Minnesota Invitational: Isabelle Stadden Drops Two A Cuts on Day 2
Cal’s Isabelle Stadden won the women’s 100 backstroke at the Minnesota Invitational on Friday, then led the Golden Bears to a win in the 400 medley relay. Both are NCAA A Cuts.
Stadden went 50.26 seconds in the 100 back, an A cut and a winning margin of nearly two seconds. She led off the 400 medley relay in 50.68 as she paired with Jade Neser, Lizzy Cook and Eloise Riley to go 3:30.56. Cal went 1-2 in that relay.
It was a day where Cal was slightly less dominant than usual. Mia Motekaitis added her second win of the meet with a time of 1:44.52 in the 200 free, topping Arizona’s Julia Heimstead by nine tenths. Cal filled the other four spots in the top six, with Ava Chavez third and Riley fifth.
Neser led a 1-2-3 result in the 100 breaststroke, clocking in at 59.47 to edge Alicia Henry by .15 seconds. Henry had set the fastest time in prelims. Megan Brophy was third in the 100 fly, and Kathryn Hazle finished second in the 400 individual medley.
The men’s performance likewise had a bump or two, namely Destin Lasco’s disqualification in the 100 back. He had been the top seed in prelims after a 44.91 and was on pace for 44-mid.
Teammate Dare Rose dominated the 100 butterfly in 44.98. Tyler Copp won the 400 IM in 3:45.74. Cal swept the top four spots in the 200 free, led by Gabriel Jett’s 1:32.17. Robin Hanson, Keaton Jones and Jack Alexy followed. Matthew Jensen was second in the 100 breast with Jacob Soderlund third.
Cal faced no issue winning the 400 medley relay in an NCAA A cut 3:02.82, Lasco, Jensen, Rose and Bjorn Seeliger comprising that squad.
Heimstead made the most of her busy evening, winning the 100 fly in 51.61. She pulled away late from Pitt’s Sophie Yendell.
Minnesota’s Megan Van Berkom won the 400 IM in 4:04.36. The Golden Gophers’ Davide Harabagiu finished second in the 100 fly to set the school record at 45.94. (The time by Minnesota’s Summer Schmit set the American S9 record in the women’s 100 breast at 1:14.48.)
Pitt produced the runner-up in the men’s 400 IM with Max Matteazzi going 3:46.99. Claire Jansen was second in the 100 back, ahead of Harvard’s Anya Mostek. Havard’s Gunner Grant won the men’s 100 back in 45.95. (Yendell and Jansen both improved their school records, and they joined Sydney Gring and Jessica Strong to set a school record 3:36.10 in the 400 medley relay that earned fifth place.)
Ball State got a win courtesy of Joey Garberick, who won the 100 breast in 52.69.
Minnesota’s women finished third in the 400 medley relay ahead of Arizona. Arizona’s men were second in the 400 medley relay in 3:06.25.
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