Tennessee Continues to Roll on Day 2 of Invite

November 18, 2022 | Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving, Men's Swimming & Diving

Day 2 Final Results Day 2 Prelim Results Day 3 Prelim Heat Sheets Photo Gallery

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee swimming & diving continued its strong showing on Day 2 of the Tennessee Invitational on Friday at Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center.

As a team, the 10th-ranked Vols continued their dominance for the weekend, winning four of the five individual swimming events as well as both relays on the day. The Big Orange leads all four teams in the meet heading into the final day. The No. 15 Lady Vols, who won one event on the day but put together several strong showings, hold leads over 12th-ranked Michigan, No. 17 North Carolina and Carson-Newman.

Tennessee ended the meet on a high note, winning the 800 free relay with the second-fastest time in program history at 6:17.27 with the lineup Jordan Crooks, Will Jackson, Aleksey Tarasenko and Joaquin Vargas. Crooks led off the relay by throwing down a 1:34.30 split 200 free split, which ranked eighth in the program records. The Vols also took the top spot in the 200 medley relay, as the squad of Nick Simons, Michael Houlie, Crooks and Gui Caribe posted the fifth-fastest time in UT history, touching the wall in 1:23.84.

Crooks' strong day was highlighted by a personal-best time and NCAA A cut mark of 44.79 to win the 100 fly finals, improving on his previous school record set earlier in the day for that event. His time ranks first in the nation in the event entering the day. During prelims, he also swam the 100 back, earning the top time in the event with the second-best time in program history at 45.55. He scratched for the finals.

Rounding out the A final in the 100 fly, Björn Kammann (46.39) and Caribe (46.60) finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Four Vols competed in the B final with Luke Brice leading the way in ninth (46.36).

One of the biggest performances of the day was Landon Driggers, who crushed the 400 IM, touching the wall in 3:41.06 to mark the second-fastest time in Tennessee history. The 2021 NCAA DII runner-up in the event won the race by more than three seconds in the impressive performance. Gus Rothrock threw down the sixth-best time in the program record books, touching the wall in 3:47.48 to place sixth. In the B final, Joey Tepper was in a tight race, throwing down a career-best 3:50.24 to take 10th.

In the 200 free, Joaquin Vargas won the event with a personal-best time of 1:34.49. Will Jackson (1:34.97) finished fourth in the race, while Rafael Ponce de Leon (1:37.13) took seventh. Swimming in the B final, it was Aleksey Tarasenko who posted the best time in the event during the nightcap. The graduate recorded a career-best 1:34.35 time, which ranked tied for ninth in UT history, to win the second heat.

In the 100 back, Harrison Lierz threw down a career-best time of 46.28, which ranked ninth in the Tennessee record books, to win the race from Lane 1. Kammann finished just behind Lierz in second, touching the wall in 46.42. Simons took eighth with a 49.04 mark. In the B final, Ryan Williams placed 16th with a 48.65 time.

One of the closest races of the day came in the 100 breast A final. Jarel Dillard and Michael Houlie went head-to-head with Virginia's Noah Nichols. In the end, Dillard came in second with a 52.10 time, while Houlie took third behind a 52.15 mark. Brett Champlin rounded out the A finalist Vols, taking fifth with a 53.28 time. In the B final, Lyubomir Epitropov notched the top time, touching the wall in 52.87. Joseph Jordan (55.08) came in 14th.

During the diving finals, Bryden Hattie (392.05) and Matthew Wade (378.45) finished second and third on 3-meter. Hattie nearly got the win, coming up less than two points shy of first place. Jacob Reasor took eighth in the event with a 307.35 score, while Owen Redfearn placed ninth behind a 303.15 mark.

On the women's side, Grace Cable finished sixth on the 1-meter with a 278.70 score. Right behind her was Tanesha Lucoe, who placed seventh thanks to a 275.95 mark.

Tennessee placed second in the 800 free relay, touching the wall in 7:10.22 with the lineup of Brooklyn Douthwright, Julia Burroughs, Sara Stotler and Josephine Fuller. In the 200 medley relay, Fuller, Mona McSharry, Douthwright and Burroughs took home the Lady Vols' best time with 1:37.64 to finish fourth.

In the finals of the 200 freestyle, Douthwright earned a first-place finish with a time of 1:44.78. Following her were teammates Stotler (1:45.95) in fourth and Abby Samansky (1:46.60) in fifth. Burroughs led the way in the B final by taking ninth with a personal-best 1:46.88 time. Fuller and Elle Caldow rounded things out, finishing 14th and 16th, respectively.

