2024 Texas Hall of Fame Invite: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

2024 Texas Hall of Fame Invite

• November 20-22, 2024
• Where: Lee and Joe Jamail Swimming Center — Austin, TX
• When: 10 am CT prelims/6 pm CT finals
• Participating Teams: Pitt, Stanford, Texas (host), USC, Wisconsin, BYU, Cal Poly
• Meet Info
• Live Results
• Results on Meet Mobile: “Texas Hall of Fame Swimming Invite”
• Day 1 Prelims Recap | Day 1 Finals Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Recap | Day 2 Finals Recap
• Day 3 Prelims Recap

And just like that, we are down to the final session of the 2024 Texas Invite. Swim fans who are fortunate enough to be in Austin in person will get to enjoy watching some fast racing, while the rest of us will use our imaginations as we watch the live results roll in.

The action gets underway with the fastest heats of the 1650. Wisconsin’s Izzy Enz (16:29.66) and Texas’ Jackson Huckabay (14:54.28) led the early heats. Newly-minted Texas 500 free record holders Jillian Cox and Rex Maurer are among the athletes slated to swim in the fastest heats this evening.

Assuming he doesn’t scratch to focus on the 1650, Maurer is also the top seed in the 200 back, while the women’s race features Wisconsin Maggie Wanezek and Phoebe Bacon in the middle two lanes. Stanford’s Torri Huske will swim in lane 4 in the 100 free after going 47.39, and Texas’ Camden Taylor holds the top see from the morning on the men’s side.

The 200 breast is the only race that won’t feature a Longhorn in lane 4 on either the men’s or the women’s side; instead, Stanford’s Lucy Bell (2:07.57 this morning) and USC’s Ben Dillard (1:52.09) have that honor. Longhorn Emma Sticklen swam the fastest 200 fly of the morning by almost four seconds to qualify first, while USC’s Chmelewski Krzysztof and Texas’ Ryan Branon tied for the top time in prelims with a pair of 1:41.62s.

Tonight’s action will conclude with timed finals of the 400 free relays as teams chase after NCAA qualifying times.

WOMEN’S 1650 FREE – FASTEST HEAT

• NCAA Record: 15:03.31, Katie Ledecky (Stanford) – 2017
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 15:52.41
• 2024 NCAA Cutline: 16:14.03

Overall Top 8:

1. Jillian Cox (Texas) – 15:34.66
2. Aurora Roghair (Stanford) – 15:36.43
3. Kate Hurst (Texas) – 15:48.78
4. Paige McKenna (Wisconsin) – 16:01.05
5. Maddie Waggoner (Wisconsin) – 16:13.95
6. Elle Braun (Wisconsin) – 16:14.81
7. Olivia McMurray (Texas) – 16:16.08
8. Blair Stoneburg (Wisconsin) – 16:25.89

The night started off in dramatic fashion, as Jillian Cox and Aurora Roghair put up a pair of times that were both faster than the time it took to win the 2024 NCAA title in this event.

Cox, who broke the Texas record in the 500 free earlier this week, led early on tonight and maintained that lead the whole way, posting a 15:34.66 that moves her to #10 all-time in the event and takes the Texas school record. Roghair, who took 2nd at NCAAs last year with a 15:41.11, improved her best to 15:36.43, moving up to #12 all-time int he event.

Longhorn Kate Hurst finished 3rd in 15:48.78, but Wisconsin’s distance group took four the the top eight spots overall.

MEN’S 1650 FREE – FASTEST HEAT

• NCAA Record: 14:12.08, Bobby Finke (Florida) – 2020
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 14:37.31
• 2024 NCAA Cutline: 14:54.92

Overall Top 8:

1. Rex Maurer (Texas) – 14:30.47
2. David Johnston (Texas) – 14:35.42
3. Krzysztof Chmielewski (USC) – 14:53.61
4. Jackson Huckabay (Texas) – 14:54.28
5. Yigit Aslan (Wisconsin) – 15:01.46
6. Sasha Lyubavski (Texas) – 15:02.17
7. Yoav Romano (Wisconsin) – 15:04.30
8. Max Hatcher (Texa) – 15:10.41

Rex Maurer has been lighting up the pool all week, and tonight he ripped a 24-second personal best in the 1650 to not only win here in Austin, but post a time that was faster than last season’s winning time at NCAAs. Pending other results from tonight, that’s the top time in the country this season.

