Nov. 18, 2017
THE FLATS – Georgia Tech swimming & diving used a number of strong performances on the final day to conclude the Georgia Tech Invitational on Saturday at the McAuley Aquatic Center.
At the conclusion of the invitational, the men finished in third with a total score of 890 behind only Florida State (1569.5) and Alabama (1174.5), both nationally ranked. The women’s team tallied 923 points for a fourth-place finish. Auburn (1140.5), Alabama (1054) and Florida State (958.5) finished ahead of the host Jackets.
“I’m really proud of the way we finished this weekend. We had a lot of strong energy today and we really carried that into the afternoon session well,” head coach Courtney Shealy Hart said. “Hopefully we can remember that and use it as we train and get ready for the championship season. I’m really proud of the individual efforts we had today with season-bests and school records. Hopefully we can pull the positives out of this weekend and use the momentum as we look forward to getting into championship season.”
The Yellow Jackets will return to action in the USA Winter Nationals, beginning Nov. 29 in Columbus, Ohio.
Women’s Highlights
The women began the morning session in the 200 back prelims where Caroline Lee turned in an NCAA B qualifying time touch the wall in sixth place (1:57.69) and earn a spot in the A finals. Co-captain Sara Gilbert finished 16th with a time of 2:00.95 to make the B finals, while fellow Jackets Megan Young, Kira de Bruyn and Grace Mauldin came 23rd, 24th and 25th, respectively, to make the C finals.
Lee then broke out a school record-breaking performance in the 200 back A finals, turning in a time of 1:56.85 to finish third overall and break Heidi Hatteberg’s 2011 record (1:56.98). Gilbert finished fifth in the B finals with a career-best 1:59.52 time while Mauldin, Young and de Bruyn finished second, fourth and fifth, respectively, in the C finals.
In the Jackets’ first platform diving action of the season, freshman Camryn Hidalgo once again excelled, taking first place with a 270.05 final score. Freshman Paige Gohr finished seventh with 198.15 points and Carly Doi tallied 185.95 points for eighth place.
In the 100 free prelims, Iris Wang finished first with a 48.86 NCAA B time, while Kaitlin Kitchens set a new career-best to finish sixth with a 49.81 time, also an NCAA B time, as both qualified for the A finals.
In the finals, Wang went on to break her own school record with a 48.23 third-place time (NCAA B), placing in front of Kitchens in an eighth-place with a new career-best time of 49.68.
Kristen Hepler made the A finals in the 200 breast prelims after turning in a 2:16.44 time. Both Julia Shuford and Florina Ilie recorded a spot in the B finals placing 12th and 14th, respectively, with Shuford’s 2:17.63 finish being a career-best. Freshman Alexandra Nilsson made the C finals after a career-best 2:24.66 time in the morning session.
While Hepler finished 10th overall in the finals with a time of 2:18.64, Ilie set a new career-best NCAA B time of 2:13.78 to win the B finals. Shuford finished fifth in the B finals with a time of 2:18.70, finishing three spots in front of Nilsson who came in eighth in the C finals with her time of 2:23.28.
Laura Branton raced out to an impressive second-place finish with an NCAA B time of 1:59.21 in the 200 fly prelims. Emily Ilgenfritz also finished earned a spot in the A finals with a time of 2:01.32 and a 10th-place finish. Sophomores Chloe Miller and Tamir Gonen qualified for the B finals with 2.02.80 (16th) and 2:02.89 (18th) times, respectively, while Maddie Oliver finished with a 2:02.93 (19th) time.
In the finals, Branton posted another runner-up finish with a 1:58.76 NCAA B cut time, while Ilgenfritz placed ninth with a 2:02.83 outing. Gonen won the B finals with a career-best time of 2:00.02, while Oliver had a career-best effort in the B finals as well, finishing with a time of 2:01.66 and in third-place. Miller finished seventh in the B finals with a time of 2:03.20, while Lila Best finished ninth in the C finals with a 2:04.84 time.
In the 1650 free, Ilgenfritz turned a career-best time of 16:40.72 in the distance event to secure a third-place finish. Freshman Camille Long took ninth with a career-best time of 17:00.18, while Emily Dykstra turned in a career-best mark of 19:16.96 to place 22nd overall.
In the 400 free relay, the Tech team of Wang, Megan Hansen, de Bruyn and Kitchens turned in a season-best time of 3:20.17 to finish fourth overall.
