Tennessee Invite Day 1 Prelims: Brown Swims Nation-Leading 21.52 50 FR

2018 TENNESSEE INVITATIONAL

• November 29 – December 1, 2018
• Knoxville, TN (Jones Aquatic Center)
• Short Course Yards
• Live Results

TEAMS

• Tennessee
• Duke
• Penn State
• Denver
• Penn
• Carson-Newman

The 2018 Tennessee Invitational kicked off this morning with prelims of the 500 free, 200 IM, and 50 free. Erika Brown headlined this morning’s races with a nation-leading 21.52 in the 50 free. That time comes in just off Brown’s personal best of 21.39, which she swam at last season’s SEC Champs. Up until this morning, Arkansas’ Anna Hopkin held the fastest time in the NCAA with a 21.64, and only Ky-Lee Perry and Mallory Comerford had also been under 22 seconds so far. Cal’s Abbey Weitzeil briefly had the fastest time in the nation this morning, after posting a 21.62 to undercut Hopkin by .02 seconds. About 45 minutes later, Brown dropped her 21.52, taking the top spot from Weitzeil. Grace Ariola (Texas – 21.77) and Marta Ciesla (USC – 21.85) also went under 22 seconds later in the morning at the Texas Hall of Fame Invite, bringing the total of sub-22 second 50 freestylers to 7 this season. Tennessee was dominant in the women’s 50 as a whole, taking 6 of the 8 A Final spots, with each of those swimmers going under 23 seconds this morning.

Tennessee had almost as strong a showing in the men’s 50, where they advanced 5 swimmers to the A final. Kyle Decoursey led the way with a 19.52, narrowly beating out post-grad teammate Ryan Coetzee by just .02 seconds. Mark Andrew (Penn) picked up a top seed for tonight, swimming a 1:46.75 to slightly out-pace Mathew Dunphy (Tennessee) by .11 seconds. The top 8 this morning was pretty tight, with Denver’s Adriel Sanes swimming a 1:48.30 to claim the last spot in tonight’s A final.

Tennessee claimed 7 of the 8 A final spots in the women’s 200 IM. Tess Cieplucha led the way, touching in 1:58.44, with Meghan Small just behind (1:58.53). Duke’s Zoe Lusk was the lone non-Vol to make the A final, coming in 7th with a 2:00.75. Ally McHugh (Penn State) handily led the women’s 500 this morning, posting a 4:41.57 to claim the top seed by 3.01 seconds. Cieplucha was 2nd in that event, with a 4:44.58. If she swims both races tonight, Cieplucha will be in the hunt for 1st place in both.

Denver’s Colin Gilbert was the only swimmer in the men’s 500 free to break 4:20 this morning, swimming a 4:18.46. Taylor Abbot (Tennessee) was 2nd this morning, posting a 4:20.50.