Teammate David Johnston took 2nd in 14:35.42, just off his best time from 2022. USC’s Krzysztof Chmielewski rounded out the top 3 with a 14:53.61, about 16 seconds of his best time, which he did here last year.

Longhorn Jackson Huckabay finished 4th overall with 14:54.28 from the early heats. That time is just under last year’s NCAA invite time in this event, putting Huckabay in contention for his first NCAA invite.

WOMEN’S 200 BACK – FINALS

• NCAA Record: 1:46.87, Claire Curzan (Virginia) – 2024
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:50.50
• 2024 NCAA Cutline: 1:54.01

Top 8:

1. Phoebe Bacon (Wisconsin) – 1:49.66
2. Maggie Wanezek (Wisconsin) – 1:50.62
3. Levenia Sim (Stanford) – 1:53.50
4. Natalie Mannion (Stanford) – 1:53.70
5. Claire Jansen (Pitt) – 1:54.41
6. Campbell Stoll (Texas) – 1:54.44
7. Lillie Nesty (Texas) – 1:54.78
8. Emma Kern (Texas) – 1:55.45

The Badgers finished 1-2 behind a strong pair of performances from Phoebe Bacon and Maggie Wanezek. Bacon, the defending NCAA champion in this event, was only about a second shy of her 2024-winning time with her 1:49.66. Her teammate Wanezek shaved 0.01s off her best time from early 2023 with a 1:50.62 effort for 2nd place.

Stanford teammates Levenia Sim (1:53.50) and Natalie Mannion (1:53.70) were under last year’s NCAA cut time, as was B-final winner, Mackenzie Hodge of USC (1:53.96).

MEN’S 200 BACK – FINALS

• NCAA Record: 1:35.37, Destin Lasco (Cal) – 2024
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:38.80
• 2024 NCAA Cutline: 1:40.62

Top 8:

1. Will Modglin (Texas) – 1:37.84
2. Drew Huston (Cal Poly) – 1:41.31
3. Ben Sampson (Texas) – 1:42.01
4. Marcin Goraj (Pitt) – 1:42.10
5. Kyle Peck (Texas) – 1:42.55
6. Nathan Quarterman (Texas) – 1:43.50
7. Landon Kyser (Wisconsin) – 1:45.53
8. Griffin O’Leary (USC) – 1:43.92

Texas sophomore Will Modglin improved his lifetime best by over a second, and won his third individual event in three days, with a 1:37.84 win in the 200 backstroke tonight. Pending other results from tonight, that time moves Modglin ahead of Indiana’s Owen McDonald (1:38.13) with the top time in the nation.

Cal Poly’s Drew Huston has quietly been having a solid meet, and he shaved 0.01s off his lifetime best to take 2nd in 1:41.31. Longhorn transfer Ben Sampson finished 3rd in 1:42.01, just 0.09s off his best time.

WOMEN’S 100 FREE – FINALS

• NCAA Record: 44.83, Gretchen Walsh (Virginia) – 2024
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 47.10
• 2024 NCAA Cutline: 48.34

Top 8:

1. Torri Huske (Stanford) – 46.62
2. Ava Longi (Texas) – 47.46
3. Minna Abraham (USC) – 47.74
4. Grace Cooper (Texas) – 47.78
5. Erin Gemmell (Texas) – 48.01
6. Gigi Johnson (Stanford) – 48.09
7. Vasilissa Buina (USC) – 48.40
8. Abby Wanezek (Wisconsin) – 48.65

In a fairly fast final, the top six women all finished under last year’s NCAA invite time of 48.40.

Stanford’s Torri Huske led the way with a 46.62. That’s her second-fastest swim ever, behind only her 46.46 from the 2023 NCAA Championships.

Texas’ Ava Longi broke 48 for the first time in her career with a 47.46 to take 2nd, followed by Minna Abraham (47.74) and Grace Cooper (47.74).

MEN’S 100 FREE – FINALS

• NCAA Record: 39.90, Caeleb Dressel (Florida) – 2018
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 41.34
• 2024 NCAA Cutline: 42.19

Top 8:

1. Camden Taylor (Texas) – 42.35
2. Luke Maurer (USC) – 42.50
3. Julian Koch (Pitt) – 42.61
4. Garrett Gould (Texas) – 42.70
5. Kobe Ndebele (Texas) – 42.87
6. Oliver Sogaard-Andersen (USC) – 42.89
7. Chris Morris (Wisconsin) – 43.04
8. Luigi Riva (BYU) – 43.06

On the other hand, not a single guy was under last year’s NCAA cut time. Texas sophomore Camden Taylor earned his second win of the meet with a 42.35. That’s a new personal best for Taylor, and he already likely secured his NCAA invite with his 1:32.02 win in the 200 free yesterday.

