Recapping Tennessee’s Strong Performances in the TYR Pro Swim Series Meet

Recapping Tennessee’s Strong Performances in the TYR Pro Swim Series Meet

January 18, 2023 | Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving, Men's Swimming & Diving

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – This past weekend, Tennessee swimming competed in the TYR Pro Swim Series meet that was hosted at Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center. Past, current and future Vols and Lady Vols raced throughout the long-course meters meet and accounted for numerous impressive performances.

Collectively, Tennessee swimmers finished the weekend with seven event wins, 14 podium finishes, 39 A finalists (25 women, 14 men) and 58 B finalists (30 women, 28 men). The Lady Vols had at least one swimmer in an A final in 16 of the 17 events.

The Big Orange dominated the breaststroke events, sweeping the 50, 100 and 200 breast races on both sides of the meet. Mona McSharry led the way with the complete sweep on the women's side, capped by the 2020 Tokyo Olympian besting her previous Irish National Record in the 50 breast on the final night of the meet.

Lyubomir Epitropov finished with a pair of wins in the 100 breast and 200 breast, while Michael Houlie completed the sweep by winning the 50 breast. LVFL Erika Brown ended the meet by winning the 100 free to go along with her second-place finish in the 50 free. All three swimmers were 2020 Tokyo Olympians.

Some of Tennessee's younger swimmers also enjoyed strong performances. Sophomore Josephine Fuller posted four top-5 finishes throughout the weekend—highlighted by a second-place effort in the 200 back. Fellow sophomore Sara Stotler advanced to the A final in four different events during the meet. The sprint duo of Gui Caribe and Jordan Crooks also had solid efforts. Caribe narrowly missed winning the 100 free by 0.15 seconds but ended the competition with three top-5 efforts. Crooks was an A finalist in the 50 free.

For the meet, Tennessee had a strong showing in every event from both the Vols and Lady Vols. Here's a recap of each event:

800 Free
Men's Top Finisher: 6. Jack Little (8:12.40)
Women's Top Finisher: 7. Kristen Stege (8:43.13)

In the opening events of the meet, Jack Little posted a personal-best effort in the 800 free, touching the wall in 8:12.40 to finish sixth overall. Kristen Stege recorded an Olympic Trials qualifying time with an 8:43.13 mark en route to a seventh-place finish.

Rafael Ponce de Leon Castilla took seventh in the men's race thanks to an 8:13.03 time, which marked a new personal best. In addition to Stege, two other Lady Vols finished inside the top 10, as Kate McCarville (8:47.84) placed ninth, while Alyssa Breslin (8:49.34) came in 10th. McCarville's time was more than four seconds faster than her previous lifetime best.

200 Free
Women's Top Finisher: 8. Brooklyn Douthwright (2:00.54)
Men's Top Finisher: 9. Joaquin Vargas (1:49.83)

Brooklyn Douthwright punched her ticket to the A final with a solid effort during prelims. She followed that up by improving her time, touching the wall in 2:00.54, to take eighth in the loaded race.

After just missing the A finals cut during prelims, Joaquin Vargas took the top spot in the B final with a 1:49.83 effort—more than two seconds faster than his prelim time—to finish ninth overall. His time would have ranked sixth among the A final marks.

100 Breast
Women's Top Finisher: 1. Mona McSharry (1:06.80)
Men's Top Finisher: 1. Lyubomir Epitropov (1:01.35)

Tennessee set the tone early in the breaststroke events, as Mona McSharry and Lyubomir Epitropov led impressive showings by the Big Orange with wins the 100 breast.

McSharry posted the top time in the race by more than a second, touching the wall in 1:06.80 to secure her first victory of the weekend. In the B final, Kailee Morgan (1:11.41) finished 11th followed by Josephine Fuller (1:12.11) in 13th.

UT won back-to-back events when Epitropov clocked a 1:01.35 effort in the men's race. Also competing in the A final, Michael Houlie finished seventh overall behind a 1:02.38 mark. During the first 50 meters of the race, Houlie had the fastest time by more than a second with a 27.90 split. Jarel Dillard notched the top time in the B final, taking ninth with a 1:02.96 effort.

50 Back
Women's Top Finisher: 4. Josephine Fuller (28.19)
Men's Top Finisher: 10. Björn Kammann (25.76)

Two Lady Vols advanced to the A final of the 50 back, with Josephine Fuller continuing her impressive run in the event this season. Fuller finished fourth overall behind a 28.19 effort, while LVFL Kira Toussaint took sixth after clocking a 28.70 time. In the B final, Olivia Harper (29.16) and Brooklyn Douthwright (29.37) placed 10th and 13th, respectively.

On the men's side, Björn Kammann led the Vols with a 10th-place finish behind a 25.76 time. Harrison Lierz came in 15th with a 26.14 mark.

100 Fly
Women's Top Finisher: 3. Sara Stotler (1:00.36)
Men's Top Finisher: 12. Jordan Crooks (54.15)

Sara Stotler had an impressive showing in the 100 fly, placing third overall after clocking a 1:00.36 effort. Emma Carlton (1:02.24) took 14th in the event, while Brooklyn Douthwright finished 16th with a 1:02.44 time.

