The University of Arizona’s men’s and women’s swimming and diving squads welcomed the BYU Cougars in Tucson on Friday, December 20, and Saturday, December 21. This event marked the Wildcats’ most commanding display of the season.
Ultimately, the Wildcats finished first in 35 out of the 38 total events. The men’s team accumulated 240 points, significantly outpacing the Cougars’ 107 points. Meanwhile, the women scored 217 points compared to BYU’s 131.
The Wildcats achieved 20 second-place finishes along with nine third-place finishes.
A notable achievement occurred when swimmers qualified for the “B” cut for NCAA competitions. Among them, women’s swimmer Kayman Neal and men’s swimmer Mason Nyboer stood out, both qualifying for multiple events.
Neal clinched two first-place finishes in the women’s 200-meter backstroke and women’s 200-meter freestyle, recording times of 1:56.18 and 1:49.36, respectively. She earned the “B” cut in the 200-meter backstroke.
Nyboer’s exceptional outings in the men’s 1650-meter freestyle and 500-meter freestyle also resulted in two first-place accolades, achieving times of 15:20.73 and 4:25.23. He obtained the “B” cut for his 1650-meter freestyle.
Additional swimmers who reached “B” cut status include Eleni Gewalt in the women’s 100-meter breaststroke (1:00.46), Haakon Naughton in the men’s 200-meter butterfly (1:43.85), Hunter Ingram in the men’s 100-meter butterfly (46.65), and Ralph Daleiden in the men’s 200-meter freestyle (1:33.64).
The NCAA “B” cut serves as one of the new benchmarks for collegiate athletes aspiring to compete in events at the National Championship. It mandates a swimmer to achieve a personal best that is equal to or faster than a designated time for a specific event.
The “B” cut simply provides an athlete with an opportunity to compete but does not assure entry. It is below the “A” cut standard, which guarantees a place at nationals.
Men’s diver Gage DuBois delivered an impressive showing in the platform dive, concluding with a total score of 381.83, exceeding his nearest BYU competitor by 80 points who finished in third place.
Following DuBois was Theo Hrach, who completed with a score of 328.05. Hrach, alongside women’s diver Zarah Ayazi, secured second place in their events and qualified for Diving Zone cuts for the NCAA National Championships. Ayazi claimed second place (2:33.03) in the platform diving event.
Looking forward
This competition concludes the year’s events. The first women’s meet of the new year is set for Friday, January 3, at 2 p.m., where the Wildcats will face off against NAU in Tucson. The men’s initial meet will follow the week after on Friday, January 10, competing against Harvard University at 2 p.m. in Tucson.
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