Taylor’s teammates Garrett Gould and Kobe Ndebele also earned personal best times of 42.70 and 42.87, respectively, as the Longhorns try to rebuild their sprint corps.

USC’s Luke Maurer finished 2nd behind Taylor with a 42.50, while Pitt’s Julian Koch hit a new lifetime best of 42.61 to take 3rd.

WOMEN’S 200 BREAST – FINALS

• NCAA Record: 2:01.29, Kate Douglass (Virginia) – 2023
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 2:05.73
• 2024 NCAA Cutline: 2:09.55

Top 8:

1. Lucy Bell (Stanford) – 2:06.55
2. Hazal Ozkan (Wisconsin) 2:08.46
3. Piper Enge (Texas) – 2:09.38
4. Katie McClintock (Wisconsin) – 2:11.04
5. Mackenzie Miller (BYU) – 2:11.51
6. Samantha Tadder (Stanford) – 2:12.02
7. Ashley McMillan (USC) – 2:12.03
8. Jasmine Anderson (BYU) – 2:17.26

Three women were within half a second of each other at the halfway point, but Lucy Bell of Stanford split 32.5 on each of the last two laps to pull ahead and win in 2:06.55. Bell had the fastest time in the nation this season (2:06.32) heading this week.

Wisconsin’s Hazal Ozkan took 2nd in 2:08.46, improving on her 2:09.16 lifetime best she set at last season’s Big Ten Champs. Texas freshman Piper Enge touched 3rd in 2:09.38, just under last year’s cut line, and just over her 2:09.09 lifetime best from 2021.

MEN’S 200 BREAST – FINALS

• NCAA Record: 1:46.35, Leon Marchand (ASU) – 2024
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:50.65
• 2024 NCAA Cutline: 1:53.12

Top 8:

1. Will Scholtz (Texas) – 1:51.66
2. Brayden Taivassalo (Texas) – 1:52.20
3. Ben Dillard (USC) – 1:52.42
4. Chris O’Grady (USC) – 1:53.55
5. Evan Yoo (Cal Poly) – 1:54.10
6. Chunho Chan (USC) – 1:55.14
7. Max Matteazzi (Pitt) – 1:56.43
8. Tanner Nelson (BYU) – 1:56.64

The Longhorns just keep adding the (likely) NCAA qualifiers. Will Scholtz already had NCAA invite essentially locked up after his 100 breast yesterday, but today he knocked over a second of his lifetime best in the 200 breast to win in 1:51.66.

Fellow Texas sophomore Brayden Taivassalo had a big swim of his own, also improving his best by roughly a second, and easily clearing last year’s NCAA invite time of 1:53.12 with a 1:52.20. With swimflation, we never know for sure what it’ll take to make the NCAA cut, but a second faster than last year’s time in a 200-yard event is generally safe.

That fact bodes well for USC’s Ben Dillard. He took 3rd tonight in 1:52.42, not only likely securing a NCAA invite, but also setting his first personal best in this event since the fall of 2021, when he went 1:52.44 at the Art Adamson Invite. Teammate Chris O’Grady took 4th in 1:53.55, slower than his time here last fall (1:52.86), but faster than he went during spring competition.

WOMEN’S 200 FLY – FINALS

• NCAA Record: 1:49.16, Alex Walsh (Virginia) – 2024
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:52.47
• 2024 NCAA Cutline: 1:55.88

Top 8:

1. Emma Sticklen (Texas) – 1:49.54
2. Lillie Nordmann (Stanford) – 1:53.79
3. Caroline Bricker (Stanford) – 1:54.62
4. Campbell Stoll (Texas) – 1:55.80
5. Angie Coe (Texas) – 1:56.09
6. Emily Thompson (Stanford) – 1:56.84
7. Abby Arens (Texas) – 1:57.10
8. Sydney Gring (Pitt) – 1:57.37

Emma Sticklen went sub-1:50 for the fourth time in her career, and the third time this season, with a 1:49.54 tonight. That’s the fastest time in the country this season, the #4 performance ever, and is Sticklen’s best time ever, after she went 1:49.77 earlier this season. Only Regan Smith (1:48.33), Alex Walsh (1:49.16), and Ella Eastin (1:49.51) have been faster.