Jordan Crooks led for the Vols, recording a new personal best behind a 54.15 effort to take 12th. Björn Kammann came in 15th after touching the wall in 54.65.

400 IM
Women's Top Finisher: 5. Alexis Yager (4:51.25)
Men's Top Finisher: 6. Landon Driggers (4:25.60)

After posting a 4:49.97 during prelims, LVFL Alexis Yager clocked a 4:51.25 to finish fifth in the 400 IM. She was the only Lady Vol to advance to an A or B final. Landon Driggers notched the top time for the men, cruising to a sixth-place finish with a 4:25.60 effort. Gus Rothrock (4:31.06) came in 12th.

200 Fly
Women's Top Finisher: 4. Sara Stotler (2:13.43)
Men's Top Finisher: 10. Martin Espernberger (1:59.99)

Two Lady Vols earned their Olympic Trial qualifying times in the 200 fly, as Sara Stotler placed fourth overall behind a 2:13.43 mark, while Kate McCarville finished in fifth with a 2:13.57 effort. LVFL Tess Cieplucha recorded the top time in the B final, touching the wall in 2:15.61.

Freshman Vol Martin Espernberger went sub-2 minutes in the men's B final to finish 10th overall thanks to a 1:59.99 mark.

50 Free
Women's Top Finisher: 2. Erika Brown (24.94)
Men's Top Finisher: 4. Gui Caribe (22.37)

After patiently waiting through the first two days, LVFL Erika Brown's events finally began on Day 3 of the meet, and she did not disappoint. She threw down a 24.94 time to place second overall in the 50 free. Competing for her club team, Camille Spink—the No. 4 overall recruit in the 2023 signing class—clocked a 25.85 to finish 11th, while Jasmine Rumley came 16th with a 26.41 mark.

The men's 50 free A final featured Tennessee's dynamic duo of Gui Caribe and Jordan Crooks. In a race that saw second place and sixth place separated by 0.07 seconds, Caribe tied for fourth behind a 22.37 mark, while Crooks touched the wall in 22.40 to place sixth. Fellow Vols Aleksey Tarasenko (22.72) and Scott Scanlon (23.30) took ninth and 14th in the B final to round a strong showing in the event by the Big Orange.

100 Back
Women's Top Finisher: 4. Josephine Fuller (1:00.33)
Men's Top Finisher: 12. Harrison Lierz (56.09)

For the second time in the meet, Josephine Fuller posted a top-5 finish in the backstroke. This time, she clocked a U.S. Olympic Trial qualifying time of 1:00.33 to place fourth overall in the 100 back. Competing in the B final, future Lady Vol Camille Spink came in 12th behind a 1:02.91 effort, while Elle Caldow (1:03.13) finished in 15th. Harrison Lierz was the top performer for men, touching the wall in 56.09 to take 12th.

200 Breast
Women's Top Finisher: 1. Mona McSharry (2:26.34)
Men's Top Finisher: 1. Lyubomir Epitropov

The 200 breast was all Tennessee, as four of the top nine spots were held by Lady Vols and a UT swimmer won both sides. Mona McSharry picked up her second event win of the meet after throwing down a 2:26.34 time—nearly four seconds faster than second place. The second-best effort in the race came from McSharry's former teammate, Alexis Yager. The LVFL earned the podium finish thanks to a 2:30.17 mark, qualifying her for the U.S. Olympic Trials. Tess Cieplucha gave the Big Orange a third swimmer in the A final, as she touched the wall in 2:31.94 to place seventh. Kailee Morgan had the top time in the B final at 2:33.88, while Lady Vol signee Molly Blanchard (2:36.38) finished 14th while competing with her club team.

On the men's side, Lyubomir Epitropov earned his second victory in the breaststroke events, touching the wall in 2:12.15. His final 50-meter split of 33.86 was the fastest split by 0.71 seconds, giving him the edge in the event.

50 Fly
Men's Top Finisher: 3. Gui Caribe (23.99)
Women's Top Finisher: 5. Emma Carlton (27.38)

After coming up just shy of earning a spot on the podium in the 50 free earlier in the night, Gui Caribe completed the double and placed third behind a 23.99 effort in the 50 fly—just 0.06 seconds behind first. Björn Kammann also competed in the A final, taking eighth with a 24.39 time. In the B final, Jordan Crooks had the top time, clocking a 24.20 to place ninth, while Micah Chambers (24.56) tied for 12th.

Emma Carlton (27.38) and Sara Stotler (27.42) led the way for the Lady Vols in the 50 fly, finishing fifth and sixth, respectively. In the B final, Abby Samansky touched the wall in 27.67 to take 10th followed by LVFL Tjasa Pintar, who finished in a tie for 11th with a 27.69 effort.

