The LSU men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams each earned a dual meet victory over Kentucky in the Tigers’ first home meet of the season Friday in the LSU Natatorium.
The No. 14 Tiger men edged out the Wildcats by a score of 159-141, while the No. 21 Tiger women won with a score of 203-97.
LSU set a total of five pool records. Jere Hribar broke Brooks Curry’s record in the 50-free, posting a time of 19.10. The junior also broke his own record in the 100-free, clocking in at 42.07. Sophomore Volodymyr Lisovets set a new pool record in the 100-breast with a time of 52.74, edging Mitch Mason’s former top time. Megan Barnes set a new pool record in the 200-free, clocking a 1:45.18. Last, but not least, the men’s 200-medley relay squad of Stepan Goncharov, Lisovets, Caleb Ellis, and Hribar set the pool record, coming in at 1:24.07.
The Tigers won 27 of the 32 events on the day.
The meet began with the 200-medley relay, which featured Zoe Carlos-Broc, Martina Bukvic, Sofia Sartori and Michaela de Villiers touching the wall first with a time of 1:37.39 on the women’s side. The men’s squad of Goncharov, Lisovets, Ellis, and Hribar also took the top spot with a time of 1:24.07 – the new pool record.
Sophomore Nicole Santuliana notched the top spot in the 1000-free, posting a season-best 9:45.68.
The Tigers took first and second in both the men’s and women’s 200-free. Senior Megan Barnes touched first for the women with a time of 1:45.18, a new pool record, followed by Anastasia Bako at 1:48.11. On the men’s side, Junior Jovan Lekic placed first, coming in at 1:34.27, just ahead of freshman Simon Meubry at 1:36.23.
Carlos-Broc and Goncharov each won a pair of meets on the day, both including the 100-back. Carlos-Broc clocked a time of 51.84, and Goncharov won with a time of 46.29. Both of their times met the NCAA Division I qualifying standard. Carlos-Broc went on to win the 200-IM with a time of 1:58.90, while Goncharov won the 200-back, posting a time of 1:45.00.
The LSU women swept the top three spots in the 100-breast. Junior Sabrina Lyn touched the wall first with a time of 1:00.87. Bukvic and Grace Palmer followed behind at 1:00.91 and 1:01.89, respectively. On the men’s side, Lisovets took the top spot with a time of 52.74 – a new pool record.
In the 200-fly, Sartori placed first, coming in at 1:55.11. Sophomore Giulia Zambelli finished in second with a time of 1:57.10. Both times met the NCAA Division I qualifying standard.
De Villers and Hribar – each one of the team captains – won the men’s and women’s 50-free, with de Villiers clocking a 22.33 and Hribar posting a new pool record time of 19.10.
The Tigers led the Wildcats by a score of 69-62 on the men’s side and 95-36 on the women’s at the first 15-minute break.
Coming out of the break for the 100-free, LSU placed first in both the men’s and women’s races. De Villiers won with a time of 48.79, while on the men’s side, Hribar set a new pool record with a time of 42.07.
Sartori took her second individual top spot of the meet in the 200-back with a time of 1:54.83. The senior went on to win the 100-fly as well with a time of 51.95. Each of those times met the NCAA Division I qualifying standard.
Palmer and Lisovets then each touched the wall first in the 200-breast. Palmer won the women’s race, putting up a time of 2:10.77, a time that met the NCAA Division I qualifying standard. Lisovets won the event on the men’s side with a time of 1:57.19.
LSU took the top spot in the 500-free, as well. Barnes placed first with a time of 4:43.93, and Lekic notched first, posting a time of 4:14.50, which met the NCAA Division I qualifying standard.
Following the 500-free, the Tigers entered the second and final 15-minute break with the men leading by a score of 130-115, while the women led 166-79.
The final swimming races of the meet featured LSU earning victories in the men’s and women’s 400-free relay. LSU’s women’s group of Bako, de Villiers, Barnes, and Carlos-Broc posted a season-best 3:17.08. The men’s squad of Andrew Garon, Hribar, Meubry and Diggory Dillingham came in at 2:52.04.
In the diving well, reigning SEC Diver of the Week Carson Paul placed first in the 1-meter (364.80) and 3-meter diving (383.25) for LSU. Sophomore Travis Keith claimed fourth place in the 1-meter (272.62) and fourth again in the 3-meter (321.90). On the women’s side, Eve Nelson notched first in the 3-meter (266.70).
Wildcat wins
Kentucky’s Levi Sandidge won the 1000 free in 8:57.98. Esteban Nunez Del Prado won the 100 fly (46.78). Ryan Merani won the 200 IM (1:46.67). Avery Giese won 1-meter diving with 292.58 points for the Kentucky women.