Stanford teammates Lillie Nordmann (1:53.79) and Caroline Bricker (1:54.62) touched 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Longhorn Campbell Stoll also clipped last year’s invite time with a 1:55.80 tonight.

MEN’S 200 FLY – FINALS

• NCAA Record: 1:37.35, Jack Conger (Texas) – 2017
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:40.05
• 2024 NCAA Cutline: 1:42.10

Top 8:

1. Logan Walker (Texas) – 1:41.01
2. Ryan Branon (Texas) – 1:41.76
3. Michal Chmielewski (USC) – 1:41.82
4. Coby Carrozza (Texas) – 1:42.10
5. Cooper Lucas (Texas) – 1:42.72
6. Krzysztof Chmielewski (USC) – 1:42.88
7. Holden Smith (Texas) – 1:43.15
8. Diego Balbi (USC) – 1:44.81

For the second year in a row, Logan Walker set a lifetime best in this event at this meet. Last year, that time was just a 1:45.04. Today, it’s a 1:41.01. Walker had already popped a quick 1:41.70 three weeks ago against Indiana, but he improved that time by another 0.69s tonight to take the win.

Teammate Ryan Branon took 2nd in 1:41.76 after going 1:41.52, a personal best, in prelims. USC’s Michal Chmielewski also hit a personal best tonight, going 1:41.82 to improve on his 1:41.97 from this spring and 1:41.90 from prelims.

Longhorn Coby Carroza, who’s already safely qualified for NCAAs with his 500 time from Wednesday, exactly matched last year’s NCAA invite time in this event with a 1:42.10, a new personal best by 0.86s.

WOMEN’S 400 FREE RELAY – FINAL

• NCAA Record: 3:05.84, Virginia – 2024
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 3:13.74
• 2025 NCAA ‘B’ Cut: 3:15.28

Top 8:

1. Texas – 3:10.22
2. Stanford – 3:10.87
3. USC – 3:12.44
4. Wisconsin – 3:13.54
5. Texas ‘B’ – 3:14.52
6. Stanford ‘B’ – 3:14.82
7. Pitt – 3:15.51
8. Stanford ‘C’ – 3:15.63

Once again showcasing a deeper field than on the men’s side, the women’s race saw six teams representing four schools earn NCAA cut times in this event.

The Longhorn took the top time tonight with a 3:10.22. Emma Sticklen set a lifetime best by over a second with a 47.67, then Ava Longi (47.30), Grace Cooper (47.76), and Erin Gemmell (47.49) with a trio of similar times.

USC was in 2nd at the halfway point, thanks to a 48.29 leadoff from Vasilissa Buinaia and a 46.91 leg from Minna Abraham.

But Torri Huske of Stanford threw down a 45.98 split on the third leg, surging past not only USC, but Texas as well. Gemmell got past Annika Parkhe (48.37) for the win, as Stanford took 2nd in 3:10.87 and USC 3rd in 3:12.44.

Each of those three schools finished under the NCAA ‘A’ cut, as did Wisconsin (3:13.54). The Texas and Stanford ‘B’ squads each finished under the NCAA ‘B’ cut.

MEN’S 400 FREE RELAY – FINAL

• NCAA Record: 2:43.40, Arizona St. – 2024
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 2:49.79
• 2025 NCAA ‘B’ Cut: 2:51.01

Top 8:

1. Texas ‘B’ – 2:49.67
2. Texas – 2:50.37
3. USC – 2:51.05
4. Wisconsin – 2:52.22
5. Texas ‘C’ – 2:52.69
6. Pitt – 2:53.02
7. BYU – 2:54.31
8. USC ‘B’ – 2:55.69

Assuming live results are correct, the Texas ‘B’ squad beat their ‘A’ team in the final event of the meet.

Will Modglin led off in 42.08, swimming 0.41s faster than his previous lifetime best, set here last year. Kobe Ndebele (42.85) and Kyle Peck (42.82), then Coby Carrozza anchored in 41.92 to stop the clock in 2:49.67.

The Texas ‘B’ team got a 42.59 leadoff from 100 free champ Camden Taylor, followed by Luke Hobson (42.33), Nate Germonprez (43.41), and Rex Maurer (42.04), combining for a 2:50.37 and a NCAA ‘B’ cut. All those guys except Maurer were on Texas’ 400 free relay last year, where they joined with Modglin to finish 12th.

USC took 3rd in 2:51.05, highlighted by a 42.69 from Oliver Sogaard-Andersen, two-tenths faster than his individual time tonight.