Eva Okaro Splits 20.94, First in Texas History, In Sweep of Alabama
Eva Okaro delivered a historic relay split for the Texas women as the Longhorns opened the season with a sweep of Alabama.
The No. 2 ranked Texas women claimed a 211.5-88.5 victory over the No. 16 Tide. On the men’s side, the top-ranked reigning national champion Longhorns eased to a 216-82 win in Tuscaloosa.
Okaro was the standout among many options for Texas. In her first college meet, the Great Britain Olympian started out by splitting 20.94 seconds in 50 free off the end of the 200 medley relay. She’s the first female Texas swimmer to break 21 seconds off a relay split, though it wasn’t enough to win the race.
It would be the last time on the day that Okaro was denied victory. She went 21.87 in the 50 free to win, besting Alabama’s Cadence Vincent by .22 seconds. Okaro won the 100 free in 47.48, three-tenths up on Erin Gemmell. The quartet of Okaro, Lillian Nesty, Gemmell and Lucy Mehraban won the 400 free relay in 3:11.97, Okaro leading the way with a split of 47.39.
Texas pulled away with four 1-2-3 results in the back half of the meet. Gemmell went 1:43.30 to win the 200 free ahead of Nesty, who won the 200 backstroke in 1:54.07.
Jillian Cox pulled the distance double, winning the 1,000 free in 9:29.01 and the 500 free in 4:35.74. Kate Hurst was second in the 1,000 and third in the 500. Second in the 500 was Nikolett Padar, who was also the runner-up to Angie Coe’s winning time of 1:56.94 in the 200 individual medley. Piper Enge swept breaststroke, in 59.45 for the 100 and 2:09.62 for the 200. Campbell Stoll won the 200 fly, and Bayleigh Cranford won 1-meter diving before being the runner-up to Sarah Carruthers on 3-meter.
Alabama’s only individual wins came via Emily Jones, who went 51.55 in the 100 back, and Gaby Van Brunt’s 52.92 to win the 100 fly. Jones, Jada Scott, Van Brunt and Vincent went 1:34.59 to win the medley relay.
The Texas men rode two-win efforts from Rafael Fente-Damers, David Johnston and Nick Harris to the easy victory.
Johnston won 8:43.95 in the 1,000 free and 4:14.08 in the 500 free, each time besting Alabama’s Leonardo Alcantara.
Fante-Damers debuted in the college ranks by winning the 50 free in 19.37, ahead of teammate Garrett Gould’s 19.43, and going 42.40 to win the 100 free. The French Olympian joined Nate Germonprez, who won the 100 breast in 51.87, and Will Modglin, who won the 100 back in 45.07, on both winning relays. The 200 medley (with Ryan Branon on fly) went 1:23.57. The 400 free (with Gould) went 2:50.92.
Campbell McKean, who was .06 behind Germonprez in the 100, won the 200 breast in 1:53.38. McKean was second in the 200 IM to Rex Maurer’s 1:42.78, Maurer finishing second in the 200 free and 200 back. Cooper Lucas won the 200 fly in 1:42.35; second was Branon, whose 46.33 claimed the 100 fly.
Harris was the top scorer in both diving events. He tallied 373.13 on 1-meter to be 30 points better than Alabama’s Colten Cryer. Harris’ score on 3-meter was 399.53 for a 20-point margin over Cryer.
Alabama managed two wins. Toni Dragoja went 1:33.48 to edge Maurer in the 200 free. He was also second to Fente-Damers in the 100 free. Tommy Hagar went 1:40.25 to win the 200 back. He had also been second in the 100.
