Rex Maurer, Jillian Cox Lead the Way as Texas Sweeps South Carolina
The Texas Longhorns flew east to face South Carolina in a dual meet Friday and picked up two dominant wins. The men’s team won 225-73 while the women won every event and finished ahead by a 223-77 final margin, even with top breaststroker Piper Enge absent, competing (and winning) at the U.S. Short Course Trials.
The Texas men’s team opened the meet with a 1-2 finish in the 400 medley relay, the top team of Will Modglin, Campbell McKean, Rowan Cox and Rafael Fente-Damers winning by five seconds in 3:03.45. Modglin then picked up the win in the 100 backstroke in 45.96 while McKean topped the 100 breaststroke in 52.08. Fente-Damers was the winner of the 100 freestyle in 42.35. Modglin earned a second win in the 200 back (1:42.22), and McKean also doubled up, touching first in the 200 breast in 1:53.46.
A strong day for Rex Maurer included a win in the 200 butterfly, where he checked in at 1:42.50. Maurer also won the 500 free, beating the field by more than six seconds in 4:11.89, and he claimed a third triumph with a time of 3:40.99 in the 400 IM.
Kuzey Tuncelli, the world-junior-record holder in the 1500 free, should make a big impact for Texas this season. He captured the 1000 free in 8:45.65, leading a 1-2-3 finish with teammates Aiden Hammer and Cooper Lucas.
Freshman Laon Kim picked up first in the 200 free in 1:33.43, edging out Fente-Damers (1:33.55), while Nate Germonprez got to the wall first in the 50 free (19.66) and Rowan Cox led the way in the 100 fly (46.78). To conclude the meet, the team of Fente-Damers, Garrett Gould, Germonprez and Austin Carpenter won the 200 free relay in 1:18.26.
In 3-meter diving, Max Spencer of the Gamecocks won with a score of 399.45. Spencer also won 1-meter (348.00).
The Texas women’s team of Lillie Nesty, Angie Coe, Mena Boardman and Eva Okaro dominated the 400 medley relay in 3:29.00. Nesty returned to the pool to win the 200 free, going 1:42.43 to edge out veteran teammate Erin Gemmell (1:42.50) by seven hundredths. Boardman led the way in the 100 back (52.16), with Coe winning the 100 breast (1:01.32) and Okaro sweeping the 50 free (22.20) and 100 free (47.70).
Jillian Cox surpassed the field by almost nine seconds in the 1000 free, going 9:25.65, while star freshman Audrey Derivaux made a rare appearance in the 40-lap race and placed second in 9:34.52. Cox also posted a strong time of 4:39.37 for first in the 500 free. Campbell Stoll, the reigning NCAA champion in the 200 fly, won her main event by almost four seconds in 1:54.12. Divers Bayleigh Cranford (3-meter, 336.45) and Alejandra Estudillo (1-meter, 338.93) were also victorious.
Sara Rodrigues was the winner of the 200 back with a strong time of 1:52.73, and Coe returned to tie atop the 200 breast in 2:10.33. South Carolina’s Delaney Franklin recorded an identical mark for the lone top finish for the Gamecock women. Boardman earned a second victory in the 100 fly (51.36).
To conclude the day’s individual slate, Derivaux dominated the 400 IM with a time of 4:06.56. Okaro, Boardman, Gemmell and Nesty combined to form the winning 200 free relay, touching in 1:27.57.
