The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
North Carolina
Women's Swimming and Diving defeats North Carolina, 171-129
10.17.2013 | Women's Swimming and Diving
Six newcomers collect wins in the Longhorns' second victory of the season.
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AUSTIN, