Crooks Posts Another Nation-Leading Mark, UT Wraps up Tennessee Invite

Wednesday, November 15

Knoxville

9:30 AM / 6:00 PM

University of Tennessee

Tennessee Invitational

Crooks Posts Another Nation-Leading Mark, UT Wraps up Tennessee Invite

November 17, 2023 | Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving, Men's Swimming & Diving

Final Results Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2 Photo Gallery 3

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A record-breaking week concluded on Friday after Jordan Crooks notched another top time in the nation this season and later broke that same mark as Tennessee collected four wins during the final day of the Tennessee Invitational on Friday evening at Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center.

The No. 14 Vols sat atop the leaderboards at the end of each day of the meet and came in first place at the Tennessee Invite with a score of 1216. The No. 18 Lady Vols finished second behind the mighty top-ranked Virginia squad, totaling 857.5 points.

During the Tennessee Invite, UT collectively broke two SCY school records, earned 19 victories, posted 22 new top-10 times in program history and recorded 40 personal bests.

Below are the team scores from the meet:

Men
1. No. 14 Tennessee - 1216
2. No. 12 Virginia - 855.5
3. No. 22 Alabama - 702.5
4. Kentucky - 512
5. Duke - 88
6. South Carolina - 56
7. No. 19 Virginia Tech - 40
8. North Carolina - 39

Women
1. No. 1 Virginia - 1107
2. No. 18 Tennessee - 857.5
3. No. 24 Alabama - 591
4. No. 22 Arkansas - 442.5
5. Kentucky - 436
6. No. 15 North Carolina - 70
7. No. 16 Duke - 37
8. Virginia Tech - 15
9. No. 17 South Carolina - 10

Crooks swam a 41.08 early on in the night to earn the victory in the 100 free and place himself at the top of the nation's current leaderboards for this year. In the last event of the meet, he was a member of the 400 free relay and touched the wall in 41.03 to improve on his nation-leading time.

Joining Crooks with an individual win for the Vols was Martin Espernberger in the 200 fly.

Camille Spink took home a victory for the Lady Vols in the 100 free. The freshman touched the wall in 47.28, which now sits as the second-fastest mark in school history and the top time in the SEC this season.

Here is a breakdown of each event during finals as well as notable efforts during prelims in the morning slate:

Diving
Bryden Hattie took his second event of the week, winning platform with a career-best score of 490.00. Nick Stone secured a second-place finish as he also notched a personal-best point total of 372.25. Owen Redfearn earned 335.30 points and Harper Thornett's performance earned him a 294.45, notching personal-best marks for both individuals.

On the women's side, Elle Renner and Lynae Shorter finished seventh and eighth, tallying scores of 272.80 and 270.80.

1650 Free
The Vols racked up three top-10 times during the event. Joey Tepper secured the win after he swam the eighth-fastest time in school history with a 14:56.76 performance. Tepper's 1000 free split of 8:58.64 lands seventh on Tennessee's top-10 list as well. Jake Narvid placed second after touching the wall in 14:58.90, and his 1000 free effort of 8:58.06 improved his ranking to fifth on the top-10 times. Rafael Ponce de Leon Castilla notched a 15:11.56 to take third, giving UT the top three spots in the event.

Aly Breslin swam an NCAA "B" cut effort of 16:11.65 to secure second. Lauren Wetherell and Kate McCarville also earned NCAA "B" cut times, placing fifth and sixth after touching the wall in 16:24.45 and 16:26.43. Berit Quass set a new personal-best mark of 17:01.78 during the event.

200 Back
Harrison Lierz tallied a third-place finish after a 1:42.82 effort. Landon Driggers landed in sixth after touching the wall in 1:44.50. Gus Rothrock and Joaquin Vargas set personal-best times during the event with marks of 1:46.68 and 1:45.33.

Josephine Fuller was the top swimmer for the Lady Vols in the 200 back, swimming a 1:57.29 and placing seventh. Sophie Brison touched the wall in 1:58.48 to finish 12th.

200 Breast
Mona McSharry swam the top time in the SEC in the 200 breast, touching the wall in 2:06.64 and tallying third. Emelie Fast set a new personal-best mark in the event after posting a 2:09.87 effort.

On the men's side, freshman Jed Garner finished fourth with a time of 1:57.16. Joseph Jordan and Flynn Crisci earned top-10 placements as well, touching the wall in 1:58.87 and 1:59.96.

200 Fly
Espernberger secured the victory after swimming the fastest time in the SEC this year with a mark of 1:41.78. Aidan Crisci earned a fifth-place finish, touching the wall and setting a personal best of 1:45.68. Rothrock came in sixth for the Vols, posting a 1:46.01 effort.

Sara Stotler earned the highest finish for the Lady Vols, placing fourth with a mark of 1:55.47. Jordan Aurnou-Rhees set a new personal best after touching the wall in 2:00.65.

