Kate Douglass Clocks Lifetime Best 1:54.30 200 IM at Day 1 Prelims of UT Invite

2019 TENNESSEE INVITATIONAL

• November 21st-24th, 2019
• Alan Jones Aquatic Center, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee
• SCY, Prelims/Finals
• Meet Details
• Psych Sheets
• Results on MeetMobile: 2019 UT Invite

Competing Teams

• Tennessee
• Indiana
• Virginia
• Georgia
• Carson-Newman

The first session of the Tennessee Invite kicked off this morning with the 500 free, 200 IM, and 50 free. Tonight’s finals session will also include the 200 free relay and 400 medley relay. Paige Madden (UVA) maintained her top seed in the 500 free, clocking a 4:40.17 for the top time this morning. That swim comes in just a little off Madden’s season best of 4:38.67, and puts her in excellent position for the race tonight. UGA’s Courtney Harnish melted over 5 seconds from her seas taking the 2nd spot for tonight’s final with a 4:40.89. IU’s Josie Grote posted a lifetime best this morning with a 4:42.57, which earned her the 3rd fastest time of the morning. Grote had a previous best of 4:42.96, which she swam in prelims of NCAAs back in March.

In the men’s 500 free, UGA senior Walker Higgins blew away the top time in the NCAA this season with a 4:13.05 to take the top seed for tonight by nearly 3 seconds. Higgins touched the wall just .69 seconds off his lifetime best of 4:12.34, which he swam at the SEC Championships back in February. Higgins’ race was very consistent, splitting between 25.44 and 25.95 in 50s 3-9. UGA had a great team performance in the event, taking the 2nd and 3rd spots this morning as well. Kevin Miller was next in with a 4:15.70, and Andrew Abruzzo clocked a 4:16.63 for 3rd. The Bulldogs also got Greg Reed and Grant Norgan into the A final with times of 4:20.04 and 4:20.71 respectively. Mikey Calvillo (IU) dropped 5 seconds from his season best to finish 4th this morning, touching in 4:18.39. UVA’s Jack Walker, who was leading the NCAA coming into this weekend was 5th this morning with a 4:19.99.

UVA freshman star Kate Douglass kicked off her meet with yet another personal best in the 200 IM , taking the top seed in the event with a 1:54.30. Douglass entered the NCAA this Fall with a best mark of 1:56.09, then swam a 1:55.15 at the Trojan Invite in October. She has now lowered her time by about another second. UGA freshman Zoie Hartman was 2nd this morning clocking a season best of 1:55.65. That time is Hartman’s 3rd fastest of her career with her personal best coming in at 1:54.62. Tennessee’s Meghan Small came in right behind Hartman, touching in 1:55.88. Another huge drop came from IU freshman Cora Dupre, who took 2.43 off her lifetime best this morning, came in 6th with a 1:57.33.

Dupre also went on to swim a 22.15 lifetime best in the women’s 50 free, taking 4th this morning. Tennessee star Erika Brown also swam both the 200 IM and 50 free this morning. Brown took 8th in the IM this morning, swimming a 1:57.61. She then swam the fastest time in the 50 free this morning, touching in 21.53. Brown briefly held the NCAA and American Records in the 50 last season, when she clocked a 21.15 at the SEC Championships. Abbey Weitzeil currently holds both records at 21.02. Also, Arkansas’ Anna Hopkin swam a 21.19 last night at the Mizzou Invite.

Indiana’s Mohamed Samy, who entered the week as the top 200 IM’er in the NCAA this season, took the top spot in this morning’s prelim, finishing in 1:44.35. IU also picked up A finalists in the men’s IM with Jacob Steele taking 4th in 1:45.74, and Brendan Burns coming in 7th in 1:46.05. Tennessee picked up 2nd and 3rd place seeds for tonight, with Matthew Garcia posting a 1:44.78 and Alec Connolly swimming a 1:44.92. UGA picked up 3 A finalists, with Harry Homans taking 5th (1:45.84), Zach Hils taking 6th (1:45.88), and Clayton Forde taking 8th in 1:46.24.

Tennessee post-grad Kyle Decoursey led the way in the men’s 50 free, touching in 19.47. The Vols also picked up 3 A finalists, and had 4 swimmers under 20 seconds this morning. Alec Connolly was the top current NCAA swimmer of the morning, swimming to a season best of 19.60. Seth Bailey and Nolan Briggs each swam a 19.92 to tie for 6th, and Tennessee’s Braga Verhage was 9th in 19.97. IU picked up a 3rd place finish from Bruno Blaskovic (19.66), with Gabriel Fantoni coming in 4th (19.80) and Jack Franzman also tied for 6th at 19.92. UGA earned an A finalist, with freshman Dillon Downing clocking in at 19.91 for 5th.