Luke Hobson, Jillian Cox Return From Worlds to Lead Texas to Sweep of Georgia
Seventy-two hours earlier, Luke Hobson was in Budapest, winning a short course world title and a world record in the 200-meter freestyle. Now back with his University of Texas team in Austin, Hobson returned to yards and led his team to a dominant dual meet win over the University of Georgia, scoring 224 points to the Bulldogs’ 74.
The Texas women also had a world championship medalist back home and racing well as Jillian Cox won her lone event to lead her team over Georgia by a 190-104 margin.
The Texas men started off with a 1-2 finish in the 200 medley relay, with Will Modglin, Nate Germonprez, Ryan Branon and Hobson clocking 1:23.35. Hobson then blasted a time of 1:31.63 in the 200 free, his season-best result by two tenths, an
David Johnston won the 1000 freestyle by four seconds, clocking 8:41.09 to beat out surging sophomore teammate Rex Maurer (8:45.31) and Bulldogs veteran Jake Magahey (8:47.88). Modglin topped the 100 backstroke in 45.22, edging out American-record holder Luca Urlando (45.34), and Germonprez posted a mark of 51.39 for a win in the 100 breaststroke.
Maurer, fresh off an American-record-crushing swim in the 500 free last month, won his signature event in 4:13.46, and he overtook Urlando to win the 200 IM, 1:41.41 to 1:41.83. Garrett Gould led the way for the Longhorns in the 50 free (19.38) and 100 free (42.66) while Will Scholtz held off Germonprez by three hundredths to win the 200 breast, 1:54.70 to 1:54.73.
Ryan Branon won the 100 butterfly (46.28), and Nicholas Harris swept 1-meter (355.35) and 3-meter (391.50) diving. Modglin, Coby Carrozza, Gould and Hobson swam a time of 2:50.07 for a dominant win in the 400 free relay.
Georgia’s first win came from Magahey in the 200 fly (1:41.13), and Urlando followed that up with a win in the 200 back (1:39.12).
For the women, Texas had a similar sweep of the top-two spots to start the meet, with Emma Kern, Abby Arens, Emma Sticklen and Grace Cooper clocking 1:35.72 for the win. Sticklen grabbed individual wins in the 50 free (21.76) and 100 fly (50.54).
Cox, who earned a bronze in the 1500-meter free during her trip to the Short Course World Championships, earned the win in the 1000 free. Cox held Abby McCulloh, the Georgia swimmer who was the NCAA champion in the 1650 free last year, at bay by just three tenths, 9:24.83 to 9:25.14.
Texas freshman Lillie Nesty posted a sizzling time of 1:43.53 to win the 200 free, followed by veteran Olivia Bray dominating the 100 back (51.52). Piper Enge won the 100 breast (59.92), and Arens scored first place in the 200 fly (1:54.17), with Campbell Stoll closing well to take second (1:54.34).
Ava Longi topped the field in the 100 free (48.19), and Nesty and Arens each added second victories, Nesty winning the 200 back (1:52.99) and Arens beating the field in the 200 breast (2:09.47).
The Texas women also grabbed two diving wins, with Caroline Kupka topping 1-meter (282.00) and Bayleigh Crawford winning on 3-meter (497.37). Arens, Sticklen, Nesty and Longi won convincingly in the 400 free relay, clocking 3:12.54.
Georgia’s first win of the day came in the 500 free, where Rachel Stege put up a time of 4:37.83 to finish just ahead of McCulloh (4:38.17). The Bulldogs would also conclude individual racing with Ieva Maluka touching first in the 200 IM (1:56.02).