UNLV vs UC Santa Barbara vs Wyoming
- January 26-27, 2024
- Las Vegas, Nev.
- SCY (25 yards)
- Results
Courtesy: UNLV Athletics
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – UNLV men’s and women’s swimming and diving completed a sweep of their double duals vs. UC Santa Barbara and Wyoming Saturday at Jim Reitz Pool.
On the men’s side, the Scarlet & Gray more than doubled up on UCSB, 236-114, and the Cowboys, 247-105. The Rebel women also topped the Gauchos by more than twice as many points, 256-95, while beating the Cowgirls 207-146.
Prior to the day’s events, nine Rebel seniors were honored in a Senior Day ceremony. Those recognized included Calysta Bartlett, Cam Castro, George Ratiu, Jamie Spilchak, Lucas Esenwein, Malia Fernandez, Ruby Howell, Steven Butler and Tosia Iwanowska.
Overall, UNLV won 24 events during the two-day competition.
REBELS OF THE MEET:
*Ratiu enjoyed a perfect weekend in his events, winning the 50 free and 100 free, while guiding the Rebels to victories in all four relays (200 medley relay; 400 medley relay; 200 free relay; 400 free relay).
*Freshman Ava Olson won the 1650 free and the 400 IM in her own 2-0 weekend.
*Freshman Fernanda Mendez Guerra pulled out wins in her 100 free and 100 fly races, while anchoring the Scarlet & Gray women’s 200 free relay and 400 free relay wins
*Junior Adnan Beji swept the 100 breast and 200 breast in a meet for the third time this season.
*Freshman Alex Vazquez finished the weekend unbeaten with wins on the 1-meter and 3-meter springboards.
THE RUNDOWN – WOMEN:
*Carlson’s first-place finish in the 500 free spearheaded a 1-2-3 UNLV sweep in the event that saw junior Gina Miller (4:56.53) place second and sophomore Hannah Jones (4:57.62) finish third overall.
*In her 50 free victory, junior Pilar Cohen sprinted to a finishing time of 23.36 seconds.
*Flying to the 100 fly win, Mendez Guerra reached the final wall in 53.33 seconds as part of a 1-2 outing for the Scarlet & Gray. Junior Cameron Mykkanen’s 54.96-second swim gave her a second-place finish in the event.
*Giving the Scarlet & Gray another first-place finish, Olson reeled in a 400 IM mark of 4:22.25.
*Finishing the meet with a 400 free relay win, the Scarlet & Gray ‘A’ team held off Wyoming with a season-best 3:21.24 behind Mendez Guerra’s 49.15 anchor split.
*In her final home appearance, Bartlett made a late push for the lead in the final 50 yards before taking second in the 200 breast (2:16.12).
THE RUNDOWN – MEN:
*As part of a 1-2 Rebel finish, senior George Ratiu pumped out a win in the 50 free behind his 19.84-second clip. Touching right after him in second was junior Bryson Huey in 20.23 seconds.
*Beji’s second victory of the weekend came off a time of 1:59.02 as he outlasted UCSB’s Shogo Moridaira (1:59.91) by nine-tenths of a second.
*Freshman Nate Thomason grabbed the No. 2 heat win in the 200 breast after clocking a 2:00.08 for the afternoon’s third fastest time.
*In the 100 fly, Butler went sub-49 seconds in his third-place finish at 48.40 seconds during his final home meet.
*Taking a wire-to-wire victory in the 200 free, Castro darted to a 1:35.73, which bumped him into 10th all-time at UNLV.
*Junior Dominik Bujak battled his way to a 400 IM heat No. 2 win with a season-best time of 4:00.07. Following closely throughout the same heat, his Rebel counterpart Cooper Kiel finished third.
*In the 200 medley relay, the Rebel ‘A’ team of Wikus Potgieter, Beji, Ratiu and Bryson Huey got the men’s squad’s day started with a winning time of 1:26.18.
*In a 400 free relay that saw the Scarlet & Gray lead throughout, the Rebel ‘A’ team of Castro, Esenwien, Ratiu and Butler tag-teamed to a first-place time of 2:54.60.
QUOTABLE: “I was proud of the team this weekend. They raced really well in a tired state, and that’s what you have to do in January. With only a few weeks to go, every race is a chance to get sharper. I thought we did a good job of that this weekend. Now we have to build on that as we head into championship season.”
-UNLV Head Coach Ben Loorz
UP NEXT: The Rebels close the regular season with a dual at Grand Canyon on Saturday, Feb. 3 at 11 a.m. PT.
Courtesy: Wyoming Athletics
LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Jan. 27, 2024) – The Wyoming swimming and diving team capped off its regular season dual schedule in Las Vegas on Saturday afternoon in a tri-meet versus host school UNLV and UC Santa Barbara. The Cowgirls earned a win over UC Santa Barbara to close the dual portion of the season.
“This was a good meet for us with lots of fast swimming,” Head Coach Dave Denniston said. “A few areas where we can improve were exposed for some of our events, so we will work on those as we gear up for conference championships at the end of February. Comparing times to years’ past at this meet and we are far ahead of where we have ever been. This was a great experience for our team.”
