Maximus Williamson Sets Pool Record in 200 IM as Virginia Tops Penn State
Maximus Williamson set a pool record in the men’s 200 individual medley as Virginia celebrated Senior Day with a pair of nonconference wins over Penn State.
The top-ranked women swept every event for a 154-61 win to move to 6-0. The men’s team claimed a 133-85 decision.
Williamson had a hand in two pool relays at the Aquatic and Fitness Center in Charlottesville, which was packed with a record crowd of 1,156 fans. Williamson joined Spencer Nicholas, Thomas Heilman and David King to go 3:04.05 in the 400 medley relay, obliterating the 2021 mark set by the University of Texas, which had been 3:09.47. That Virginia relay comprises to freshmen and two sophomores.
Wiliamson went 1:42.44 in the 200 IM, chipping .17 seconds off the pool mark of Virginia Tech’s Carles Coll Marti from a year ago. Williamson also won the 100 free in 42.28, just off the pool mark of 42.09 he set in October.
King won the 200 free in 1:34.09 and the 200 backstroke in 1:41.33. Heilman won the 200 butterfly in 1:41.97, getting within .36 seconds of the pool record set in 2020 by Jack Conger. Nathan Szobota won the 500 free.
Jack Aikins, one of the nine seniors honored, claimed the 50 free in 19.64, with Heilman (19.72) second. Aikins was second to King in the 200 back. Aikins (19.60) led off the winning 200 free relay, joining Nicholas, Noah Powers and Josh Howat to win in 1:18.71.
On the women’s side, Virginia had fun with its 400 medley relay, pairing a team of all seniors that won in 3:30.51. The squad was Carly Novelline, Emma Weber, Aimee Canny and Zoe Skirboll, four of the six seniors on the women’s team.
Claire Curzan won a pair of races. She bested Katie Grimes by less than a second in winning the 200 free in 1:43.50. Curzan then went 47.16 to win the 100 free, ahead of Nina Jazy, the German international making her college debut. Jazy led off the winning 200 free relay in 22.79, teaming with Anna Moesch, Sara Curtis and Melissa Nwakalor to win in 1:27.48.
Sophia Umstead also won twice. She clocked in at 1:56.51 to claim the 200 IM ahead of Skirboll, then went 2:09.72 in the 200 breast.
Brynn Greenwaldt, one of the seniors, won the 50 free in 21.61. Canny claimed the 200 fly in 1:54.49, just .42 seconds up on teammate Lana Pudar. Tess Howley won the 200 back in 1:52.25, and Lily Gormsen won the 500 free in 4:48.57.
Penn State’s lone swimming win came in the men’s 200 breast via Mariano Lazzerini’s time of 1:52.52. Kailey Koval won both women’s diving events for the Nittany Lions.
