Kos, Maurer & Germonprez Shine As Texas Opens Season With Orange/White Intrasquad

10/04/2024 10:54 AM

By James Sutherland on SwimSwam

2024 Texas Sam Kendricks Classic

• Thursday, October 3, 2024
• Austin, Texas
• Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center
• SCY (25 yards)
• Full Results (PDF)
• Final Scores
  • Women: Orange 147.5, White, 131.5
  • Men: White 151.5, Orange 142.5

Hungarian Olympic champion Hubert Kos was among the standouts at the University of Texas’ annual Orange vs. White intrasquad meet on Thursday, officially renamed to the Sam Kendricks Classic following the death of the longtime swimming commentator in 2022.

Kos, who won Olympic gold in the men’s 200 back in Paris, put up the top time in the men’s 100 back (45.48) and 200 back (1:40.61) in what was his first time racing as a Longhorn after transferring over from Arizona State in the offseason.

At the 2024 NCAA Championships, Kos was 2nd in the 200 back (1:35.90) and 4th in the 100 back (44.13), having set personal best times of 43.75/1:35.69 at the Pac-12 Championships a few weeks earlier.

In the 100 back, Kos was followed by Texas sophomore Will Modglin (46.22), who placed 9th overall at his debut NCAAs after winning the consolation final.

Men’s 100 Back Race Video

In the 200 back, Kos was the fastest in thee field by more than four seconds, with his 1:40.61 clocking being followed by Modglin (1:44.73), while Colorado Mesa transfer Ben Sampson was 3rd (1:46.81).

Men’s 200 Back Race Video

Kos also put up a quick lead-off leg on Team White’s 200 medley relay, clocking 21.06 for the 50 back to come within 15 one-hundredths of his lifetime best of 20.91 set this past January in an ASU dual against Grand Canyon.

Kos was followed by Nate Germonprez (23.41), Aaron Shackell (20.76) and Camden Taylor (19.35), as they combined to give Team White the event in in 1:24.58.

The runner-up Orange team featured Modglin (21.37), Will Scholtz (23.78), Garrett Gould (19.20) and Luke Hobson (19.20) clocking 1:25.00.

Men’s 200 Medley Relay Race Video

OTHER MEN’S HIGHLIGHTS

Germonprez, a sophomore, was on fire throughout the meet, coming out on top in the 100 breast, 200 breast and 200 IM.

In the 100 breast, Germonprez set a personal best time of 52.43, edging out Scholtz (53.17) and downing his previous PB of 52.59 set back in December 2022.

He followed up by coming within 15 one-hundredths of his best time in the 200 breast, touching in 1:55.02, and finished things off by running down Kos for the win in the 200 IM. Down by nearly two seconds at the 100, Germonprez split 29.38/24.72 coming home to out-touch Kos, 1:43.32 to 1:43.37.

After redshirting the 2023-24 season, David Johnston returned to the Longhorns in fine form on Thursday, registering a time of 8:53.35 in the 1000 free, within range of where he was in October 2022 (8:51.24) and January 2023 (8:50.54) at unrested points of his last collegiate season. He set a personal best of 8:34.82 in November 2023, which ranks him #2 all-time.

Back in the water later in the 500 free, Johnston was the runner-up to Stanford transfer Rex Maurer, who blasted a time of 4:14.19 to raise some eyebrows early in October. The time for Maurer is faster than he went at the 2024 NCAA Championships: 4:16.69. He set a PB of 4:11.88 last season at the Texas Invitational during his lone season with the Cardinal.

Johnston touched 2nd in 4:18.15.

Men’s 500 Free Race Video

Maurer also had a noteworthy performance in the 200 free, clocking 1:34.13 to place 2nd to reigning NCAA champion Luke Hobson, who was 1:33.99. The two swimmers had near identical splits on each of the four 50s, including closing with sub-24 splits over the last 100 (23.84/23.63 for Hobson, 23.95/23.76 for Maurer).

Coby Carrozza, who held the lead through the 150, was 3rd in 1:34.52.

Men’s 200 Free Race Video

In the meet-ending 400 free relay, the Orange team of Garrett Gould (43.83), Maurer (43.05), Hobson (43.23) and Kyle Peck (43.20) topped the field in 2:53.96, with White’s top team close behind in 2:54.57. The fastest split in the entire field went to Camden Taylor on the White team anchor leg at 42.68.

Men’s 400 Free Relay Race Video

Other Men’s Winners:

• Cooper Lucas, 200 fly – 1:44.78
• Garrett Gould, 50 free – 20.11
• Camden Taylor, 100 free – 43.19
• Ryan Branon, 100 fly – 47.48
• Nicholas Harris, 1-meter diving – 267.90
• Tanner Braunton, 3-meter diving – 399.00

See all men’s race videos here.

WOMEN’S HIGHLIGHTS

The women’s competition was led by sophomore Erin Gemmell, redshirt freshman Jillian Cox and true freshman Piper Enge.

Gemmell was the lone swimmer to break 50 seconds in the 100 free (49.70), and used a blistering closing 50 of 26.55 to top the 200 free field in 1:46.14 over freshman Lillie Nesty (1:47.67).

An Olympic semi-finalist in the women’s 200 free, Gemmell owns best times of 47.78 in the 100 free and 1:43.05 in the 200 free, both set at the 2024 NCAA Championships.

In addition to her swim in the 200 free, Nesty also posted the fastest time in the 200 back (1:59.90).

Cox, who redshirted the 2023-24 season, was the top performer in the 500 free (4:49.01) and 1000 free (9:46.38), with sophomore Angie Coe (4:49.75) and freshman Kate Hurst (9:47.96) the respective runner-ups.

The freshman Enge rolled to the top time in the 100 breast (1:01.07) and 200 breast (2:15.06), backing up her ranking as the best breaststroke recruit in the girls’ high school class of 2024. Enge owns best times of 58.95/2:09.09 in the breaststroke events.

NC State transfer Abby Arens also had an impressive showing, winning the 100 fly (53.10) and finishing a close 2nd to Enge in the 100 breast (1:01.52). Arens has been as fast as 50.60 in the 100 fly and 58.74 in the 100 breast.

In the 200 medley relay, the Team Orange quartet of Emma Kern (24.89), Arens (27.89), Campbell Stoll (23.77) and Grace Cooper (22.57) came out on top in 1:38.71, while Ava Longi notably threw down a 21.95 anchor for Team White.

Cooper and Longi tied for the top time in the 50 free in 23.05.

The 400 free relay saw the White team of Emma Sticklen (50.84), Longi (49.54), Coe (49.79) and Gemmell (48.99) lead the way in 3:19.16.

Other Women’s Winners:

• Emma Kern, 100 back – 53.48
• Campbell Stoll, 200 fly – 1:56.65
• Hailey Hernandez, 1-meter diving – 218.80
• Bayleigh Cranford, 3-meter diving – 348.60
• Campbell Stoll, 200 IM – 2:01.05

FINAL TEAM STANDINGS

Women

1. Orange, 147.5
2. White, 131.5

Men

1. White, 151.5
2. Orange, 142.5

Combined

1. Orange, 290
2. White, 283

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Kos, Maurer & Germonprez Shine As Texas Opens Season With Orange/White Intrasquad