Michigan Distance Swimmers Shine at Georgia Tech Invitational Prelims (Day 1)

Georgia Tech Invite

• November 22-24
• Where: Georgia Tech Aquatic Center
• Atlanta, Georgia
• SCY (25 Yards)
• Prelims 10 am EST/ Finals 5:00 EST
• Participating Teams: Auburn, Emory, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Michigan
• Live Results: “2024 Georgia Tech Fall Invitational” on Meet Mobile

Day 1 prelims of the Georgia Tech Invitational happened this morning at 10 am Eastern Time. 5 schools competed in the 500 free, 200 IM, and 50 freestyle events, and Michigan came out fast in the 500 freestyles landing 5 swimmers in the top 8 on the women’s side and 4 on the men’s

Top Qualifiers:

• Women’s 500 freestyle: Hannah Bellard (Michigan)- 4:41.19
• Men’s 500 freestyle: Eduardo Moraes (Michigan)- 4:14.95
• Women’s 200 IM: Stephanie Balduccini (Michigan)- 1:56.56
• Men’s 200 IM: Colin Geer (Michigan)- 1:42.76
• Women’s 50 freestyle: Lexi Mulvihill (Auburn) 22.18
• Men’s 50 freestyle: Bence Szabados (Michigan)- 19.20

The women’s 500 freestyle was led by Michigan sophomore Hannah Bellard at 4:41.19. Millard has been as fast as 4:38.44 at this meet last year, but hasn’t been faster than 4:55.49 so far this season. Teammate and freshman Rebecca Diaconescu took second with a monster drop of almost 4 seconds. Her pre-college best time was 4:46.19 from October of last year. Freshman Marian Ploeger, also from Michigan, took third at 4:46.84, which is a drop for her, as well, from her best of 4:53.70 from a tri-meet in October. Michigan also qualified swimmers in the 4th and 6th spots for the final this evening.

The men’s 500 free was a similar Michigan story. Junior Eduardo Moraes took the top seed for the Wolverines at 4:14.95. Moraes dropped 2 and a half seconds from his previous best of 4:17.38 from the 2023 Big Ten conference championships. Auburn senior Mason Mathias took the only non-Michigan top-3 seed in the distance events with a time of 4:15.98. This was an add for Mathias, who came in with a best time of 4:10.82 from NCAAs earlier this year. Michigan freshman Lorne Wigginton took the 3rd seed at 4:20.08. Wigginton dropped 3 seconds in his prelims swim from his pre-college 4:23.40. The Wolverines also have swimmers in the 4th and 7th seeds for tonight’s final.

The women’s 200 IM top seed went to Michigan sophomore Stephanie Balduccini at 1:56.68. This was just a smidge away from her lifetime best of 1:56.60 from last year’s Big 10 championships. The second seed also went to a Michigan swimmer with junior Malia Amuan coming in at 1:57.56 which is almost a full second faster than her previous best of 1:58.3 from the same Big 10 meet. Florida State junior Edith Jernstedt with her 1:58.25, who added a little over half a second from the 1:57.64 mark she went at the 2023 ACC championships.

Colin Geer took another top seed for Michigan in the men’s 200 IM. Geer’s 1:42.76 was a new best time for him, besting his previous 1:42.82 from Big Tens by 6 one hundredths. Junior Eitan Ben-Shitrit, from Michigan, grabbed the second seed at 1:44.15. This was 3 and a half seconds off the 1:41.66 Ben-Shitrit set at the 2024 NCAA Championships. Auburn senior Danny Schmidt was the 3rd seed from the morning session, just behind Ben-Shitrit, at 1:44.17. This was off Schmidt’s best time of 1:42.61 from NCAAs.

Lexie Mulvihill from Auburn earned the only non-Michigan top seed of the morning in the women’s 50 freestyle. Mulvihill’s 22.18 took the top seed by three one-hundredths over second seed Lindsay Flynn of Michigan at 22.21. The third seed went to Michigan’s Brady Kendall with a time of 22.28. All three women have been under the 22 second mark in their careers, but they all went new season best times this morning.

Bence Szabados, a 5th year from Michigan won the men’s 50 free prelims, stopping the clock at 19.20. This is just off Szabados personal best time of 19.00 from Big Tens last season. Auburn senior Kalle Makinen was second this morning at 19.32. Makinen was off his best of 19.16 from March of this year. Florida State sophomore Sam Bork dropped time to earn the 3rd seed and go 19.33 from his previous best of 19.55 from ACCs earlier this year.

Day 1 Finals will start at 5pm Eastern.