Michigan State’s Sydney Kelly Wins Three Events on 1st Day of College Club Swimming Nats

2023 COLLEGE CLUB SWIMMING NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

• Friday, March 31 – Sunday, April 2, 2023
• McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion, Columbus, OH
• SCY (25 yards)
• Live Results + Psych and Heat Sheets
  • Live results also available on MeetMobile: “2023 CCS National Championship”
• Meet Central

TEAM SCORES THRU DAY ONE (TOP 5)

COMBINED

1. UVA – 366
2. Purdue – 330.5
3. Georgia Tech – 323
4. Michigan State – 311
5. Cal – 270

WOMEN

1. UVA – 253
2. Michigan State – 216
3. Cal – 147
4. Georgia Tech – 127
5. Wisconsin – 125

MEN

1. Purdue – 247.5
2. Liberty – 212
3. Georgia Tech – 196
4. Cal – 123
5. Georgia – 121

The 2023 College Club Swimming National Championships are underway at Ohio State’s McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. Collegiate club teams from all over the country have traveled to Columbus to compete in the largest college club meet of the year. Through the first day of the meet, Virginia’s club team is leading in both combined and women’s scoring, while Purdue is leading the men’s standings.

Friday marked the first day of the meet, which featured a timed finals session at night.

Michigan State, whose varsity program was cut a few years ago, kicked things off with a decisive victory in the women’s 800 free relay. Sydney Kelly (1:55.79), Sophia Balow (1:57.27), Rachel Aycock (2:02.30), and Kasey Venn (1:57.18) teamed up to post a 7:52.54, winning the race by four seconds.

UVA would go on to win the other women’s relay on the night: the 400 medley relay. Jamie Anderson (59.18), Emma Mitchell (1:06.60), Dana Korotovskikh (57.95), and Anna Sheng combined to clock a 3:56.01, touching first by nearly two seconds. Cal was second (3:57.98), getting out to a great start thanks to Amanda Ng‘s lead-off split of 57.40.

Ng had previously won the women’s 200 back earlier in the session, clocking a 2:02.41. She got out to a quick start with a 59.78 on the first 100, then held on through the back half.

Michigan State’s Syndey Kelly would go on from the relay victory to win the women’s 400 IM in 4:39.28. She was solid all the way around, splitting 1:02.15 on fly, 1:12.07 on back, 1:21.36 on breast, and 1:03.70 coming home on freestyle.

Kelly had a very busy night, as she also won the women’s 200 fly in 2:09.13. In her third race of the night, she still held on admirably, swimming a 1:02.19 on the first 100, then coming home in 1:06.94. Penn’s Caitlin Fagan was out faster than Kelly, splitting 1:01.34 on the first 100, but fell off her pace on the back half, coming home in 1:10.38 on the second 100. She ended up touching second in 2:11.72.

Michigan State picked up yet another win when Kasey Venn threw down a dominant performance in the women’s 200 breast, clocking a 2:17.88. Touching first by nearly six seconds, Venn got out to a strong start with a 1:05.99 on the first 100, then came home in 1:11.89.

The women’s 500 free saw Cal’s Sophie Klube tin by six seconds, finishing in 5:09.74.

In the men’s events, Liberty opened up the meet with a big win in the men’s 800 free relay. Matthew Davidson (1:39.25), Dillon Delaney (1:40.64), Trent Kolter (1:42.19), and Whittman Brown (1:40.66) teamed up to swim a 6:42.74.

The men’s 400 medley relay saw Liberty win once again, clocking a 3:19.23. Davidson once again led off, this time swimming a 48.55 100 back. Delaney then went second with a 54.69 breast split, and Kolter came in at 50.78 on the fly leg. Maximus Phillipps then anchored the team to victory in 45.21.

In a thrilling race, Grand Canyon’s Tim Koza won the men’s 400 IM by 0.05 seconds over Georgia Tech’s Ryan Altera, swimming a 3:59.50 to Altera’s 3:59.55. Altera got out to a slim lead, splitting 53.92 on the fly 100 to Koza’s 54.23. Altera was still leading at the 200-yard turn, splitting 1:54.90 to Koza’s 1:55.11. Koza then took the race over, splitting 1:07.56 on breast to out-split Altera by nearly two seconds. Altera battled back on the final 100, swimming a 55.41 to out-split Koza (56.83) significantly, but he ultimately came up just short of the win.

Penn State’s Ryan Strotheide won the men’s 200 back in 1:50.16. He swam a balanced race, splitting 26.08 on the first 50, then going 28.01, 28.07, and 28.00 respectively on the remaining 50s.

Georgia’s Thomas Askew won the men’s 200 fly in 1:50.04. Like Strotheide in the 200 back, Askew was exceptionally consistent in his race, splitting 24.59 on the first 50, then clocking splits of 28.30, 28.56, and 28.59 on the remaining 50s.

Michigan State’s Travis Nitkiewicz took the men’s 200 breast in 2:00.22. He was out quick, swimming a 57.17 on the first 100, then came home in 1:03.05.

Henry Radzikowski (Penn State) won the men’s 500 free in 4:34.24.