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MIT’s Roberson, Obochi Swim #1 D3 50 Frees; 6 More Top Times at MIT Winter Invite Day 2

2023 MIT Winter Invitational

  • December 1-3, 2023
  • Zesiger Center Pool, Cambridge MA
  • Short Course Yards (25 Yards)
  • Meet Mobile: MIT Winter Invite 2023
  • Day 1 Results
  • Day 2 Results

Day 2 of the 2023 MIT Winter Invitational is in the books. The first full day was a busy one, featuring the 200 freestyle relay, 200 butterfly, 200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 100 backstroke, 400 IM, 50 freestyle, and 400 medley relay.

Tobe Obochi, the 2022 D3 NCAA champion in the men’s 100 free, had an excellent session. In the morning he broke 20 seconds in the 50 free for the first time leading off MIT’s ‘A’ 200 free relay (19.89). Obochi has swam 19-point splits off a relay start, including an impressive 19.10 from NCAAs last March.

Showing remarkable consistency, Obochi then hit 19.90 twice in finals, first leading off the 200 free relay and then to win the 50 free by just 0.05 seconds over Tuft’s Peter LaBarge. Obochi was joined by Arnold Su (20.29), Evan Liu (20.20), and Jaden Luo (20.27) on MIT’s winning 200 free relay (1:20.66).

Obochi and Labarge now rank #1 and #2 in D3 this season, the only two athletes so far to break 20 seconds. Obochi and LaBarge met again in the 400 medley relay, where both swimmers anchored their team’s relays. While Obochi swam 43.03 to LaBarge’s 43.58, it wasn’t enough to make up the difference as Tuft’s team of Eric Lundgren (49.16), Emmett Adams (54.16), Ethan Schreier (48.06), and LaBarge combined to touch over a second ahead of MIT (3:14.96).

It was a big day for freestyle as MIT first-year Ella Roberson also had an impressive run. After swimming a field-leading 1:49.34 anchor split on the 800 free relay on night 1, she took on the individual 200 free and 50 free. In prelims Roberson clocked 1:50.17 and 23.05 to claim two MIT team records and slot in as #3 and #1 in D3 this season. She added a bit of time in finals, swimming 1:50.24 and 23.23, but still easily won both of her events.

Roberson started the session by anchoring MIT’s ‘A’ 200 free relay. Preceded by Kailey Simons (24.30), Annika Naveen (23.32), and Melody Wen (23.48), Roberson dove in 0.26 seconds behind Tuft’s anchor. She easily made up that time and then some, dropping a speedy 22.13 to pull MIT into the lead and tie the school record (1:33.23). That quartet now ranks #2 in D3, just 0.05 seconds behind the Denison women.

The session ended with the 400 medley relay, where Roberson anchored once again. Kate Augustyn (55.10), Edenna Chen (1:01.36), Kailey Simons (56.56), and Roberson (50.78) hit the top time of the season so far (3:43.80), previously held by Kenyon (3:44.38). Augustyn’s lead-off ranks #2; she placed 3rd in the 100 back last March. Augustyn also won the 400 IM just 30 minutes earlier (4:24.82).

Jaden Luo hit a top freestyle time in the men’s 200 free, stopping the clock at 1:37.24. Luo is the 2022 runner-up in the 200 freestyle and the 2023 runner-up in the 200 IM and now seems poised to make another run at the 200 free, where he placed 11th last March. He set his best time of 1:36.10 in 2022.

Edenna Chen won the 100 breast with a #1 time, clocking 1:01.43. Chen is the 2022 national champion, where she became the second-fastest performer in D3 history (59.79). Her outing here is faster than the 1:01.58 she swam to place 4th last March.

Other Highlights:

  • Lara Wujciak (Tufts) won the women’s 200 fly, swimming under the 2023 invited time (2:02.10).
  • Ethan Schreier made it a butterfly sweep for Tufts, clocking 1:48.26 to take the men’s 200 fly, also under the 2023 invited time.
  • Arnold Su (MIT) won the men’s 100 breast (55.13) after setting a best time in prelims (55.00).
  • Sydney Smith (MIT) won the women’s 100 back (56.52), taking over half a second off her best time.
  • Three MIT swimmers got under 4:00 in the men’s 400 IM, lead by Jason Wang (3:57.75)
  • Ren Watt (Emory) won the women’s 3-meter with a score of 386.55, followed closely by MIT’s Fiora Beratahani (482.55).
  • David Benko (MIT) dominated the men’s 1-meter with a score of 490.05.

Team Scores

Women:

  1. MIT, 1044
  2. Tufts, 770
  3. RPI, 480
  4. Wellesley, 364
  5. Keene State, 142
  6. Simmons, 95
  7. Emory (divers only), 44

Men:

  1. Tufts, 1031
  2. MIT, 821
  3. RPI, 532
  4. Keene State, 229
  5. Emory (divers only), 20

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DCC Parent
11 months ago

Roll Tech!!

PFA
11 months ago

Tobe’s out for revenge. Ever since he had to pull out of NC’s on the last day earlier this year, he’s been on a tear. Excited to see what else this guy can do.

Ice Golem
Reply to  PFA
11 months ago

Revenge for what?

zThomas
Reply to  PFA
11 months ago

engineers don’t know the difference between redemption and revenge. Humanities rule.

zThomas
Reply to  Braden Keith
11 months ago

It was just a highbrow joke. MIT is an amazing school and I’d gladly hire an MIT grad to work in my firm any day.

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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