400 Free Relay
In the final event of the night, the relay consisting of Crooks, Caribe, Blackman and Micah Chambers earned the victory with an NCAA "A" cut time, the top mark in the conference so far this year and the second-fastest finish in school history with a 2:47.61 effort. Crooks swam an NCAA "A" cut leadoff split of 41.03, setting a new top time in the nation that he also achieved earlier in the night.

A relay squad consisting of McSharry, Douthwright, Jasmine Rumley and Spink finished second after touching the wall with an NCAA "A" cut mark of 3:13.64, setting a new top time in the SEC for this season to date. Spink swam an impressive 46.61 anchor leg, which was the second-fastest 100 free effort during the relay.

Prelim Notables
During the morning session, all events were held in long course meters format.

In the last heat of prelims, Espernberger set a program and pool record in the 200 fly, winning the event by over five seconds with a time of 1:55.01. Rothrock notched the fifth-fastest effort, touching the wall in 2:03.66. Aidan Crisci placed two spots behind him in prelims, swimming a 2:05.56.

Caribe broke the Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center LCM record for the 100 free with a time of 48.90. Right behind him was Crooks, who touched the wall in 48.92. Nikoli Blackman posted the seventh-fastest effort with a 50.39, and Micah Chambers followed him up with a 50.48 to earn two more top-10 times for the Vols.

Efforts from Driggers and Lierz of 2:01.39 and 2:02.59 in the 200 back were good enough to earn them the first and third-fastest times heading into finals. Fuller notched the top time for the Lady Vols in the 200 back prelims, touching the wall in 2:15.65 to earn the fifth-fastest mark heading into finals. Brison had the next fastest time for UT, swimming a 2:20.61.

Spink swam the fastest time in the 100 free in the morning session, posting an effort of 54.94. Brooklyn Douthwright and Laura Littlejohn also earned top-six marks for the Lady Vols, touching the wall in 56.33 and 56.74.

McSharry swam the second-fastest time in the 200 breast with a 2:26.61 effort. Freshman Emelie Fast was the next Lady Vol to finish, posting a mark of 2:32.79. Jed Garner touched the wall in 2:19.05 and was the fourth-quickest swimmer during prelims. Joe Jordan also earned a top-10 time of 2:23.33.

In the 200 fly, Sara Stotler's effort of 2:13.58 was good enough to earn her the second-fastest time in the event heading into the evening slate.

On 1-meter Shorter and Renner each tallied top-eight scores of 266.55 and 265 40. Other Tennessee representatives include Tanesha Lucoe, Bailey Davenport and Maddie Reese.

Women's Personal Bests (13)
Jordan Aurnou-Rhees: 200 Fly (2:00.65)
Tori Brostowitz: 100 Breast (1:00.66) / 100 Fly (53.76)
Brooklyn Douthwright: 500 Free (4:49.44)
Summer Eaker: 500 Free (4:50.47)
Emelie Fast: 200 Breast (2:09.87) / 50 Free (23.09)
Katie Mack: 100 Fly (53.89)
Mona McSharry: 100 Breast (56.87)
Amber Myers: 50 Free (22.77)
Berit Quass: 1650 Free (17:01.78)
Camille Spink: 100 Free (47.28)
Lauren Wetherell: 200 Free (1:48.77)

Men's Personal Bests (27)
Nikoli Blackman: 100 Free (43.30)
Gui Caribe: 200 Free (1:36.15)
Aidan Crisci: 200 Fly (1:45.68) / 200 IM (1:46.82)
Jordan Crooks: 200 Free (1:32.07)
Martin Espernberger: 500 Free (4:32.65)
Jack Flanagan: 100 Fly (48.74)
Jonathan Freeman: 500 Free (4:29.69)
Griffin Hadley: 100 Fly (48.22)
Bryden Hattie: Platform (490.00)
Charlie Krone: 500 Free (4:25.57)
Jacob McDonald: 50 Free (20.54)
Jake Narvid: 1000 Free (8:58.06) / 500 Free (4:18.39)
Owen Redfearn: Platform (335.30)
Gus Rothrock: 200 Back (1:46.68) / 400 IM (3:45.82) / 200 IM (1:45.64)
Jack Stelter: 100 Free (44.57)
Nick Stone: Platform (372.25)
Joey Tepper: 1000 Free (8:58.64) / 1650 Free (14:56.76) / 400 IM (3:49.76) / 500 Free (4:15.70)
Harper Thornett: 3-Meter (322.90)
Joaquin Vargas: 200 Back (1:45.33)
Ryan Williams: 200 IM (1:47.49)

