Louisville Invite: Freshman Sibirtsev Drops 14:56 Mile, a Best by 14 Seconds

LOUISVILLE FIRST CHANCE INVITATIONAL

Louisville freshman Ilia Sibirtsev made a big drop in the mile at the 2020 Louisville First Chance Invite. Sibirtsev’s former best was a 15:10 from midseason, but he dropped over 10 seconds from that to break 15:00 for the first time. His 14:56.07 is fast enough to have placed 8th at the 2019 ACC Championships and within striking range of the 14:55.89 that’s projected to qualify for this season’s NCAA Championships.

Arina Openysheva put up a 4:45.55 in the 500 free, marking her fastest swim since 2018. In the men’s race, Colton Paulson took 5 seconds off his season best in 4:21.54. Alena Kraus swam her first sub-1:48 of the season with a 1:47.45 in a 200 free time trial. Daniel Sos swam his lifetime best 1:36.32 in the men’s 200 free time trial. He also put up a best time in the 200 breast time trial in 1:57.40. In the 100 fly time trials, Evgenii Somov dropped 2 seconds with a 47.55.

Jack Wever made a big drop in the 200 back. He came into the meet with a best of 1:46.44, but won the final in 1:43.72. That’s fast enough to have scored in the ACC B final last season. Wever also broke 48 for the first time in the 100 back, setting his lifetime best in the final at 47.61.

Tanner Cummings dropped a lifetime best 43.52 in the 100 free ahead of Kyle Worrell (43.85). Worrell’s swim was his first time breaking 44. Andrej Barna had the fastest time of the day with a 43.36 in prelims. Cummings was just a couple of tenths off his 50 free best from midseason in 19.88. He swam another best with a 49.39 in a 100 back time trial, dropping over 2 seconds to break 50 for the first time.

Worrell was also just off his 50 free best in 20.55. He clipped his best in the 200 free (1:37.12), placing 2nd behind Santiago Aguilera, who dropped almost 2 seconds in 1:36.97. Sam Steele was slightly faster with his prelims time of 1:36.58. Aguilera took a couple of tenths off his best with a 50 free time trial in 20.57. His 44.12 in the 100 free to place 3rd was another best.

Tennessee’s Parker Kaye had a breakthrough in the 100 breast, setting a lifetime best for the first time since 2018. Kaye dropped half a second to break 54 for the first time in 53.99, touching ahead of Louisville’s Aaron Parrott (54.34), who swam his lifetime best 54.28 in prelims. Parrott dropped over 2 seconds to win the 200 breast in 1:56.98, while Kaye broke 2:00 for the first time in 1:59.88.

PRESS RELEASE – LOUISVILLE

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The No. 10/19 University of Louisville men’s and women’s swim team concluded the two-day Louisville First Chance Invitational at the Ralph Wright Natatorium on Saturday night in final preparation before the ACC Championships.

“I loved the energy our group had today, and it was a really great environment for good swimming and our swimmers responded to that in the pool,” said head coach Arthur Albiero. “What we’ve seen in practice the last few weeks says a lot about our progression as a program and as a team.”

Ilia Sibirtsev began the meet by taking first in the men’s 1650 freestyle with a time of 14:56.07, well under the NCAA ‘B’ standard. In her last race as a Cardinal, senior Maggie Jahns won the women’s 400 individual medley in 4:22.98 while Chase Sellers won the men’s event in 3:55.74.

Katie Schorr snuck under the 1:50-barrier in the women’s 200 freestyle, doing so in a winning time of 1:49.96 before going on to swim the 50 freestyle in 23.75. In the men’s 200 freestyle, Santiago Aguilera (1:36.97) and Kyle Worrell (1:37.12) finished first and second, respectively. Kelly Tichenor got her hands to the wall in 54.01 in the women’s 100 butterfly as Greyson Alarcon won the men’s 100 butterfly in 47.99, followed by teammates Caleb Duncan (49.10) and Neal Morsi (49.92).

Kyla Alexander (54.39) and Sofie Underdahl (54.77) delivered a 1-2 finish for the Cardinals in the women’s 100 backstroke and Jack Wever won the men’s race in an NCAA ‘B’ cut time of 47.61. Alarcon (48.95), Morsi (49.53), and Sellers (49.30) also competed in the men’s 100 backstroke.

Aaron Parrott posted a lifetime best in the men’s 200 breaststroke, finishing in 1:56.98 for an NCAA ‘B’ standard. Tanner Cummings led the way in the men’s 50 freestyle with an NCAA ‘B’ cut of 19.88, followed by Duncan (20.13), Worrell (20.59), Jeremiah Holmes (20.65), and Derek Sander (20.93).

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Dee
4 years ago

Does anybody know why so many Russian swimmers go to school in Louisville?

cody milller's camera
Reply to  Dee
4 years ago

one of the coaches is Russian , great guy

Coach Nico
Reply to  cody milller's camera
4 years ago

Actually, Coach Vlad is a former world champion and Olympian for Kazakhstan. And yes, great guy and coach!

About Lauren Neidigh

Lauren Neidigh

Lauren Neidigh is a former NCAA swimmer at the University of Arizona (2013-2015) and the University of Florida (2011-2013). While her college swimming career left a bit to be desired, her Snapchat chin selfies and hot takes on Twitter do not disappoint. She's also a high school graduate of The …

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