Florida State Cruises to Wins at Home Invitational
A variety of swimming and diving programs converged on Tallahassee, Fla., for an early-season invitational this weekend, but the hosting Seminoles were victorious by significant margins. The Florida State “A” team scored 360 points to beat out Rice (255), West Virginia (205.5) and the FSU “B” team (159.5). On the men’s side, Florida State scored 365 points to comfortably out-score Purdue (239), WVU (186.5) and Tampa (167.5).
The Seminoles team of Alice Velden, Martina Fanunza, Maryn McDade and Kiara Caamano won the 200 medley relay in 1:38.22, followed by Fanunza grabbing the team’s first individual win in the 50 breaststroke (28.78). Fanunuza would also take first in the 200 breast (2:17.24) and 100 breast (1:02.99).
McDade topped the 50 freestyle (22.72), and Velden won the 100 backstroke (53.42), and in the rarely-contested 100 free relay, with each swimmer racing 25 yards, the team of McDade, Caamano, Sarah Evans and Velden clocked 41.00 for a comfortable win.
Another 100-yard relay started day two, with Welden, Fanunza, McDade and Caamano touching in 45.52. McDade got victories in the 50 butterfly (23.98) and 100 free (50.03), and Sophie Freeman was first in the 200 fly (2:00.62). Further Seminole wins came from Velden in the 50 back (24.52) and Caroline Agee in the 200 IM (2:02.79).
In diving, FSU’s Evelyn Hall won 3-meter (282.35) and -meter (252.00), and the meet concluded with McDade, Evans, Caamano and Maysa Ratiu winning the 200 free relay in 1:31.68.
Rice’s Ava Portello took first in the 200 free (1:48.01), and Lily Archibald was first in the 100 fly (53.65). The 100 IM went to Bella Zhang in 56.57. Day two of competition saw Portello win the 500 free (4:50.08) and Ava Hamblett take first in the 200 back (1:58.39). For West Virginia, MJ Gilligan won a narrow victory in the 400 IM (4:22.05)
The FSU men’s team of Max Wilson, Marcos Egri-Martin, Michel Arkhangelskiy and Sam Bork was victorious in the 200 medley relay in 1:25.22. Egri-Martin came in first in the 50 breast (24.37), and Mathias Christensen topped the 400 IM (3:47.38). Logan Robinson continued the winning with a time of 46.70 in a tight 100 fly.
Arkhangelskiy grabbed his first individual win in the 50 free, his 19.54 beating Purdue’s Janis Dzirkalis by two hundredths. Tommasso Baravelli went 1:59.60 for the win in a tight race in the 200 breast, and Robinson won again in the 200 IM. A foursome consisting of Bork, Arkhangelskiy, Wilson and Gustav Olsson took first in the 100 free relay in 35.14.
Wilson, Egri-Martin, Arkhangelskiy and Bork won the 100 medley relay in 37.74, and Arkhangelskiy clocked 20.77 for another tight win in the 50 free. The 100 free finally brought some breathing room as Arkhangelskiy clocked 42.75 to win by more than a half-second. Robinson picked up a third win in the 200 fly (1:43.83), and diving wins came from Noah Turner in 1-meter (282.15) and Hayden Schroeder in 3-meter (288.75).
To conclude the competition, Wilson won the 50 back in 22.05 before Bork, Olsson, Wilson and Arkhangelskiy clocked 1:17.63 to win the 200 free relay.
Tampa’s Jacob Hamlin picked up first in the 200 free (1:36.34) and 500 free (4:24.87). Purdue’s first win came from Blake Rowe in the 100 back (47.47), and he added a second victory in the 200 back (1:42.66). Jonah Lee followed with a 100 breast triumph (53.59).
