Tennessee Invitational: Gretchen Walsh, Jordan Crooks Blast Fast Prelims 50s
Gretchen Walsh and Jordan Crooks finished the first morning session of the 2024 Tennessee Invitational with fast 50 freestyles Wednesday morning.
Walsh went 20.88 to set the pace at the Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center, the fastest time by nearly a half second. The American Olympian’s best time is 20.37, an NCAA and American record from NCAAs last year.
Second to Walsh was Camille Spink of Tennessee in 21.33. That is her best time by four tenths, and moves her into second in program history, trailing only Erika Brown (now Erika Connolly). Virginia’s Anna Moesch was third in 22.02, one of eight 22s in the field.
Crooks followed with a time of 18.29 in the men’s 50 free. He’s tracking his best time of 17.93 from 2023, which stands as second in NCAA history. He’s already made a huge jump at this meet in the 200 free to 1:30.00 off the front of Tuesday night’s 800 free relay.
Tennessee’s international sprint contingent owned the top five spots in the race. Behind the Caymanian Crooks was Brazilian Olympian Gui Caribe, who went 18.83. Nikoli Blackman (Trinidad and Tobago) and Lamar Taylor (Bahamas) followed by tying for third in 19.15, while Micah Chambers of UT and Virginia’s Jack Aikins tied for fifth in 19.37.
Elsewhere in the morning session, Ella Jansen set the pace in the 500 free at 4:40.05. That’s her best career college time, jumping a spot to sixth in program history. Aimee Canny of UVA was second. Just 1.27 seconds separates the top four, with Tennessee’s Julia Mrozinski and Cavan Gormsen of Virginia in the mix.
Leah Hayes led the way in the 200 IM in 1:54.29, the Virginia swimmer a second up on Josephine Fuller of UT. The A cut is 1:53.66.
On the men’s side, Kentucky’s Carson Hick led the way in the 500 free in 4:16.64. Tennessee’s Joaquin Vargas finished second with one of three 4:18s. Sebastien Sergile of Virginia edged Tennessee’s Bjorn Kammann by .04 to the top seed in the 200 IM in 1:43.80.
