In the two-day Kentucky Quad Meet, featuring teams from Missouri, Northwestern, Kentucky, and Southern Illinois, it was the Tigers who won on both the men and women’s side.
WOMEN’S RESULTS
Friday
Missouri started off strong, winning the 200 free relay (1:33.08) by over a second. Senior Dani Barbiea provided a quick 22.45 split on the 2nd leg of the Tigers’ relay to put them ahead of the field.
Tiger sophomore Katharine Ross preserved Missouri’s win streak with a 2:01.64 victory in the 200 IM, followed by fellow sophomore Danielle Galyer of Kentucky, who finished in 2:02.73. Ross also won the 100 breaststroke with a strong 1:01.15, knocking off teammate Abby Duncan (1:01.68).
Kentucky’s first win came from sophomore Kendal Casey, who cruised to a 4:51.18, good enough for the 500 free win.
Missouri was on top again in the next two events, starting with Hannah Stevens‘ 1:57.17 to power past Galyer for the victory in the 200 back. In the 100 free, Barbiea went out hard and held on to touch out Northwestern sophomore Annika Wisnes, 50.12 to 50.63. Missouri also claimed third place thanks to Rachel Hayden (50.99)
Kentucky butterfly star Tina Bechtel dominated the 200 fly, going 1:57.37 as well as being the only swimming to break two minutes. Bechtel followed that with a very strong 53.31 as the Wildcats’ fly leg on the 400 medley relay, however it was Mizzou that took the event, thanks to impressive splits from Barbiea (53.14 to beat Bechtel) and Hayden (49.99). Notably, Duncan swam a 1:01.52 breast leg on Mizzou’s B relay, which was one-tenth quicker than Ross, who was on the A relay. Also, Northwestern was disqualified in this relay.
Saturday
Starting with the 200 medley relay on day two, Missouri held on by a mere thirteen hundredths to take the win over Kentucky. Each leg was fairly close to the other, but Ross’s 28.75 breast split powered over the 29.28 swam by senior Sam Shaheen. Northwestern freshman Mary Warren had perhaps the most impressive split, anchoring their third place relay in a speedy 22.81.
Northwestern, a team marked by younger talent, exploded to wins in the next two events. Sophomore Lauren Abruzzo (10:04.00) and freshman Sydney Modeas (10:08.23) went 1-2 in the 1000, followed by Warren’s return to win the 50 free (23.35). She knocked off Barbiea (23.37) and Bechtel (23.58) for Northwestern’s second victory of the meet.
After holding off Galyer in the 200 back, Stevens repeated the feat to take the 100 back (54.97) over the Kentucky Wildcat (55.22) and NU sophomore Lacey Locke (55.65).
Senior Dani Spradlin led a 1-2-3 sweep by the Tigers in the 200 breast, going 2:14.85 for the win. She was followed by Ross (2:16.07) and Duncan (2:16.11). Spradlin also won the 400 IM (4:20.16).
Bechtel made a statement in the 100 fly, going 53.06 (starting off with a 24.66 first 50!) to defeat Barbiea (53.76). NU freshmen Aja Malone (56.68) and Maddy Sims (57.43) followed a ways back.
Abby Myers led a Kentucky 1-2 finish in the 200 free. She finished in 1:50.83, followed by fellow senior Kristen Wilson (1:51.35).
Without Bechtel or Barbiea swimming in the final 400 free relay, Northwestern was able to surprise the field with a win in 3:27.53. Wisnes held off Kentucky’s Wilson, 50.61 to 51.18, for Northwestern’s only relay victory.
While Southern Illinois did not have much firepower in the swimming events, junior Cheri Zhang pulled off wins in the 1 meter and 3 meter diving events.
MEN’S EVENTS
Friday
Missouri kicked off the meet with a commanding win in the 200 free relay, with no swimmer splitting slower than 20.55. Matthew Margritier had the fastest split (20.00) of the entire field, and that was with a flat start. Missouri’s B relay nearly knocked off Northwestern’s A relay for 2nd, but was .04 short. Missouri was lights out in the 200 IM, placing 1-4 in the event.
Northwestern All-American star Jordan Wilimovsky cruised to a victory in the 500 free (4:25.72) which puts him 7th in the nation.
Missouri won the next three events, highlighted by a 54.52 in the 100 breast by senior Sam Tierney.
Sophomore Kyle Higgins broke up the Tiger domination in the 200 fly, swimming to a 1:48.07 victory over three Tigers going 1:49’s.
Mizzou was back, however, to finish 1-2 in the session-ending 400 medley relay. The A clocked in at 3:17.89, led by a 53.93 breast split from Tierney and a 43.69 anchor from sophomore Michael Chadwick.
Saturday
Northwestern began the second day of competition with a surprising win over Mizzou in the 200 medley relay. The Wildcat squad of freshman Alex Snarski, senior Uula Auren, sophomore Andrew Jovanovic, and freshman Almog Olshtein finished in 1:30.86. Olshtein (19.99) and Chadwick (19.94) had impressive anchors for their teams.
Wilimovsky destroyed the 1000 free, his 9:12.02 over 9 seconds ahead of the next competitor.
The Tigers won the next five events, but the 100 back and 100 fly featured some great races. In the 100 back, Snarski was just out-touched, 49.97 to 49.95, by Mizzou sophomore Carter Griffin who won the 200 back on Friday. In the 100 fly, Tiger senior Mack Darragh swam to a 49.63 victory over 200 fly winner Higgins (49.73).
The 400 IM featured another tight race, and it was Wilimovsky who crushed the free leg of the race to win in 4:00.75 by five hundredths over Kentucky sophomore Brandon Flynn.
Mizzou had the fastest 400 free relay (2:58.45), but Northwestern’s 3:05.52 took the win as Missouri swam the last event in exhibition.
Way to go Hannah and Tigers!!!!!