Tennessee swim and dive earned a pair of top-five finishes at the NCAA Championships in Atlanta, Georgia, over the last two weeks. It is the third year in a row the Lady Vols earned a top-five finish, while the second consecutive year the Vols followed suit. They combined for a score of 573.5.
Superstar Camile Spink had an impressive showing, taking third place in the 50-yard freestyle. The junior followed this up with a 46.28 in the 100-yard freestyle to finish fifth, then took sixth in the 200-yard freestyle in a stacked field.
McKenzie Siroky received honors during the meet, tying for second in the 100-yard breaststroke with a 57.00 and solidified herself in second place in Tennessee’s top 10 list. Siroky also took part in multiple relays for the Lady Vols, including the 200-yard and 400-yard medley relays, going a 25.59 split during the breaststroke leg.
Sophomore Ella Jansen earned a finalist position in not only the 500-yard freestyle, but in the 200-yard butterfly and 400-yard IM as well. She finished the IM in 3:59.59, the fastest ever recorded from a Lady Vol. Adding on to these accomplishments, the sophomore then went another lifetime best in the 800-yard freestyle relay with a 1:41.73.
Emily Brown followed up her success at the SEC Championships with an exemplary performance at nationals. Brown finished sixth in the 200-yard butterfly, right on her best time with a 1:52.13. The sophomore also earned a lifetime best in the 500-yard free, racing to the wall in 4:40.78.
The Lady Vols kicked off the team events with a fourth-place finish in the 200-yard medley relay. The quartet of Jillian Crooks, Siroky, Mizuki Hirai and Spink boasted a strong 1:32.66, a new record for the Lady Vols. Hirai added a blazing 22.51 butterfly split.
The women carried this energy the rest of the meet, taking an eighth-place finish in the 800-yard free relay as Jansen anchored with a 1:43.31, helping them earn a spot in Tennessee’s record book. The Lady Vols later took sixth in the 200-yard freestyle relay, the second-fastest time in program history, and added a second-place finish in the 400-yard medley relay.
The Vols also turned in standout swims, led by Gui Caribé. He placed second in the 50-yard freestyle, touching the wall in 18.19 and managed a 40.41 in the 100-yard freestyle to take third. Gabe Nunziata earned seventh place in the 200-yard breaststroke with a lifetime best in the event and added points in the 100-yard breaststroke and both medley relays.
The Vol relays made their mark during finals, tying for fourth in the 200-yard freestyle relay. The men brought home 29 more points, with a top-three program time. The Vols came back later to take sixth place in the 400-yard medley relay. The quartet of Ulises Saravia, Nunziata, Lucio Paula and Caribe ended up with a top-10 time of 3:00.34, right on Tennessee’s previous record. The Vols later placed fourth again in the 400-free relay, finishing with a strong 2:45.09.
With the absence of B-finals this year, the competition has become even more intense, with lifetime bests across the board. Freshman Desharne Bent-Ashmeil shone during prelims and earned a 382.25 in the 3-meter dive, breaking the former record. Bent-Ashmeil came back to the finals and managed a second-place finish. The diver also placed fifth in the platform dive, bringing in much-needed points for the Vols.
Standout Bennett Greene added to the diving success with a personal best in the platform dive and an eighth-place finish in the finals. Greene also placed third in the 1-meter springboard and eighth in the 3-meter dive, earning more than 30 points for the Vols.