The day started with a Cowgirl win in the 200-medley relay. The relay team of Emily Giles, Carly Palmer, Kali Franckowiak, and Tara Joyce led the field with a time of 1:41.19. In closing relay action, Palmer, Franckowiak, Rachael Horne, and Joyce took second in the 400-yard freestyle relay with a time of 3:21.60.
In individual competition, Kayla Cunningham finished first in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:59.21. Bryn Busskohl touched first in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:14.71. Joyce took another victory in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:48.02.
Wyoming men’s relay team of Quinn Cynor, John Wargin, Gavin Smith, and Quinn Teller finished second in the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:28.19.
In men’s individual races, Charlie Clark touched second in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:26.99. Clark also finished second in the 400-yard IM with a time of 3:53.79. Smith took second in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 48.17. Cynor also touched second in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:36.13.
After this meet, the Wyoming diving team heads to the United States Air Force Academy where they will compete at the Air Force Diving Invite January 31 through February 3. The Wyoming swimming team also remains on the road heading to University of Denver for the First Chance Meet on Feb. 9 – 10.
Courtesy: UCSB Athletics
LAS VEGAS, Nev.: On the second day of competition in Las Vegas, the outcomes have been determined and finalized. The men’s team secured a victory against the University of Wyoming, with Santa Barbara accumulating 187 points to Wyoming’s 153. However, they faced a setback in their match against the UNLV, succumbing to a defeat as UNLV claimed 236 points, overpowering Santa Barbara’s 114. Turning to the women’s team, the Gauchos faced formidable opponents in Wyoming and Nevada, resulting in final scores of 215 for Wyoming, 136 for Santa Barbara, and 256 for the UNLV, overpowering Santa Barbara’s 95.
Top Three Wins:
Despite the overall results of the day, several Gauchos distinguished themselves on the podium, as multiple swimmers achieved top-three finishes.
The men’s team delivered a series of professional performances, starting with Austin Sparrow in the 500 yard freestyle, where he earned first place outpacing his competition with a final time of 4:25.54. The Men’s 200 Yard Backstroke witnessed an exceptional display by Kyle Brill, who clinched the 1st position with an impressive time of 1:45.35. Freshman Jack Nugent also contributed to the team’s success in the 200 backstroke by securing 3rd place with a commendable time of 1:47.55. Brill continued to shine in the Men’s 400 Yard IM, claiming the top spot with a remarkable time of 3:52.13. Shogo Moidaira showed off his hard work in the 200 yard breaststroke, securing second place in 1:59.91. The men’s 100 yard butterfly saw another triumphant victory for the team, with Zachary Tamusaitis earning gold in 47.87. Austin Sparrow maintained the team’s momentum in the Men’s 200 Yard Free, securing 3rd place with a time of 1:39.30.
Transitioning to the women’s team, regardless of the final outcome, several swimmers exhibited remarkable strength and resilience in the pool. Lucy Huang was the first winner of the day, securing an impressive 2nd place with a time of 4:25.83 in the women’s 400 yard IM. In the Women’s 50 Yard Free, Ashley Ray displayed speed and precision, earning 2nd place with a final time of 23.30, closely followed by Eugenie Lanilis in 3rd with a time of 23.44. Hazel Derr demonstrated exceptional skill in the Women’s 200 Yard Backstroke, securing 2nd place with a commendable time of 1:59.42. Enya Linson contributed to the team’s success in the Women’s 200 Yard Breaststroke, earning 3rd place with a time of 2:16.91. Samantha Banos showcased her talent in the Women’s 100 Yard Butterfly, securing 3rd place with a time of 55 seconds flat.
Relay Triumphs:
Today’s relay races proved to be an exhilarating portion of competition, with both the men’s and women’s teams demonstrating exceptional dedication and teamwork. The Women’s 400 Yard Freestyle Relay saw Samantha Banos, Tyryn Empremsilapa, Hazel Derr, and Paige Gambetta secure a commendable 3rd place with a swift time of 3:24.98. Meanwhile, in the Men’s 400 Freestyle Relay, Austin Sparrow, Aiden Benjamin, Zachary Tamusaitis, and Matt Driscoll showcased their collaborative strength, claiming an impressive 2nd place with a time of 2:57.87. The Women’s 200 Yard Medley Relay witnessed another stellar performance from Hazel Derr, Ashley Ray, Makenna Leacox, and Hannah Joseph, earning them a well-deserved 3rd place with a time of 1:41.51. Similarly, the Men’s 200 Yard Medley Relay, featuring William Cussimanio, Henry Adamson, Bryden Thielenhaus, and Matt Driscoll, secured 3rd place with an impressive time of 1:28.69.
Next Week:
Next week, the Gauchos will return home to host the highly anticipated Santa Barbara Invite on February 2nd and 3rd. Stay tuned for additional details, as the team prepares to welcome participants and fans for an exciting event filled with thrilling competitions and noteworthy performances.