No. 9/12 Cardinals Send 35 Back for Finals on Third Day at Purdue

Nicolas Albiero celebrates after winning the 100 butterfly consolation final at the NCAA Championships.

Photo by: Justin Casterline

No. 9/12 Cardinals Send 35 Back for Finals on Third Day at Purdue

November 23, 2019 | Swimming & Diving

Six Cardinals hold top seeds for tonight’s finals.

By: Chandler Brandes

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The No. 9/12 University of Louisville men's and women's swim team has six top seeds and 35 swimmers back for finals on the third day of the Purdue Invitational at the Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center.

Heading into the final day of competition, the Cardinal women hold a large lead in the team standings with 727.5 points ahead of Florida International (402.5). The men also sit in first with a score of 615 ahead of Purdue (355).

Ashlyn Schoof (1:56.93) and Sofie Underdahl (1:57.07) will be on both sides of Pitt's Valerie Daigneault (1:56.56), tonight's top women's 200 backstroke qualifier. Kyla Alexander (2:00.94) will get a second swim in the B-final.

Mitchell Whyte is the top seed in the men's 200 backstroke after posting a time of 1:44.55 during prelims. Nikkos Sofianidis (1:45.18), Daniel Sos (1:45.32), and Jack Wever (1:47.62) will also race in the A-final while Greyson Alarcon (1:47.90) will compete in the consolation heat.

Five Cardinals well race in the championship final of the women's 100 freestyle led by top qualifier Arina Openysheva (49.10). Casey Fanz (49.50), Lainey Visscher (49.87), Christiana Regenauer (50.07), and Nastja Govejsek (50.60) round out the top eight as Avery Braunecker (50.76) and Katie Schorr (50.83) make up the B-final.

Behind top qualifier Blaise Vera (42.90) of Pitt, Bartosz Piszczorowicz (43.46) and Michael Eastman (43.87) will race in the A-final of the men's 100 freestyle. Cardinals competing in the bonus final include Haridi Sameh (44.62), Tanner Cummings (44.71), Caleb Duncan (44.75), and Sam Steele (44.83).

Mariia Astashkina posted the top qualifying time of 2:09.38 in the women's 200 breaststroke during prelims for the middle lane tonight. Morgan Friesen (2:11.74), Kaylee Wheeler (2:15.49), and Diana Dunn (2:16.32) will join her in the A-final.

Evgenii Somov (1:56.50) holds the top time in the men's 200 breaststroke heading into tonight and will be joined by Aaron Parrott (2:00.03) and Sos (2:00.32) in the A-final. Griffin Manning (2:02.94) will compete in the consolation final.

In the women's 200 butterfly, Grace Oglesby (1:54.69) holds the top spot by over three seconds ahead of Alena Kraus (1:57.70). Sophie Cattermole (1:59.92) and Abby Hay (2:00.00) will also race in the A-final while Carley Lowe (2:01.22) will compete in the B-final.

Nicholas Albiero gives the Cardinals another top seed after clocking in at 1:43.85 this morning in the men's 200 butterfly. Jarrett Jones (1:48.45) will also compete in the championship heat with Alarcon (1:50.08) swimming in the consolation final.

Mariia Astashkina throws up her L