Texas A&M Dominates LSU in a Splashing Swimming & Diving Showdown!

Press release from Texas A&M Athletics:

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION – The No. 23/21 Texas A&M swimming & diving squad triumphed over No. 20/16 LSU in a fiercely contested dual meet at the Rec Center Natatorium on Saturday. The concluding tally for the men’s competition was 172-128, while the women’s team emerged victorious with a score of 163-137. Before the competition commenced, the squad acknowledged its 14 senior athletes along with two senior managers.

The event kicked off with the women’s 400 medley relay team composed of Kaitlyn Owens, Bobbi Kennett, Olivia Theall, and Chloe Stepanek registering a season-best time of 3:31.63. The men’s team, featuring Tyler Hulet, Travis Gulledge, Connor Foote, and Ben Scholl, clocked in at 3:07.19 to win their heat.

Trey Dickey achieved his first sub-nine-minute 1000 free time of the season, finishing at 8:59.83. Baylor Nelson recorded a personal-best of 9:00.54, ranking as the fourth-fastest in program history. Nelson led the 500 free with a time of 4:21.93, while Dickey improved his seasonal best to 4:25.55. Hayden Miller won the women’s 1000 free with a season-best time of 9:38.02, later securing victory in the 500 free with a time of 4:43.91.

Stepanek clinched first in the 200 free, recording a near-season-best of 1:44.40. Jacob Wimberly finished second in the men’s event, clocking a time of 1:36.15.

Owens (52.75), Aviv Barzelay (53.91), and Ellis Fox (54.25) achieved top-five times in the women’s 100 back. Barzelay earned second place in the 200 back with a time of 1:55.56. In the men’s 200 back, Hulet (1:45.91), Wimberly (1:46.98), and Brendan Studdert (1:47.27) all secured spots in the top five.

The Aggies accumulated significant points in both 200 fly events, with Munzy Kabbara achieving a career-best of 1:45.38 to win his heat. Roberto Bonilla Flores (1:45.48) and Dickey (1:47.44) also set seasonal bests, completing the top three. Theall led the women’s heat with a time of 1:56.18. Katie Walker (1:58.93) and Sarah Holt (2:00.69) earned top-five times, contributing to the team’s overall score. Theall continued her success in the 100 fly with a time of 52.82, while Wimberly topped the men’s event with a clock of 48.17.

Alex Sanchez conquered the 100 breast with a time of 53.53. Kennett (1:00.87), Ella McQuinn (1:01.48), and Desirae Mangaoang (1:01.66) all achieved top-five times in the women’s competition. Sanchez also outperformed the field in the 200 breast, clocking 1:56.11, followed closely by Logan Brown at 1:56.64. Hannah O’Leary improved her seasonal best in the women’s 200 breast to 2:12.87, finishing second.

Texas A&M claimed four of the five fastest times in the 100 free, with Foote (42.74), Collin Fuchs (43.57), Seth Reno (43.84), and Scholl (43.89) accumulating significant points for the Aggies. Stepanek (48.51) and McQuinn (49.78) rounded out the top three in the women’s 100 free event.

The Maroon & White secured victories in both 200 IM events, as Kabbara topped the men’s heat with a time of 1:45.65, while Giulia Goerigk finished first for the women at 2:00.24.

Else Praasterink dominated the springboards, scoring a career-best of 348.08 on the 3-meter springboard and a season-best of 298.28 on the 1-meter. Chloe McKnight set a new season-best of 284.03 on the 3-meter, finishing third. Allen Bottego improved his career-best on the 3-meter to 425.40, winning the event. Bottego (355.13), Jaxon Bowshire (339.15), Rhett Hensley (331.58), and Leonardo Garcia (319.20) delivered four of the top five scores on the 1-meter springboard.

The swimming competition concluded with the men’s 200 free relay team of Foote, Scholl, Fuchs, and Nelson clocking in at 1:17.47 for victory, while the women’s squad of Owens, Theall, Kailey Kennedy, and Stepanek came close to a season-best with a time of 1:29.56.