Texas Tops Tennessee as Campbell Stoll, Rex Maurer, Will Modglin Win Three Apiece
A pair of powerhouse SEC swimming programs met Friday in Austin as the University of Texas Longhorns welcomed the Tennessee Volunteers. Texas, the reigning national champions on the men’s side and third-place women’s program, was dominant throughout the day. In the morning session, the Longhorn women won 135-51 while the men achieved a 120-65 victory. In the combined session at night, Texas won 226.5-90.5.
To begin the day, the Texas women’s team of Eva Okaro, Erin Gemmell, Lillie Nesty and Lucy Mehrban combined for a time of 1:27.13 to win the 200 freestyle relay. Nesty was victorious in the 200 backstroke (1:52.81) while Okaro recorded a time of 47.06 in the 100 free to beat out Tennessee’s Camille Spink, the third-place finisher in the event at last year’s NCAA Championships by one hundredth. Okaro clocked 47.06 to Spink’s 47.07.
Jillian Cox was dominant as usual in the distance freestyle races. Last season’s national champion in the 500 and 1650 free won the 1000-yard race in 9:26.11. Another of the Longhorns’ returning stars, Bayleigh Cranford, dominated diving with scores of 356.48 on 3-meter and 301.50 on 1-meter.
Campbell Stoll took first in the 200 butterfly with a stellar mark of 1:52.25, and she was back shortly thereafter to take first in the 400 IM. Stoll overtook Tennessee’s Ella Jansen on the breaststroke leg and held on coming home to win 4:04.49 to 4:04.96. The Longhorns’ Piper Enge went 2:09.10 in the 200 breaststroke, and she handled the breaststroke leg on Texas’ victorious 400 medley relay, joining with Emma Kern, Stoll and Okaro to clock 3:38.97.
The second session of the meet began with Kern, Enge, Stoll and Okaro clocking 1:35.40 to win the 200 medley relay while Gemmell was the winner of the 200 free in 1:42.64. The 100 fly went to Stoll in 51.35, and Angie Coe topped the 200 IM in 1:55.53. Cox was back in the pool for the 500 free, and she posted a sizzling time of 4:33.91, a time which no other returning competitor clocked all of last season. The individual slate concluded with Kern getting first in the 100 back (52.51).
Tennessee’s women picked up two wins, and the first came in the women’s 100 breaststroke as McKenzie Siroky, the top returning finisher from last year’s NCAA Championships, clocked 57.78 to finish almost a half-second ahead of Enge (58.27). Next, Spink was first in the 50 free in 21.43.
For the Texas men, Rex Maurer scored two victories in the morning session. Maurer went 8:42.30 to win the 1000 free before recording a mark of 3:41.19 in the 400 IM. Will Modglin topped the 200 back in convincing fashion in 1:39.41, and Nate Germonprez led the way in the 200 breast (1:52.25). Divers Bennett Greene (1-meter, 388.95) and Nick Harris (3-meter, 417.60) were winners, and the team of Modglin, Germonprez, Ryan Branon and Rafael Fente-Damers took first in the 400 medley relay in 3:04.92.
When competition resumed in the evening, Modglin, Germonprez, Jacob Wimberly and Garrett Gould won the 200 medley relay in 1:22.70 before Camden Taylor took out the 200 free in 1:32.40, edging out Maurer (1:32.53). Modglin went 45.74 for first in the 100 fly, beating teammate Kyle Peck (45.75) by one hundredth, and Germonprez blasted a time of 50.62 for first place in the 100 breast.
Maurer’s third win of the day came in the 500 free, with the American-record holder and defending NCAA titlist clocking 4:10.75. Baylor Nelson came in first in the 200 IM (1:42.72) before Modglin became the second Texas man with three wins, going 44.96 in the 100 back. Notably, Modglin was even quicker earlier in the day as he led off the Longhorns’ 400 medley relay in 44.57.
Wrapping things up for Texas was the mixed 400 free relay team of Gould, Maurer, Gemmell and Okaro, who combined for a winning time of 2:58.90, almost eight tenths clear of Tennessee.
The Tennessee men kicked off the meet in fine fashion as Gui Caribe, Pedro Sansone, Nikoli Blackman and Kamal Muhammad won the 200 free relay in 1:16.19. Caribe was the only swimmer to break 42 in the 100 free, coming in at 41.93, while Blackman made it a Vol 1-2 finish in 42.30. Martin Espernberger came from behind to capture first in the 200 fly in 1:41.86.
Later in the day, Caribe was the only swimmer to crack 19 in the 50 free, going 18.98, but no other Volunteer swimmer picked up a win during the session.