Fuller posted the fastest time for the Lady Vols in the 100 back, coming in second place with a mark of 51.81. Her time outdid her previous record in the event by .19 seconds, reaffirming her spot at fifth-best in UT history. Caldow took home the top spot in the B final with a 53.17 mark.

McSharry was the top finisher for UT in the 100 breast, touching the wall in 58.45 to take third. Kailee Morgan placed seventh behind a 1:00.67 mark. Jordan Aurnou-Rhees finished 14th with a 1:02.66 mark.

Stotler (52.58) posted a third-place finish in the 100 fly, the best of the Lady Vols, while Carlton (54.22) came in eighth in the A final. Swimming in the B final, Samansky threw down a personal-best time of 53.71 to finish 10th.

Being scored as separate dual meets, the Vols led their competition after the first night, while the Lady Vols held an advantage in three of their four meets. Here are the team-versus-team scores for the meet.

Team Scores
Men
Vols 170, #8 Virginia 68
Vols 167, #14 Michigan 73
Vols 166, North Carolina 70
Vols 204, Carson-Newman 31

Women
Lady Vols 82, #2 Virginia 136
Lady Vols 115, #12 Michigan 105
Lady Vols 121, #17 North Carolina 99
Lady Vols 179, Carson-Newman 37

Across the board, Tennessee swimmers and divers looked sharp in the prelims and many earned the spot to compete in finals. In total, UT saw 43 swimmers and six divers advance to an A or B final. The men had 21 A finalists and eight B finalists, while the women boasted 10 A finalists and 10 B finalists. Here's a recap from the morning session:

100 Fly:
Jordan Crooks' impressive meet continued with the 100 fly, when he broke his previous program record in the event by touching the wall in 44.82 to take the top spot in prelims. Björn Kammann finished third with a 46.05 time, while Gui Caribe took fifth behind a personal-best mark of 46.50. Luke Brice rounded out UT's A finalists, touching the wall in 46.61 to place eighth. Three Vols advanced to the B finals with Harrison Lierz (47.03) leading the way. Martin Espernberger (47.46) and Micah Chambers (47.63) rounded out the qualifiers.

Sara Stotler earned a spot in the A final for the Lady Vols, finishing sixth in a loaded event with a 52.98 time. Three Tennessee swimmers advanced to the B final. Emma Carlton (53.74) placed 10th to pace Abby Samansky (54.21) and Libby Russum (54.34).

400 IM:
In one of the surprise performances from the morning, Landon Driggers cruised to a first-place finish in the 400 IM preliminaries, posting a time of 3:43.58, which ranked second in program history. The NCAA DII runner-up in the event finished more than two and a half seconds faster than the next best time. Gus Rothrock also earned a spot in the A final, placing fifth with a 3:49.09 mark. Joey Tepper followed close behind, placing 12th after touching the wall in 3:53.51.

Kate McCarville was the only Lady Vol to participate in the 400 IM prelims, where she finished sixth after touching the wall in 4:18.16.

200 Free:
In the 200 free prelims, Brooklyn Douthwright (1:43.60) recorded a dominant swim, as she and Sara Stotler (1:46.21) posted the top two times in the event. Abby Samansky finished in fifth place, touching the wall in 1:46.60, while Julia Burroughs followed close behind with a time of 1:46.88, a personal best. All four Lady Vols qualified for a spot in the A final. Josephine Fuller (1:47.79), who obtained a new personal best, and Elle Caldow (1:47.55) earned themselves a place in the B finals.

For the men, three Vols will be making an appearance in the A finals. Joaquin Vargas posted the best time in the event with a career-best 1:34.77 finish. Rafael Ponce de Leon Castilla (1:35.47), who also bested his previous record, and Will Jackson (1:35.73) finished fourth and sixth, respectively. Aleksey Tarasenko (1:36.30), Joey Tepper (1:37.75) and Charlie Krone (1:37.94) each acquired spots in the B final. Tepper and Krone both posted personal-best times.

100 Breast:
In the men's 100 breast prelims, four Vols qualified for the A final, highlighted by a second-place finish from Jarel Dillard who touched the wall in 52.33 seconds. Michael Houlie (52.38), Brett Champlin (52.68) and Lyubomir Epitropov (53.68) followed with third, fourth and fifth-place finishes, respectively. Joe Jordan qualified for the B final, finishing 11th in the prelims with a time of 54.57.

On the women's side, Mona McSharry finished third with a time of 58.78 to advance to the A final. Kailee Morgan (1:00.62) and Jordan Aurnou-Rhees (1:02.11) both qualified for the B final, posting ninth and 13th place finishes, respectively.

