Virginia coach Augie Busch said from day one in Charlottesville that he wants to take the Cavaliers to the top, not just competing for conference championships but for NCAA championships.
On Friday night, Coach Busch saw just how far his No. 24 and No. 18 men’s and women’s Wahoos have to go after hosting No. 4/6 Texas, No. 20/25 Penn State, and a much improved West Virginia team in the first session of the two-day quad meet in Charlottesville.
Through Friday’s events, the Virginia men lead West Virginia, 137-49, but trail Texas, 113-73, and Penn State, 94-92. The Longhorns lead the Mountaineers, 149-37, and the Nittany Lions, 107-79. On the women’s side, the Cavaliers lead West Virginia, 146-33, and the Nittany Lions, 127-59, but trail Texas 157-22. The Longhorns lead Penn State, 127-59, and West Virginia, 157-22.
Complete results
Jack Conger diving off the blocks during a dual meet against North Carolina. (Photo provided by University of Texas Athletics)
Freshman Jack Conger (Good Counsel/Machine Aquatics) was sensational for the visting Longhorns in his signature event — the 200 backstroke. Conger, a U.S. national team member and three-time All Met swimmer of the Year, posted the second-fastest time in NCAA competition with a 1:43.25, easily outpacing Penn State’s Nick Savoy, who posted the ninth-fastest time of the year with a 1:45.70.
Texas junior Kaitlin Pawlowicz (Oakton/Nation’s Capital) narrowly out touched Virginia’s top butterfliers in the 200 distance. Pawlowicz finished in 1:59.59 — .18 ahead of second and .26 ahead of third.
Pawlowicz found herself on the other side of a finish in the 500 free. Pawlowicz’s teammate Sam Tucker (Austin, Texas) touched her out by .02 seconds. Virginia’s Lead Smith (Pittsburgh, Pa.) won in 4:43.11 — the third fastest time in the country, — followed by Tucker in 4:47.84 and Pawlowicz in a season-best 4:47.86.
Freshman Emma Skelley (Osbourn Park/QDD) touched 12th in 4:59.32 for the Mountaineers. Skelley was also 16th in the 100 free in 55.41.
(Virginia Athletes Media Relations)
Virginia senior Brad Phillips (Oakton/Nation’s Capital) finished fourth in the men’s event in 4:25.69. Sophomore teammate Greg Stoffa (Osbourn Park/QDD) was 11th in 4:36.72. Texas’ Clay Youngquist (Battle Creek, Mich.) won the event in 4:23.99.
Phillips also registered a seventh-place finish in the 100 free with a time of 45.94. Penn State’s John Hauser (Pottstown, Pa.) won the men’s 100 free in 44.40. Freshman Barry Mangold (Walter Johnson/RMSC) and senior Fred Crawford (Washington-Lee/ACC) touched in 47.07 and 47.90 in exhibition swims.
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Texas’ Gretchen Jaques (Covina, Calif.) won the women’s 100 breast in 1:01.91.
The Cavalier women’s young group of breaststrokers went seventh, eighth and tenth. Freshman Audrey Gould (Whitman/Nation’s Capital) was first among them with a 1:04.76. Sophomore Natalie Martin was next in 1:04.83 and freshman Kaleigh Rosenburg (Heritage/SNOW) finished in 1:05.14.
Jaques also claimed the top spot in the 100 in 50.32. Virginia captain Emily Lloyd (Severna Park/SPY) was ninth in 51.34. Longhorns’ freshmen Madisyn Cox (Lubbock, Texas) won the 200 IM in 2:00.10. Martin, Gould, and Rosenburg finished in exhibition times of 2:08.50, 2:11.10, and 2:11.83, respectively.
Virginia’s Yannick Kaeser (Mumpf, Switzerland) won the men’s 100 breast in 55.52. Senior teammate Serge Gould (Whitman/Nation’s Capital) touched ninth in the 200 IM (1:51.93). Texas’ Will Licon (El Paso, Texas) won the 200 IM in 1:48.36 and Penn State’s Matt Salig (Downingtown, Pa.) won the men’s 200 fly in 1:48.26.
Virginia’s Courtney Bartholomew (Holland, Mich.) won the 200 back in 1:55.30, which lands her fourth in the country behind Olympians Elizabeth Pelton (first) and Missy Franklin (third).
Bartholomew led off Virginia’s winning 400 medley relay, which touched in 3:39.49. Texas won the 200 free relay in 1:32.20.
Texas won the men’s 200 free relay in 1:20.83. Penn State’s squad won the 400 medley relay in 3:15.13.
Diving Results:
Cory Bowersox (Robinson/Dominion Dive Club) earned a decisive victory on the 1-meter board with 403.20 points. Bowersox was second on the 3-meter board with 399.83.
Virginia sophomore Carl Buergler (Washington-Lee/Dominion Dive Club) was third in 3-meter (383.93) and seventh in 1-meter (302.18). Sophomore teammate Colby Shinholser (Springbrook/Montgomery Dive Club) finished fourth in 1-meter (329.25) and eighth in 3-meter (290.78). The Wahoos’ J.B. Kolod (Pittsburgh, Pa.) won the 3-meter with a score of 425.78.
In the women’s 1-meter, Kelly Lloyd (James Madison/Patriot Diving) finished tenth (229.27) and Laura Gartrell (Robinson/DDC) finished 13th (213.00) for Virginia. Texas’ Meghan Houston won the event with a score of 307.95.
Gartell was 12th in 3-meter (228.08) and Lloyd was 13th (224.85). Texas’ Emma Ivory-Ganja registered a score of 314.55 to win the event.
