College Swimming League Heads to Stanford for Match Three; Cal Makes Debut
After an opening weekend in which Indiana and Virginia captured victories, the College Swimming League will host its third match on Friday. The competition will feature Cal, Stanford and Auburn making their CSL debuts, while Ohio State will return to action after a fourth-place finish during a battle with Indiana, Louisville and Michigan. The Week Two clash is scheduled for Stanford’s Avery Aquatic Center, with the first race starting at 5:30.
In its first season, the CSL is trying to generate greater attention on the sport at the collegiate level, a 30-event schedule put together by the organizers. Individual and relay skins races are part of the program, as is a “Jackpot” component in which athletes can steal points from competitors if they prevailed by more than a specified margin. Combined team scoring is being used, rather than separate men’s and women’s scoring.
Swift performances were the norm during the first weekend of the CSL, led by Virginia’s Claire Curzan delivering a 1:46.85 performance in the 200-yard backstroke. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers’ Thomas Heilman went 1:40.54 in the 200 butterfly and North Carolina State’s Jerry Fox clocked 41.79 in the 100 freestyle and 19.13 in the 50 free. Curzan was exceptional in Skins action, as she maintained impressive speed across four rounds of the 50 backstroke.
In Match One, Indiana’s Miranda Grana (200 backstroke: 1:49.54) and Liberty Clark (100 freestyle: 46.60) headlined for the Hoosiers while Louisville received a 2:06.32 from Anastasia Gorbenko in the 200 breaststroke and a 19.30 from Nikita Sheremet in the 50 freestyle. Michigan’s Hannah Bellard went 4:36.54 in the 500 freestyle, with teammate Bella Sims going 1:54.82 in the 200 individual medley.
CSL Match Three: Cal vs. Stanford vs. Auburn vs. Ohio State
When: Friday, Oct. 2 – 5:30 p.m. (Pacific Time)
Where: Avery Aquatic Center (Stanford, California)
How to Watch: ESPN+/DAZN
