Freshmen Sullivan, Andrews Star in Debut; Texas Women Down Incarnate Word

Texas v. Incarnate Word (Dust Off Your Boots Invitational)

• Friday, October 8, 2021
• Lee & Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center, Austin, TX
• SCY
• Dual Meet Format
• Live Results
• Score: Texas 212, Incarnate Word 81

Last year the Texas women’s “Dust Off Your Boots Invitatioanl” was essentially an intrasquad, but this year it took the form of a dual meet, as both of Incarnate Word’s teams heading to Austin. The host Longhorns defeated the Cardinals 212-81, with Texas touching first in every event.

Over three years after graduating high school, Olympic silver medalist Erica Sullivan finally made her college debut. Sullivan initially committed to USC for the fall of 2018, but postponed matriculating there several times, then finally changed her commitment to Texas for this year. She made the most of her collegiate debut tonight, sweeping the distance freestyles.

Sullivan won the first event of the night, the 1000 free, with a time of 9:44.97. That’s well off of her lifetime best of 9:17.32 from 2018, but that was still enough to win the event by over 20 seconds. After the men raced the 1000 free, she then jumped back in the pool and touch 4th in the 200 free with a 1:51.58. She returned toward the end of the meet to win the 500 free with a 4:55.05.

Fellow freshman Ellie Andrews swept the breaststroke events with times that were much closer to her personal bests. She took the 100 breast in 1:01.40, just over half a second away from her lifetime best in that event, and then she won the 200 breast in 2:13.53, less than three-tenths shy of her lifetime best in that event. Andrews also split 28.30 on the breast leg of the Longhorns medley relay, recording the fastest split in the field by over a second as the Longhorns won in 1:39.96 to open up the night.

Kelly Pash also doubled up for Texas. The junior won the aforementioned 200 free with a 1:47.11, a solid time for early in the season. She also hit 52.72 in the 100 fly to win that event by over two seconds towards the end of the meet. Not long after that, Pash anchored the Longhorns’ 200 free relay in 22.38, en route to a 1:31.34 victory in that event (although Texas chose to exhibition the points).

Senior Julia Cook was involved in the two closest races of the night. In the 100 back, she lost to teammate Olivia Bray 53.14 to 53.29. However, she got her hand on the wall first in the even-closer 100 free, touching out teammate Bridget Semenuk 49.97 to 49.99. Semenuk had earlier won the 50 free in 23.04, while Bray touched first in the 200 fly with a 1:57.20, although she was marked exhibition in the results.

The Longhorns also got an 8-second win from Emma Sticklen in the 200 fly (1:56.24) and a 4:16.22 win from Evie Pfeifer in the 400 IM (although that was also exhibtioned). Bridget O’Neil and Hailey Hernandez won the 1m and 3m diving events, respectively.

Without taking into account exhibitioned events, Incarnate Word’s best showing came from a pair of 3rd-place finishes. Kirsten Srasza touched 3rd in the 100 back in 56.87. r in the 200 breast, where Mariana Ruvalca touched 3rd in 2:21.73.

Texas Release

AUSTIN, Texas –  Freshman Erica Sullivan put on a show in the 2021-2022 season opener at the Dust Your Boots Off Invitational, winning both the 1000-yard and 500-yard event. Friday night’s meet was also highlighted by six meet records by the Longhorns at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center.

Freshman Hailey Hernandez debuted for the Longhorns with a school-record performance in the 3-meter diving event.

Meet Highlights

• The 200-yard medley relay combined of Julia Cook, Ellie Andrews, Emma Sticklen and Kelly Pashcaptured the first event of the day with their time of 1:39.96.
• Hailey Hernandez set a new school record in the 3-meter dive with a total of 426.53 poitns.
• Sullivan took her first event of the day in the 1000-yard freestyle (9:44.97) and followed up with a win in the 500-yard freestyle at 4:55.05.
• Pash added two meet-record times in Friday’s meet in the 200-yard freestyle (1:47.11) and in the 100-yard butterfly (52.72).
• Sophomore Olivia Bray opened her season with a meet-record time of 53.14 seconds in the 100-yard backstroke.
• Andrews went on to win her first individual event of her freshman campaign in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:01.40). She later followed up with a win in the 200-yard breaststroke with a meet-record time of 2:13.53.
• Sophomore Emma Sticklen improved her meet record time in the 200-yard fly with her time of 1:56.24, shedding two seconds off her previous time.
• Bridget Semenuk got off to a fast start in the 50-yard freestyle with her winning time of 23.04 seconds.
• Bridget O’Neil started her season in the 1-meter  diving event, coming away with the win with her score of 338.25 points.
• Julia Cook claimed her meet-record in the 100-yard freestyle with a dazzling time of 49.97 seconds.

The Longhorns return to action on Oct. 15 in a dual meet at Texas A&M. Start time of the meet will be announced at a later date.