100 Back:
Jordan Crooks highlighted the men's 100 back prelims, posting a time of 45.55 seconds that ranks second all-time in program history. It was just his fourth time swimming the event in college. He finished with the fastest mark in the event but did not compete in the finals. Björn Kammann finished just behind Crooks with a time of 46.73 seconds, and Nick Simons placed fourth at 46.83. Harrison Lierz rounded out the A final qualifications with an eight-place finish (47.33).

Lady Vol Josephine Fuller placed fifth in the 100 back (52.36) to earn a spot in the A final. Brooklyn Douthwright (53.40), Elle Caldow (53.76) and Emma Carlton (53.99) each qualified for the B final. Brooklyn Douthwright swam into a personal best in the 100 back with a time of 53.40.

Women's 1-meter:
Seven Lady Vols competed in the event, as Grace Cable and Tanesha Lucoe earned spots in the finals. Cable took 10th in prelims with a 258.15 score, while Lucoe came in 11th at 257.80. Elle Renner (240.30) and Emily Ann Wolfson (239.45) both placed inside the top 20. Bailey Davenport (230.10), Madison Reese (217.55) and Kara Holt (216.90) rounded out the event.

Men's 3-meter:
Matthew Wade and Bryden Hattie posted the top scores during prelims, with Wade throwing down a 380.30 mark to lead the way. Hattie was just behind him with a 378.50 score. Jacob Reasor (317.95) placed sixth, while Owen Redfearn (304.05) came in 10th to round out the finalists. Nick Stone finished 15th with a 281.55 score.

Women's Personal Bests (24)
Jordan Aurnou-Rhees: 50 free (23.51)
Julia Burroughs: 50 free (22.54), 500 free (4:44.05), 200 free (1:46.66)
Elle Caldow: 500 free (4:52.36)
Brooklyn Douthwright: 50 free (22.63), 200 IM (1:58.17), 100 back (53.40)
Josephine Fuller: 200 IM (1:55.44), 200 free (1:47.79), 100 back (51.81)
Sammy Huff: 50 free (24.62), 100 fly (59.08)
Kailee Morgan: 50 free (24.46), 100 breast (1:00.62)
Amber Myers: 50 free (22.96), 100 back (54.75)
Berit Quass : 200 free (1:50.10)
Libby Russum: 50 free (23.11)
Abby Samansky: 50 free (22.63), 100 fly (53.71)
Lauren Wetherell: 200 free (1:49.00), 500 free (4:44.63)
Lily Wetherell: 200 free (2:00.53)

Men's Personal Bests (38)
Pep Arnwine: 500 free (4:26.90), 100 fly (50.93), 200 free (1:38.25)
Gui Caribe: 50 free (18.91), 100 fly (46.50)
Jordan Crooks: 50 free (18.27), 100 fly (44.82), 100 back (45.55)
Landon Driggers: 200 IM (1:46.17), 400 IM (3:41:06), 100 back (49.25)
Lyubomir Epitropov: 200 IM (1:48.06)
Martin Espernberger: 200 IM (1:50.66), 100 fly (46.67), 200 free (1:40.76)
Griffin Hadley: 100 back (48.31)
Will Jackson: 500 free (4:21.48)
Björn Kammann: 50 free (19.85)
Charlie Krone: 500 free (4:28.04), 200 free (1:37.94)
Harrison Lierz: 200 IM (1:46.63) 100 back (46.28)
Jake Narvid: 200 free (1:37.61)
Rafael Ponce de Leon Castilla: 200 free (1:35.47)
Gus Rothrock: 500 free (4:25.97), 400 IM (3:47.48)
Nick Simons: 50 free (20.53), 100 back (45.71), 100 fly (48.32)
Aleksey Tarasenko: 200 free (1:34.35)
Joey Tepper: 500 free (4:16.13), 200 free (1:36.96), 400 IM (3:50.24)
Joaquin Vargas: 500 free (4:15.35), 200 free (1:34.49)
Ryan Williams: 200 IM (1:49.16), 100 back (48.41), 100 fly (48.53)

Top-10 Times in Tennessee History (17)
50 Free - Jordan Crooks (1st/18.27)
100 Fly - Jordan Crooks (1st/44.79)
200 Free Relay - Crooks, Caribe, Scanlon, Tarasenko (1st/1:15.32)
400 Medley Relay - Lierz, Dillard, Crooks, Caribe (1st/3:03.77)
50 Free - Gui Caribe (2nd/18.91)
100 Back - Jordan Crooks (2nd/45.55)
400 IM - Landon Driggers (2nd/3:41.06)
800 Free Relay - Crooks, Jackson, Tarasenko, Vargas (2nd/6:17.27)
200 IM - Josephine Fuller (4th/1:55.54)
500 Free - Joey Tepper (4th/4:16.13)
100 Back - Josephine Fuller (5th/51.81)
200 Medley Relay - Simons, Houlie, Crooks, Caribe (5th/1:23.84)
400 IM - Gus Rothrock (6th/3:47.48)
200 Free - Jordan Crooks (8th/1:34.30)
400 Medley Relay - Simons, Houlie, Brice, Tarasenko (8th/3:06.39)
200 Free - Aleksey Tarasenko (T9th/1:34.35)
100 Back - Harrison Lierz (9th/46.28)

