Ohio State Invite Day 2 Prelims: VT’s Youssef Ramadan Blasts 44.64 100 fly

2021 OHIO STATE FALL INVITATIONAL

• November 18-20, 2021
• McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion, Columbus, Ohio
• SCY (25 yards)
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results also on Meet Mobile: “2021 Ohio State Fall Invitational”

2021 NCAA CUT LINES

The Ohio State Invite day two prelims provided plenty of highlights from some of the top programs in the country, including Indiana, Kentucky, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, along with the host Buckeyes.

The women’s 400 IM started the morning off strong with 6 swimmers going under last year’s NCAA invite time of 4:13.19. Leading the way was Ohio State 5th year senior Katie Trace who touched in 4:09.22 to take the top seed into tonight’s finals. Clocking in just behind her was Kentucky’s Gillian Davey in 4:09.79 to take the second spot. Kentucky will have two other swimmers in tonight’s A final, including 5th year Bailey Bonnett (4th-4:11.00) and junior Lauren Poole (6th- 4:12.48). Indiana will also have two representatives in the A final, with freshman National Teamer Mariah Denigan (3rd- 4:10.24) and senior Mac Looze (5th- 4:12.45).

Indiana’s Mikey Calvillo took the top spot in the men’s 400 IM, stopping the clock in 3:47.93. His teammate Tristan Dewitt also qualified for the A final, touching third in 3:48.87. Virginia Tech will also have two A finalists in sophomore Carles Coll Marti (2nd- 3:48.64) and senior Filippo Dal Maso (6th- 3:50.07), while Notre Dame will have a pair of sophomores in tonight’s A final, with Tyler Christianson qualifying 4th in 3:49.21 and Sean Faikish qualifying 8th in 3:50.81

Ohio State’s Katherine Zenick and Notre Dame’s Coleen Gillilan tied for the top spot in women’s 100 fly with a 52.25, with both swimmers touching under last year’s NCAA invite time. Joining them under that standard was UCLA junior Gabby Dang who qualified third in 52.46. Joining them in the A final will be Navy’s Sydney Harrington (4th- 52.71), Indiana’s Elizabeth Borshears (5th- 52.93) and Brearna Crawford (8th- 53.55), Virginia Tech’s Karisa Franz (T-6th- 53.34) and Ohio State’s Tristan Harrison (T-6th- 53.34).

Virginia Tech’s Youssef Ramadan punched his ticket to the NCAA Championships with an A cut 44.64 in the 100 fly. That swim would have been the 3rd fastest prelim time at last year’s NCAA Championships, where Ramadan was actually DQ’d. IU had a pair of swimmers touch under last year’s NCAA invite time, with 5th year classmates Bruno Blaskovic touched second in 45.98 and Gabriel Fantoni touched in 3rd in 46.20, while teammate Van Mathias also qualified for the A final after touching 6th in 46.72. NCAA A finalist Antani Iavanov of Virginia Tech finished in 8th in 46.99, well off his lifetime best of 44.54.

Indiana freshman Anna Peplowski posted a massive lifetime best of 1:44.77 to take the top seed for tonight’s women’s 200 free. Peplowski’s previous lifetime best was 1:47.26 from the 2020 Illinois Swimming Senior Champs during her junior year of high school.  Joining her under last year’s NCAA invite time was Ohio State’s Amy Fulmer in 1:45.13, IU’s Ella Ristic who touched third in 1:45.52 and Kentucky’s Riley Gaines who qualified fourth in 1:45.76.

The Indiana men were dominant in the 200 free, with freshman Rafael Miroslaw touching first in 1:33.89 to slip under last year’s NCAA invite time. His teammates Brendan Burns (2nd- 1:34.34), Jack Franzmann (6th- 1:36.18) and Jacob Destrampe (8th- 1:37.15) will make it a Hoosier quartet in tonight’s A final.

Continuing the theme of a strong women’s meet, five swimmers swam under last year’s NCAA invite time in the women’s 100 breast. Leading the way was Ohio State junior Hannah Bach, who took the top seed in 59.19. A trio of Hoosiers followed closely behind her, with junior Emily Weiss touching in 59.42, senior Noelle Pelowski qualifying third in 59.79 and freshman Brearna Crawford qualifying third in 1:00.00. Ohio State junior Josie Panitz also swam under the invite time, qualifying fifth in 1:00.07.

Pittsburgh’s Cooper Van Der Laan posted a massive prelim swim in the men’s 100 breast to take the top seed in 51.42, the second NCAA A time of the morning. That swim would have been the 5th fastest prelim swim at least year’s NCAA Championships, where Van Der Laan finished 8th. Notre Dame senior Josh Bottelberghe also swam under last year’s invite time, qualifying second in 52.00. Indiana’s blue chip recruit Josh Matheny qualified third in 53.27, though was well off his lifetime best of 51.84.

The women’s 100 back saw four swimmers touch under last year’s NCAA invite time, with Kentucky junior Caitlin Brooks taking the top spot in 52.37. She was closely followed by Virginia Tech sophomore Emma Atkinson, who touched second in 52.52. Notre Dame’s Madelyn Christman and Ohio State’s Emily Crane tied for third in 52.89, also touching under last year’s invite time.

The session wrapped up with the men’s 100 back where Indiana’s Gabriel Fantoni took the top spot in 45.48. Qualifying second was Ohio State’s Olympic Gold Medalist Hunter Armstrong in 45.80 with both swimmers coming in well under last year’s NCAA invite time. Indiana fifth year Jacob Steele qualified in third in 46.37 to match last year’s invite time.

Tonight’s finals will start at 5 PM EST in Columbus.