Top-10 Times in Tennessee History (22)
1st - 100 Breast - Mona McSharry (56.87)
1st - 200 Free - Jordan Crooks (1:32.07)
1st - 400 Free (LCM) - Joey Tepper (3:52.15)
1st - 200 Fly (LCM) - Martin Espernberger (1:55.01)
2nd - 400 Free Relay - Crooks, Caribe, Blackman and Chambers (2:47.61)
2nd - 100 Free - Camille Spink (47.28)
2nd - Platform - Bryden Hattie (490.00)
4th - 200 Free Relay - Crooks, Caribe, Blackman and Chambers (1:16.03)
4th - 200 Medley Relay - Lierz, F. Crisci, Crooks and Caribe (1:23.14)
4th - 500 Free - Joey Tepper (4:15.70)
4th - 100 Breast - Emelie Fast (59.07)
5th - 1000 Free - Jake Narvid (8:58.06)
5th - 400 IM - Gus Rothrock (3:45.82)
6th - 400 IM Aidan Crisci (3:46.00)
6th - 400 Medley Relay - Lierz, F. Crisci, Crooks and Caribe (3:05.52)
T-6th - 200 Free Relay - McSharry, Myers, Rumley and Spink (1:27.22)
7th - 1000 Free - Joey Tepper (8:58.64)
7th - Platform - Nick Stone (372.25)
8th - 1650 Free - Joey Tepper (14:56.76)
8th - 800 Free Relay - Crooks, Caribe, Vargas and Ponce de Leon Castilla (6:19.77)
9th - 200 IM - Gus Rothrock (1:45.64)
10th - 500 Free - Jake Narvid (4:18.39)

Quotables
"It was a great week of racing. I think we were overall very consistent through the six sessions. We can do better. It was this team's first experience with a trials and finals three-day championship format. That's an incredibly valuable experience. The people get a sense of each of the challenges that each session and day brings. I thought our team really rose to the challenge. It's a lot of competition and not a lot of rest in between. Tonight, we ended with one of our better sessions, and that's a real tribute to the energy management, focus and commitment to the championship-level process that our team has. We came out with a lot of highlights. Certainly a lot of things to work on as well.

"There are so many people I think deserve mentioning. There are a few to me who were the most exciting stories. Gus Rothrock for the men has re-committed to being competitive and relentless in practice. It's nice to see those results come through. He does not get a lot of headlines, but he really inspires his teammates. On the women's side, we have some outstanding newcomers. Emelie Fast and Camille Spink were outstanding this weekend. We also have some very steady upperclassmen that we have come to count on like Mona McSharry, Brooklyn Douthwright and Kate McCarville. There are a few people who are rising to leadership roles in competition like Lauren Wetherell who had a tremendous mile. It's the same thing on the men's side. Joey Tepper kind of had a breakout meet this year. He's somebody who's always inspiring the team with his work ethic. To see his results follow suit with his commitment to working hard, that's really exciting. Martin Espernberger continues to be on a mission for the men. Jordan (Crooks) and Gui (Caribe) were so consistent through the weekend, and maybe those are the biggest steps for them. Last year, they might go through a six-session meet and have one 'off' session or two that weren't as good as the rest. They were on for six sessions in a row. When our best athletes are the ones who are competing to win events and are committed to a championship process, then it's easier for others to follow suit. I see that starting to happen, and we're seeing the results of that trickle into the rest of the team. There were some wonderful performances that were just rising up out of the culture." - Director of Swimming & Diving Matt Kredich

"The men on platform, clearly a strong performance from the Vols today with Bryden Hattie coming in with a personal best 490 points. It's just 17 points off of our team record score held by our assistant coach Collin Zeng, who was a stellar diver. Really, really happy with Bryden's spectacularly consistent performance. Also, great to see Nick Stone put together a very steady performance, also a personal best for him. Owen Redfearn also had a personal best and got an NCAA zone qualifying score, like Bryden and Nick also did. Harper Thornett did some good stuff, kind of showed some of his inexperience. The positive note there was that he threw a couple of new dives, so very, very pleased to see that. Strong, strong performance from the guys on the platform. On the women's side, the 1-meter, very pleased that we put two young ladies in the top 12 with Elle Renner helping out freshman Lynae Shorter. Really pleased that they both got in there against a very competitive field on the 1-meter. Tanesha (Lucoe) just missed the final and Maddie (Reese) and Bailey (Davenport) being a little off the mark today. Overall a very, very positive day.

"These meets, Wednesday in particular was a really long day. Grueling, grueling day. We had some technical difficulties up there which slowed down the events and made the meet even longer. Coming off of a long day of strong performances on Wednesday, you always want to see how they bounce back the next day and then the third day of the meet. I have to say that I was pleased, not really surprised, but pleased because our conditioning program is really exceptional. It's our first invitational of the year, and the opportunity to do that. For the most part, there's always a few things here and there and that kind of comes with the territory for this time of the year. I was pleased with the bounce back." - Diving Coach Dave Parrington

Up Next: The Tennessee Invite wraps up UT's fall slate, and the Big Orange will not have any team competitions until 2024. Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center is set to host the US Diving Winter National Championships to close out the 2023 calendar year. Qualifiers will be November 28 through 30, and the championships will begin on November 29 and go until December 6. Tennessee diving will return on January 3 to host the Tennessee Diving Invitational and the complete team will return to the pool on January 20 with a dual meet on the road against Georgia.