In a fierce battle for state supremacy, the No. 13/6-ranked University of Louisville men’s and women’s swimming and diving team will take on their in-state rival, the University of Kentucky, in a home matchup on Saturday, January 27, at 1 p.m. at the Ralph Wright Natatorium.
The Cardinals are coming off a dominant performance in their last home meet on January 5, where they swept Missouri with the men winning 205-89 and the women winning 203-96. The team was led by multiple first-place finishes, with standout performances from Christiana Regenauer and Kim Herkle on the women’s side and Denis Petrashov and Guy Brooks on the men’s side.
Meanwhile, the Wildcats are looking to bounce back from a loss to the University of Alabama on January 13. The women lost 163-156, while the men were defeated 175-144. The team’s performance at the Tennessee Invitational in November was also less than stellar, with the men finishing fourth and the women finishing fifth out of eight teams.
In their last meeting on January 22, 2022, UofL emerged victorious in the Battle of the Bluegrass, with the women winning 174-126 and the men winning 208.5-88.5. The Cardinals will be aiming to make it two straight wins against their rivals, while the Wildcats will be looking to improve their 1-6 record against UofL since 1999.
Both teams will be showcasing their top talent in this highly anticipated matchup. Here are some of the top 50 nationally ranked times for both teams:
50 Free: Dalton Lowe (UL) ranks 29th, Gabi Albiero (UL) ranks 5th, Christiana Regenauer (UL) ranks 8th, Julia Dennis (UL) ranks 12th, Lucy Mehraban (UL) ranks 26th.
100 Free: Gabi Albiero (UL) ranks 9th, Christiana Regenauer (UL) ranks 11th, Lucy Mehraban (UL) ranks in a tie for 29th, Julia Dennis (UL) ranks 31st.
200 Free: Murilo Stein Sartori (UL) ranks 31st, Paige Hetrick (UL) ranks 41st.
500 Free: Ilia Sibirtsev (UL) ranks 20th, Tyler Watson (UL) ranks 24th, Murilo Stein Sartori (UL) ranks 42nd.
1000 Free: Ilia Sibirtsev (UL) ranks 15th, Tyler Watson (UL) ranks 27th, Levi Sandidge (UK) ranks 16th.
1650 Free: Ilia Sibirtsev (UL) ranks 11th, Tyler Watson (UL) ranks 21st, Levi Sandidge (UK) ranks 6th, Caroline Benda (UK) ranks 49th.
50 Back: Dalton Lowe (UL) ranks in a tie for 41st.
100 Back: Dalton Lowe (UL) ranks 34th, Paige Hetrick (UL) ranks in a tie for 46th, Torie Buerger (UK) ranks 50th.
200 Back: Paige Hetrick (UL) ranks in a tie for 25th, Rye Ulett (UL) ranks 33rd, Grace Frericks (UK) ranks 27th.
50 Breast: Denis Petrashov (UL) ranks in a tie for 38th, Cecilia Viberg (UL) ranks 18th, Ella Welch (UL) ranks in a tie for 22nd.
100 Breast: Denis Petrashov (UL) ranks 14th, Cecilia Viberg (UL) ranks 28th, Ella Welch (UL) ranks 31st, Bridget Engel (UK) ranks 44th.
200 Breast: Denis Petrashov (UL) ranks 11th, Kim Herkle (UL) ranks 27th.
50 Fly: Dalton Lowe (UL) ranks in a tie for 24th, Gabi Albiero (UL) ranks in a tie for 8th, Christiana Regenauer (UL) ranks in a tie for 36th, Karoline Barrett (UL) ranks in a tie for 47th.
100 Fly: Dalton Lowe (UL) ranks 39th, Gabi Albiero (UL) ranks 6th, Christiana Regenauer (UL) ranks 26th.
200 Fly: Gustavo Saldo (UL) ranks 34th, Tommy Bried (UL) ranks 46th, Ryan Merani (UK) ranks 24th.
200 IM: Fernanda Gomes Celidonio (UL) ranks 32nd.
400 IM: Jackson Millard (UL) ranks 24th, Tommy Bried (UL) ranks 36th, Ryan Merani (UK) ranks 30th, Kim Herkle (UL) ranks 19th.
The order of events for the meet will be as follows: Women 200 Medley Relay, Men 200 Medley Relay, Women 1000 Freestyle, Men 1000 Freestyle, Women 200 Freestyle, Men 200 Freestyle, Women 100 Backstroke, Men 100 Backstroke, Women 100 Breaststroke, Men 100 Breaststroke, Women 200 Butterfly, Men 200 Butterfly, Women 50 Freestyle, Men 50 Freestyle, 20-minute break, Women 100 Freestyle, Men 100 Freestyle, Women 200 Backstroke, Men 200 Backstroke, Women 200 Breaststroke, Men 200 Breaststroke, Women 500 Freestyle, Men 500 Freestyle, Women 100 Butterfly, Men 100 Butterfly, 20-minute break, Women 200 IM, Men 200 IM, Women 400 Freestyle Relay, Men 400 Freestyle Relay.
This thrilling matchup between two fierce rivals promises to be a showcase of talent and determination. Stay tuned to see who will emerge victorious in the Battle of the Bluegrass.
