TENN)- 53.79
  8. Matt Heilman (UVA)- 53.84

The 100 breast final went to UVA 5th year Noah Nichols. Nichols’ 51.32 was just off his school record time of 50.82, but was good enough to win the super-final by over a second, which is good for UVA points-wise because their 200 medley relay DQs were not good for them if they want to try to beat Tennessee

Kentucky freshman Adomas Gatulis got second in the A final with a 52.85. This is Gatulis’ first year swimming short course yards, so his best time coming into this meet was a 56.14 from an October tri-meet

WOMEN’S 100 BACK – FINALS

  • NCAA Record: 48.10, Gretchen Walsh (UVA) – 2024
  • 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 50.66
  • 2025 NCAA “B’ Cut: 53.53
  • 2024 NCAA Cutline: 52.28
  1. Claire Curzan (UVA)- 49.37  A
  2. Josephine Fuller (TENN)- 51.06 B
  3. Charlotte Wilson (UVA)- 52.01 B
  4. Reilly Tiltmann (UVA)- 52.51 B
  5. Lexi Stephens (TENN)- 52.55 B
  6. Sophie Brison (TENN)- 53.21 B
  7. Grace Frericks (UKY)- 53.47 B
  8. Torie Buerger (UKY)- 53.83

Claire Curzan set a new personal best in the women’s 100 back final. This marks her first best time in the event since Pac-12s in 2023 where she went 49.46, but it doesn’t move her up in the overall rankings where she is 5th. In order to jump to 4th, she would need to surpass Beata Nelson’s 49.18.

Tennessee’s Josephine Fuller had a slight add in the event at 51.06. Her best time, and the Tennessee team record is 50.22.

MEN’S 100 BACK – FINALS

  • NCAA Record: 43.35, Luca Urlando (UGA) – 2022
  • 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 44.48
  • 2025 NCAA “B’ Cut: 47.16
  • 2024 NCAA Cutline: 45.56
  1. Harrison Lierz (TENN)- 45.25
  2. Jack Aikins (UVA)- 45.84
  3. Lamar Taylor (TENN)- 46.32
  4. Nick Simons (TENN)- 46.67
  5. Will Thompson (UVA)- 46.99
  6. Devin Naoroz (UKY)- 47.06
  7. Szymon Mieczkowski (UKY)-47.67
  8. Max Berg (UKY)- 48.93

Tennessee grad-student Harrison Lierz won the men’s 100 back final at 45.25. This is a slight add from his personal best of 44.98 from the 2024 SECs

UVA junior Jack Aikins came in at 45.84, which is also off his best time of 45.68 from ACCs this year. Both men went season best times in the event.

WOMEN’S 3-METER DIVING

  1. Elizabeth Kaye (UVA)- 317.30
  2. Lynae Shorter (TENN)- 304.20
  3. Devynn Bishop (UKY)- 299.15
  4. Maddie Reese (TENN)- 298.20
  5. Kristy Pfaff (UKY)- 268.10
  6. Claire McDaniels (UKY)- 259.35
  7. Jodi Cobb (UKY)- 250.70
  8. Alena Lotterer (UVA)- 235.15

Elizabeth Kaye from UVA won the women’s 3-meter event, sweeping the springboards at this week’s invite. She came in just ahead of Tennessee diver Lynae Shorter, who placed second in both as well. Rounding out the top 3 was Kentucky diver Devynn Bishop who placed 6th in yesterday’s event.

TEAM SCORES AFTER DAY 3

Women’s Meets

  • Tennessee vs Kentucky: TENN 212 – UKY 47
  • Tennessee vs Virginia: TENN 110 – UVA 147
  • Kentucky vs Virginia: UKY 63 – UVA 192

Men’s Meets

  • Tennessee vs Kentucky: TENN 192 – UKY 66
  • Tennessee vs Virginia: TENN 178 – UVA 76
  • Kentucky vs Virginia: UKY 100 – UVA 156

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Snapper
1 month ago

I find it interesting the score keeping for the meet especially the distribution of points for the women’s 100 fly where Tennessee got 14 to Virginia’s 5, considering that UVa had two swimmers in the super final. By my addition the dual meet score between UVa and UT should be 156 to 101 not 147 to 110.

Weinstein-Madden-Ledecky-Gemmell
Reply to  Snapper
29 days ago

How is the meet scored?

1st – 9 points
2nd – 7 points
3rd – 6 points
4th – 5 points
5th – 4 points
6th – 3 points
7th – 2 points
8th – 1 point

Hank
1 month ago

Crooks was 4/4/5/6 breaths on his 100fly. The wall at the 50 was a bit long. Maybe should have taken a 5th stroke there. Or maybe he can get this down to 4/4/5/5 by NCAAs.

Weinstein-Madden-Ledecky-Gemmell
1 month ago

Todd DeSorbo needs to light a fire under Emma Weber. Alexis Wenger posted a faster 50 yards breaststroke relay split (26.27) at the 2021 Tennessee Invite.

Weinstein-Madden-Ledecky-Gemmell
1 month ago

Who swam the breaststroke leg on the women’s 4 x 50 medley relay for Virginia “A” at the 2024 Tennessee Invite?

Weinstein-Madden-Ledecky-Gemmell
1 month ago

University of Virginia women’s swimming
Walsh, A. – 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 BR
Parker, M. – 50 FR, 200 FR, 100 FR
Walsh, G. – 50 FR, 100 FL, 100 FR
Canny, A. – 500 FR, 200 FR, 200 BR?
Curzan, C. – 100 FL, 100 BK, 200 BK
Gormsen, C. – 500 FR, 200 FR, 1650 FR
Howley, T. – ???????, 100 FL?, 200 FL
Grimes, K. – 500 FR, 400 IM, 1650 FR
Hayes, L. – 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 BR?
Moesch, A. – 50 FR, 200 FR, 100 FR

The roster is definitely top heavy.

Swimfan27
1 month ago

I think Curzan will have a big breakthrough this season and get back to her best times in fly and sprint free.

richteller
Reply to  Swimfan27
29 days ago

Curzan had a 1:42:96 200 Free in a time trial

oxyswim
1 month ago

Can someone explain Jillian Crooks being in the 100 BR just to go 1:05 instead of a 100 BK or 200 FR that she is actually good at?

Vaswammer
1 month ago

49.37 is a PB for Curzan. She’s swimming very well.

PCB
Reply to  Vaswammer
1 month ago

CC on back and GW on fly for the Medley relay?

Pea brain
Reply to  PCB
1 month ago

Should have been, I also think Gretchen isn’t even really focusing on backstroke after the summer she had and the backstroke times she’s gone on relays this weekend (not that they weren’t fast but just in comparison to her other times from this meet)

Last edited 1 month ago by Pea brain
Weinstein-Madden-Ledecky-Gemmell
Reply to  PCB
1 month ago

It’s an option Todd DeSorbo needs to explore. There is plenty of time to experiment.

swimgeek
Reply to  PCB
1 month ago

yes please. :20 fly split for GW incoming…

Weinstein-Madden-Ledecky-Gemmell
Reply to  Vaswammer
29 days ago

You don’t say?