Men’s Highlights
The men broke out of the gates in the 200 back prelims turning in two NCAA B qualifying times as Colt Williamson finished second with a career-best time of 1:43.77 and Rodrigo Correia finished fourth with a 1:44.99 time. Joonas Koski also finished in the top 10 with a career-best time of 1:47.23 for a 10th-place finish. Brad Oberg and Leon Warnakulasuriya finished 11th and 14th, respectively, to reach the B finals with Warnakulasuriya’s time of 1:49.51 being a personal record for the freshman.
Once in the finals, Correia set a new personal record with a third-place and NCAA B qualifying time of 1:43.00 in the A finals, while Williamson finished eighth with a time of 1:47.52. Oberg placed second in the B finals with a time of 1:47.17, while Warnakulasuriya reset his personal record with a 1:49.04 time.
Senior Noah Harasz led Tech in the 100 free, finishing 11th overall with a 44.69 time in the prelims. FreshmanFranco Reyes finished 15th (44:89), Albert Zhi finished 16th (44.93) and Austin Daniel finished 18th (44.95) to all qualify for the B finals, while sophomore Aidan Pastel made the C finals with a career-best 45.22 finish. First-year Jacket Jeffrey Murray finished with a career-best time of 45.63 in the prelims event.
In the finals, Harasz turned in a ninth-place performance in the A finals with a time of 44.45, while Reyes finished sixth (44.67) in the B finals. Also in the B finals, Zhi touched the wall in eighth (44.97) and Daniel set a new career-best time of 45.37. Pastel finished fifth in the C finals with a 45.44 time, ahead of Murray who placed 10th in the C finals with a 46.15 time.
Matt Casillas led Tech in its first platform diving action of the season, finishing third overall with a score of 367.40. Nolan Mallet finished seventh with 262.55 points, while Jacob Kreider placed 12th with a score of 222.20.
Tech’s Moises Loschi jumped out to a huge victory in the 200 breast prelims, turning in an NCAA B qualifying time of 1:56.13. Fellow Jacket Caio Pumputis was right behind him, finishing second with a NCAA B time of 1:57.34, while both Alex Kimpel and Jonathan Yang rounded out Tech’s four top-10 times with Kimpel finishing in eighth (2:01.67) and Yang finishing in 10th (2:02.80).
Also in the 200 breast prelims, Joseph Portillo finished 13th with a 2:03.16 time and Brennan Day turned in a 14th-place, 2:03.48 time.
Pumputis then exploded in the A finals to win the event with a career-best mark of 1:53.80, edging Loschi who finished second with an NCAA B time of 1:54.48. Kimpel also finished in the top 10 with a 1:59.53 time (seventh). Portillo won the B finals with a time of 1:59.83, while Day finished ninth in the B finals with a 2:06.00 time.
The Jackets’ Tim Slanschek then kicked well to an impressive first-place NCAA B time (1:45.23) in the 200 fly prelims, touching the wall just ahead of fellow Jacket Christian Ferraro who finished right behind him with a career-best and NCAA B time of 1:45.33. Finishing seventh was Clay Hering, who turned in a 1:48.32 time.
Ferraro returned the favor in the 200 fly finals, as he picked up a runner-up finish with an NCAA B mark of 1:44.48, finishing one spot in front of Slanschek and his finals’ time of 1:44.89, also an NCAA B time. Hering best his prelims finish with a fifth-place showing with his finals’ time of 1:46.67, another NCAA B qualifying time.
Koski led the Jackets with a sixth-place finish in the 1650 free, turning in a career-best and NCAA B time of 15:29.51. Day was right behind him with a 15:34.95 performance for seventh, while freshman Aidan Brook recorded a career-best time of 16:31.18 in the distance event.
The Tech team of Correia, Reyes, Pumputis and Harasz turned in a season-best performance of 2:53.83 to finish third in the 400 free relay to cap off the three days of competition.
Tech Tidbits
* Sophomore Caroline Lee set the school record for the women’s 200 back in the finals where she turned in a time of 1:56.42. Her time eclipses the previous record of 1:56.98 as set by Heidi Hatteberg in 2011. In the prelims, Lee turned in an NCAA B qualifying time of 1:57.69 in the women’s 200 back.
* Junior Iris Wang won the women’s 100 free prelims with an NCAA B qualifying time of 48.86. She then broke her own school record in the finals with a 48.23 NCAA B time.
* Senior Megan Young recorded a new career-best time of 2:01.77 in the women’s 200 back.
* Freshman Grace Mauldin set a new career-best time of 2:02.26 in the women’s 200 back prelims. She then eclipsed that mark in the C finals with a time of 2:00.79.
