Seven Top-10 Times in School History Highlighted UT’s Season-Opening Meet at Louisville

Thursday, October 24

Louisville, Ky.

2 PM

University of Tennessee

Louisville

Seven Top-10 Times in School History Highlighted UT’s Season-Opening Meet at Louisville

October 24, 2024 | Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving, Men's Swimming & Diving

Results

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Tennessee swimming and diving program opened the 2024-25 regular season on the road against Louisville on Thursday afternoon at the Ralph Wright Natatorium. The fifth-ranked Lady Vols dropped a tight 157-143 battle with the No. 7 Cardinals, while the eight-ranked Vols fell to No. 11 Louisville men, 178.5-121.5.

Sophomore Camille Spink, the reigning SEC Champion in the 50 free and 100 free, swept the sprint freestyles to continue her dominance in the two events. She posted the nation's fastest time in the 100 free, when she touched the wall in a blazing 47.30. Her 50 free effort of 21.87 ranks second in the country.

A member of the 2024-25 U.S. National Team, senior Josephine Fuller swept the backstrokes and joined Spink as the Lady Vols swimmers who won multiple events on the day. Fuller's top performance came in the 200 back, when she clocked the second-fastest mark in the country this season at 1:52.04. In the 100 back, she threw down a 52.26 effort.

In the final event of the day, the 400 free relay of Gui Caribe, Lamar Taylor, Nikoli Blackman and Jordan Crooks posted the top time in the country this season, clocking a 2:49.23 effort. This mark constitutes an NCAA 'A' cut time, automatically qualifying the group for the NCAA Championships at the end of the season.

On the men's side, Crooks was the top performer for Vols, picking up a pair of wins in the 50 free and 100 fly. The Olympic finalists' 50 free effort (19.07) marked the No. 2 time in the nation, while his 100 fly time (45.76) ranks sixth overall.

Making her collegiate debut, 2024 Paris Olympian Ella Jansen made some noise by posting a pair of top-10 times in program history. She moved into seventh in the 500 free (4:40.67) and 10th in the 200 fly (1:55.85).

Overall, Tennessee swimmers set seven new top-10 times during the meet. All of the individual top marks were done so by newcomers, including Emily Brown, Jansen, McKenzie Siroky and Taylor.

A total of 13 freshmen made their collegiate debut, while two individuals made their Tennessee debut during the meet.

For the day, the Lady Vols won seven events, while earning two sweeps. The men finished with the top times or scores in seven events as well.

Up next, the Big Orange returns home for the annual Tennessee Invitational, which runs from November 19-22.

Women's Results

Tennessee swept the top three places in the 100 back with help from Josephine Fuller (52.26), Lexi Stephens (53.52) and Sophie Brison (53.81).
Emily Brown started her Big Orange debut by earning a win in the 200 fly with the eighth-fastest time in school history (1:55.62). She was followed by Sara Stotler (1:55.79) and freshman Ella Jansen, who notched the 10th-fastest time in program history (1:55.85) to secure the sweep.
Overall on the day, Jansen recorded three top-three finishes, placing second in the 500 free and third in the 200 IM (1:58.37) and the 200 fly. Her mark of 4:40.67 in the 500 free was the seventh fastest in school history.
Emelie Fast and McKenzie Siroky came in first and second in the 100 breast, notching marks of 59.51 and 59.92. For Siroky, her time was the 10th-fastest time in school history. Fast also tallied a third-place result in the 200 breast with a 2:09.60.
The Lady Vol squad of Fuller, Siroky, Brooklyn Douthwright and Camille Spink finished first in the 200 medley relay, touching the wall in 1:36.15.
Douthwright and Mrozinski were two of the top-three swimmers in the 200 free, with Douthwright coming in second with a 1:45.52 and Mrozinski touching the wall in 1:45.81 to finish third. Mrozinski was also third in the 500 free thanks to a 4:43.55 effort.
Kate McCarville paced herself to a 9:48.32 finish in the 1000 free, which was good for second.
Closing out the day in the 400 free relay, the lineup of Spink, Emily Armen, Fuller and Douthwright threw down a time of 3:13.19 to place second.
In 3-meter diving, Maddie Reese finished third (258.90) to lead the Lady Vols, while Lynae Shorter's 236.85 was the top mark for UT on 1-meter.

Men's Results

In addition to the Vols' win in the 400 free relay, the quartet of Harrison Lierz, Kevin Houseman, Jordan Crooks and Gui Caribe tied for first in the 200 medley relay, posting a time of 1:23.96 – the ninth-fastest mark in program history.
A DII National Champion making his UT debut, graduate student Lamar Taylor touched the wall in the 50 free in 19.45 to place second and tie for the ninth-fastest time in school history. He also finished fourth in the 100 free with a time of 43.07.
Tennessee notched three of the four best times in the 100 free, with Gui Caribe finishing first in 42.15, while Nikoli Blackman took third with a mark of 42.97 followed by Taylor in fourth.
Olympic finalist Martin Espernberger continued his prominence in the 200 fly, securing the victory in 1:41.82.
Freshman Bennett Greene took home the win on 3-meter (336.38) and also finished third on 1-meter with a score of 321.00 to lead the Vols in the springboard events.
Harrison Lierz tallied a pair of top-three finishes, coming in second in the 100 back (46.94) and third in the 200 back (1:45.20).
Joaquin Vargas placed second in the 1000 free (9:13.00).
Nikoli Blackman tallied a second-place result in the 200 free, notching a 1:34.81.
Kevin Houseman touched the wall in 54.14 to place second in the 100 breast, making his debut with the Vols.
Freshman Grayson Nye tallied a third-place result in the 200 breast (1:58.56) during his Tennessee debut.

TOP-10 TIMES
5th - Gui Caribe, Lamar Taylor, Nikoli Blackman, Jordan Crooks (400 Free Relay) - 2:49.23
7th - Ella Jansen (500 Free) - 4:40.67
8th - Emily Brown (200 Fly) - 1:55.62
9th - Harrison Lierz, Kevin Houseman, Jordan Crooks, Gui Caribe (200 Medley Relay) - 1:23.96
T-9th - Lamar Taylor (50 Free) - 19.45
10th - McKenzie Siroky (100 Breast) - 59.92
10th - Ella Jansen (200 Fly) - 1:55.85