Team White Wins Orange & White Meet

Photo by: Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics

October 09, 2020 | Swimming & Diving

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Team White prevailed over Team Orange in Tennessee swimming and diving's annual Orange and White Intrasquad meet, winning 309-301 Friday at the Allan Jones Aquatic Center.

The White squad won 14 of 32 events on its way to a fourth victory in five years. Over the last nine seasons, Team White leads the series 5-4.

Team Orange started the meet fast, winning the first five events and led the competition at the first diving break 140-137. Both teams kept the pressure up on the other and went into the second diving break separated by two points – Orange leading White 251-249.

White closed the meet with wins in the women's 200 IM and both the men's and women's 400 free relay to close the gap and pass Orange for the win.

For Team White, Bailey Grinter and Alexis Yager swam very well, winning two events each. Grinter triumphed in the 100 backstroke and 50 freestyle, while Yager took home wins in the 200 breaststroke and 200 IM.

Over on Team Orange, Mallory Beil and Tjasa Pintar won a pair of events of their own. Beil was victorious in the 100 and 200 butterfly, with Pintar winning the 100 and 200 freestyle.

Kayky Mota flashed his speed for the men's team, winning three races for Team Orange on the night. Mota won the 100 and 200 fly and the 200 IM.

Freshman Harrison Lierz stood out for the Orange Team with his two individual wins in the 100 and 200 backstroke.

Seth Thompson-Bailey and Michael Houlie led the White Team with both swimmers picking up two wins apiece.

Over on the boards, Ana Celaya Hernandez won the women's 3-meter diving event for Team White, while Grace Cable won on the 1-meter board for Team Orange.

The male divers split events as well with Keegan Richardson winning the 1-meter springboard for Orange and freshman Bryden Hattie winning on 3-meter for White.

UP NEXT:
Tennessee hits the road to open the season at Kentucky. The women will compete against the Wildcats on Oct. 29 and the men on Oct. 30.

QUOTES:
Lance Asti, Associate Head Coach
(On being back in competition mode)
"I saw a team that was dying to compete," Asti said. "We've been out of the competition pool for a long time due to COVID and I saw a different ferocity in how they went after races. That's exactly what we were hoping to see."

(On Kayky Mota)
"I saw Kayky lead as an athlete," Asti said. "Lead as a guy that hasn't necessarily been here as long as some others, but lead as a guy with some experience. He was hungry to get better while we were away and looked everywhere for pools. He was swimming in backyard pools just constantly looking to get better."

Ashley Jahn, Associate Head Coach
(On Grinter, Pintar, Beil and Yager stepping into a leading role)
"They started stepping into a leadership role last year and I think they played a supporting role to last season's senior class, maybe better than any junior or sophomore group ever has," Jahn said. "They set themselves up well to be able to step into a new role as leaders on the team and lead a large class of freshmen. They are doing a phenomenal job of it. Their performances are coming from a lot of thoughtfulness at the end of last year and not getting an opportunity to complete the season, but knowing those skills they were developing continue and this was the next opportunity to practice those skills. They executed them very well."

(On the freshman class)
"This freshman class has done an unbelievable job," Jahn said. "I don't like to compare classes, but the way they have handled all of the changes they had at the end of their senior year and coming into a freshman year in college which always brings new challenges and obstacles, I think they have handled it better than any class I could imagine. They have done a great job and are very close as freshman and remind me of our current group of seniors, which I love."

Dave Parrington, Diving Coach
(On Ana Celaya Hernandez)
"She had surgery in June, which was good because it gave her time to rehab and do all of the strength training she continues to do," Parrington said. "She is probably a little further ahead than I would have expected and that is very encouraging. Today was a big step and a real tribute to everything she has been doing to get back."

(On Bryden Hattie)
"He was playing to his strengths today," Parrington said. "He struggled a bit on 1-meter, maybe had some nerves, but came back strong on 3-meter and had some great dives. There are a lot of exciting things ahead for him."

ORANGE & WHITE MEET
Women's Event Winners
200 Medley Relay – Team Orange
1000 Freestyle – Amanda Nunan (O)
200 Freestyle – Tjasa Pintar (O)
100 Backstroke – Bailey Grinter (W)
100 Breaststroke – Mona McSharry (W)
200 Butterfly – Mallory Beil (O)
50 Freestyle – Bailey Grinter (W)
Women's 3-meter Diving – Ana Celaya Hernandez (W)
100 Freestyle – Tjasa Pintar (O)
200 Backstroke – Nicola Lane (W)
200 Breaststroke – Alexis Yager (W)
500 Freestyle – Kristen Stege (O)
100 Butterfly – Mallory Beil (O)
Women's 1-meter Diving – Grace Cable (O)
200 IM – Alexis Yager (W)
400 Free Relay – Team White

Men's Event Winners
200 Medley Relay – Team Orange
1000 Freestyle – Rafael Ponce de Leon Castilla (O)
200 Freestyle – Seth Thompson-Bailey (W)
100 Backstroke – Harrison Lierz (O)
100 Breaststroke – Michael Houlie (W)
200 Butterfly – Kayky Mota (O)
50 Freestyle – Nolan Briggs (O)
Men's 1-meter Diving – Keegan Richardson (O)
100 Freestyle – Seth Thompson-Bailey (W)
200 Backstroke – Harrison Lierz (O)
200 Breaststroke – Michael Houlie (W)
500 Freestyle – Rafael Ponce de Leon Castilla (O)
100 Butterfly – Kayky Mota (O)
Men's 3-meter Diving – Bryden Hattie (W)
200 IM – Kayky Mota (O)
400 Free Relay – Team White