Swimming & Diving

In securing the top spot on the podium, Herkle posted times of 1:00.52, 2:09.82, and 4:12.72 in the 100 breast, 200 breast, and 400 IM, respectively. These times currently rank in the top 50, top 30, and top 35 in the nation.

Leading the way for the Cardinals were Christiana Regenauer and Kim Herkle, who both collected multiple victories. Regenauer emerged triumphant in the 100 free and 100 fly, in addition to being part of both winning relays. Herkle dominated in the 100 and 200 breaststroke, as well as the 400 IM. Overall, Louisville notched an impressive 27 NCAA B-cuts throughout the meet.

The Cardinals are coming off a strong performance in their last meet, the Ohio State Invitational, where they finished third in both the men’s and women’s competitions. Ohio State took first place in the women’s competition, followed by Indiana in second and Louisville in third. On the men’s side, Indiana claimed the top spot, with Ohio State in second and the Cardinals in third.

The competition took place at the James E. Martin Aquatic Center on the campus of Auburn University, which will be the site of the 2024 SEC Swimming and Diving Championships. This meet provided an opportunity for Kentucky divers to become familiar with the venue they will compete in during the upcoming conference championships.

The competition will include events such as the 1-meter springboard, 3-meter springboard, platform, and the new team event format. Kentucky has already had a strong season, with five individuals earning eight NCAA zone cuts. Abby Devereaux leads the pack with qualifying scores on all three apparatuses, while Sam Duncan has cuts for both the 1-meter and 3-meter springboards. Claire McDaniels, Devynn Bishop, and Kristy Pfaff have also achieved zone standard scores on their respective events.

Making their debuts at the Toyota U.S. Open, Max Berg, Carson Hick, Libby Grether, and Olivia Mendenhall competed in a challenging field that included 68 current U.S. National Team members, 34 U.S. Olympians, and 29 American record holders. The Wildcats were up against some of the best swimmers in the country, demonstrating their talent and determination.

Abby Devereaux, Kristy Pfaff, Claire McDaniels, Jodi Cobb, Sam Duncan, and Gavin Hang will be showcasing their diving skills at the Allan Jones Aquatic Center in Knoxville, Tenn. The national meet, which also serves as a qualifier for the 2024 World Aquatics Championships, will take place from November 28 to December 6. Former UK diver Kyndal Knight and future Wildcat Avery Geise will also be joining the team.

The winter championships will kick off on November 28 with qualifiers running until November 30. The finals will then commence on November 29 and continue until December 6. This event also holds significant importance as it will serve as a qualifier for the upcoming 2024 World Aquatics Championships. Additionally, Knoxville has been selected to host the 2024 US Olympic diving team trials from June 16-23.

All six divers who competed in the platform event managed to qualify for the finals, with four of them achieving NCAA Zone Cuts. Praasterink, with a score of 310.75, topped the leaderboard to claim the first-place finish. Teammate Samm Helmboldt showcased her talent and secured a zone cut score of 261.35, securing a second-place finish. Grace Leonard finished in fifth position with a score of 224.40, and Lindsay Gizzi rounded out the final with a respectable seventh-place finish. Gizzi’s fine performance in the preliminaries earned her an NCAA zone cut score of 240.50.

In the 1650 freestyle, IU’s Chin Gan finished first with a time of 15:48.70. Louisville’s Paige Kuwata finished eighth with a time of 16:38.12. In the men’s 1650 freestyle, Ohio State’s Sam Campbell took first place with a time of 14:48.25. Louisville’s Tyler Watson finished third with a time of 15:00.39.