* Junior Sara Gilbert turned in a personal-best 1:59.52 time in the women’s 200 back finals.
* Junior Colt Williamson turned in a career-best and an NCAA B qualifying time of 1:43.77 in the men’s 200 back prelims – also good for fourth all-time.
* Junior Rodrigo Correia also turned in a career-best and an NCAA B qualifying time of 1:44.99 in the men’s 200 back prelims, which is also good for sixth all-time. He then eclipsed that time with a career-best 1:43.00 in the finals – also an NCAA B mark.
* Sophomore Joonas Koski recorded a new personal record of 1:47.23 in the men’s 200 back prelims.
* Freshman Leon Warnakulasuriya set a new career-best time of 1:49:51 in the men’s 200 back prelims. He then eclipsed that mark with a 1:49.04 time in the B finals.
* Senior Kaitlin Kitchens turned in a career-best and NCAA B qualifying time of 49.81 in the women’s 100 free prelims – also good for third all-time. She then eclipsed that mark with a 49.68 time in the finals (NCAA B).
* Freshman Celine Nugent set a new career-best time of 52.42 in the women’s 100 free prelims.
* Freshman Albert Zhi set a new personal-best time of 44.93 in the men’s 100 free prelims.
* Freshman Austin Daniel also set a new personal-best time of 44.95 in the men’s 100 free prelims. He then eclipsed that mark in the finals with a 45.37 time.
* Sophomore Aidan Pastel turned in a new personal-best time of 45.22 in the men’s 100 free prelims.
* Freshman Jeffrey Murray set a new career-best time of 45.63 in the men’s 100 free prelims.
* Freshman Jonathan Vater recorded a new personal record time of 45.84 in the men’s 100 free prelims.
* Freshman Corben Miles set a new personal-best time of 46.12 in the men’s 100 free prelims.
* Freshman Julia Shuford turned in a new career-best time of 2:17.63 in the women’s 200 breast prelims.
* Freshman Alexandra Nilsson set a new personal record in the women’s 200 breast with a time of 2:24.66 prelims. She then eclipsed that time with a 2:23.28 C finals time.
* Senior Moises Loschi recorded a career-best and NCAA B qualifying time of 1:56.13 in his first-place 200 beast prelims finish. He then eclipsed that time with a 1:54.48 performance in the finals.
* Freshman Caio Pumputis turned in a career-best and NCAA B time of 1:57.34 in his second-place 200 breast prelims finish. He then eclipsed that mark, winning the finals with a 1:53.80 time.
* Junior Laura Branton turned in an NCAA B time of 1:59.21 in her second-place finish in the 200 fly prelims.
* Junior Lila Best set a new career-best time of 2:04.26 in the women’s 200 fly prelims.
* Sophomore Tim Slanschek turned in an NCAA B time of 1:45.23 in his first-place finish in the 200 fly prelims.
* Freshman Christian Ferraro recorded a career-best and NCAA B time of 1:45.33 in his second-place finish in the 200 fly prelims – good for fifth all-time.
* Sophomore Emily Ilgenfritz recorded a career-best time of 16:40.72 in the women’s 1650 free.
* Freshman Camille Long set a career-best time of 17:00.18 in the women’s 1650 free.
* Joonas Koski recorded a new personal record and NCAA B time in the men’s 1650 free with 15:29.51.
* Sophomore Brennan Day had a season-best outing in the men’s 1650 free, recording a 15:34.95 time.
* Freshman Aidan Brook set a personal-record time in the men’s 1650 free with a 16:31.18 time.
* Junior Florina Ilie set a new personal record when she won the B finals of the women’s 200 breast with a time of 2:13.78 – also good for an NCAA B time.
* The team of Iris Wang, Megan Hansen, Kira de Bruyn and Kaitlin Kitchens turned in a season-best time of 3:20.17 in the women’s 400 free relay.
* The team of Rodrigo Correia, Franco Reyes, Caio Pumputis and Noah Harasz turned in a season-best time of 2:54.83 in the men’s 400 free relay.
Tamir Gonen talks about the atmosphere at the GT Invite and how far the women have come pic.twitter.com/J2xI1UQLur
— Ga Tech Swim & Dive (@GTSwimDive) November 19, 2017
Caio Pumputis talks about the energy of Day 3 of the GT Invite pic.twitter.com/BL6X7ld0AM
— Ga Tech Swim & Dive (@GTSwimDive) November 19, 2017
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