400 Free
Men's Top Finisher: 10. Joaquin Vargas (3:54.41)
Women's Top Finisher: 11. Alyssa Breslin (4:17.01)

Joaquin Vargas posted the top time for the Vols, touching the wall in 3:54.41 to finish in 10th in the 400 free. Jack Little wasn't far behind, placing 12th with a 3:58.39 effort. Rafael Ponce de Leon Castilla (4:02.24) finished in 15th.

Three Lady Vols competed in the B final, with Alyssa Breslin's 4:17.01 effort leading the way for an 11th-place finish. Julia Burroughs finished 15th thanks to a 4:19.66 effort, while Kristen Stege (4:20.71) came in 16th.

1500 Free
Women's Top Finisher: 6. Kristen Stege (16:35.90)
Men's Top Finisher: 7. Jack Little (15:49.65)

A two-time SEC Champion in the mile, Kristen Stege earned her second U.S. Olympic Trials qualifying time of the meet when she finished sixth overall in the 1500 free with a 16:35.90 effort. The Lady Vols took five of the eight spots in the B final, including the top four times. Alyssa Breslin finished ninth behind a 16:56.76 mark, with Kate McCarville touching the wall just behind her in 16:58.57. Claire Nguyen (17:05.14) and Lauren Wetherell (17:11.77) checked in at 11th and 12th, respectively. Summer Eaker placed 15th with a 17:32.41 mark.

Two Vols finished with A final times, with Jack Little leading the way with a 15:49.65 effort to take seventh. Rafael Ponce de Leon Castilla took eighth with a 16:03.16 time. In the B final, Jake Narvid touched the wall in 16:12.37 to place 10th, while VFL David Heron (16:25.59) came in 14th.

200 IM
Women's Top Finisher: 3. Tess Cieplucha (2:15.12)
Men's Top Finisher: 9. Landon Driggers (2:03.24)

The Lady Vols dominated the 200 IM with five swimmers advancing to the A final. LVFL Tess Cieplucha earned the podium finish when she touched the wall in third with a 2:15.12 effort. Josephine Fuller (2:16.67) and Alexis Yager (2:16.68) finished just behind in fourth and fifth, respectively. Sara Stotler came in seventh thanks to a 2:17.65 mark, while Camille Spink clocked a 2:18.16 to finish eighth. Spink's future teammate and fellow 2023 signee Molly Blanchard competed in the B final, touching the wall in 2:22.28 to take 16th.

After just missing out on the A final, Landon Driggers posted the fastest mark in the B final, touching the wall in a U.S. Olympic Trials qualifying time of 2:03.24 to finish ninth overall. His effort was the sixth-fastest time among all finalists. Gus Rothrock (2:06.72) and Joel Giraudeau (2:09.48) finished 14th and 16th, respectively.

200 Back
Women's Top Finisher: 2. Josephine Fuller (2:11.59)
Men's Top Finisher: 6. Harrison Lierz (2:03.74)

Josephine Fuller's impressive meet concluded with her best finish of the weekend, when she took second overall in the 200 back (2:11.59). This marked the fourth top-5 finish of the competition for the sophomore sensation. In the B final, Bayley Stewart touched the wall in 2:17.62 to place 13th.

On the men's side, Harrison Lierz was the top finisher for the Vols, clocking a 2:03.74 effort to finish sixth. Landon Driggers posted a better time (2:03.52) but swam in the B final to finish ninth overall. Griffin Hadley (2:08.13) and Gus Rothrock (2:10.62) came in 12th and 15th, respectively.

50 Breast
Women's Top Finisher: 1. Mona McSharry (30.56)
Men's Top Finisher: 1. Michael Houlie (27.47)

Completing the breaststroke sweep, Mona McSharry's impressive weekend wrapped up when she clocked the best 50 breast effort, touching the wall in 30.56. That was a new lifetime best for her and improved her own Irish National Record in the event. Kailee Morgan came in sixth in the race behind a 32.53 mark, while Jordan Aurnou-Rhees checked in at eighth with a 32.86 time.

On the men's side, Michael Houlie completed the Big Orange sweep of the breaststroke events after Lyubomir Epitropov won the 100 and 200 breast. Houlie touched the wall in 27.47 to pick up his first win of the meet. Jarel Dillard finished fourth overall thanks to a 28.16 effort. Epitropov clocked a 28.43 time to come in fifth. In the B final, Joseph Jordan (29.44) finished 14th.

100 Free
Women's Top Finisher: 1. Erika Brown (54.15)
Men's Top Finisher: 2. Gui Caribe (49.15)

LVFL Erika Brown came out victorious in a loaded 100 free field after posting a U.S. Olympic Trials qualifying time of 54.15. In the B final, Brooklyn Douthwright clocked a 56.24 to finish 13th, while Camille Spink came in 15th with a 56.51 time.

Gui Caribe earned his top finish of the meet in the 100 free, finishing just 0.15 seconds back from first to take second with a 49.15 mark. It was his third top-5 finish of the weekend. In the B final, Aleksey Tarasenko placed 13th (50.59), while Björn Kammann came in 15th with a 51.34 time.

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