Quotes
Associate Head Coach Rich Murphy on the men's day…
"I think that the most impressive thing for me today was the level of competitiveness in the morning. I thought that was outstanding. Paired with the level of competitiveness in the 800 free relay, not only against other teams, but within our own team. The guys really gave a great all-in last effort and that's a relay that we're pursuing a lot of competitive development in and we really want that relay to grow. So, that's really pleasing and rewarding to see that relay shake out the way that it did. Regardless of the guys who got the chance to compete for us tonight and represent the Power T, they really laid it on the line. It's late in the evening on a lengthy day so that's really awesome to see."

On the performances of Landon Driggers and Harrison Lierz…
"Landon had a massive performance today. He is new to Tennessee this semester; we are very fortunate to have him join the family. After a really impressive morning swim where he dropped four seconds from his previous lifetime best time, he came in, he watched video, he wanted to know how he could be better tonight. He wanted to know what he needed to do to win his race and score the maximum amount of points he could within this format for Tennessee. And then tonight, he secured a spot going to NCAAs. For any guy who is a first-year on the team, that is really, really significant. To be number two all-time in Tennessee history in any event is a massive achievement. I think everybody really is excited for Landon. He is invested, he has given his all for Tennessee, and it is great to see a guy get rewarded as significantly as he did today.

"As far as Harrison is concerned, Harrison is one of our best and most resilient racers. He is the one guy on the team that you could put in any event and you know that you are going to get a really outstanding effort from him. He has built a reputation during his time here as being a guy who we can count on to score a lot of points for the team, and I think the format of this invitational, this multiple, dual-meet format is really ideal for him because he is a racer, and he likes racing for the team. He is just one of the guys that I always trust to give him a lane and see what he can do, and obviously this morning, he learned a lane in that eight final and made the most of it, which was really cool."

Associate Head Coach Ashely Jahn on Brooklyn Douthwright's performance...
"Brooklyn had a really great day today and is showing some of her versatility with some other events. Particularly in the 200 freestyle she did a great job executing the race plan she wanted to execute. She did a great job preparing to do that in the weeks leading up to this. She knew exactly what she wanted to do and she was able to dive in and execute that this morning and have another great swim tonight."

On Josephine Fuller's performance…
"We are really excited about the versatility that Josephine is showing and the 100 back was a great performance today. I think that was her first performance under 52.00. I am really excited for her with the speed that she is showing but also the development of other events. It is just going to continue to help her as an athlete."

On what she is looking for from the Lady Vols on the final day…
"Preparation and competition. I think that we need to do a really good job on the third day of a three day meet. Preparing for that when there is some fatigue is why we love this meet. It is great practice for the championship season and them being able to stick to their processes. Tomorrow, we are looking for them to come in with purpose, great attitudes, executing everything they need to execute to be prepared to compete. Then the performance will take care of itself."

Diving Coach Dave Parrington on the day…
"It was definitely a solid day. On the women's 1-meter, it was definitely a good thing getting both Grace Cable and Tanesha Lucoe to the final. The others I have not even looked at the results to see how close the results were but I assume they were in the hunt. We had a few hiccups, things we need to work on but that is what this champion performance is all about. I was pleased with both Grace and Tanesha's performance, they both moved up in the finals and qualified which is very encouraging to see. I was pleased there and they made some good changes.On the men's 3-meter, we had some real exciting moments. It was a very tight finish. Down to the wire in the last round there with Bryden Hattie coming in a little bit shy. He used a brand spanking-new dive every time out today, actually, for eights or better. That's really encouraging, some big degree of difficulty dives. Jacob Reasor also threw a new dive in the final, great to see that. Matt Wade was a whole lot more consistent than he was yesterday. It was really nice to see him bounce back the way he did. Owen Redfearn got in the final again and Nick Stone struggled a little bit. We obviously like to be in the top spot, but I was pleased with the way we competed. We did some excellent things. Just kind of getting into the championship format, which is more grueling than the average dual meet, so I was pleased with their effort for sure. We ended the night with a very exciting team event. We came up a little shy, but we are trying to push the team event format in the NCAAs."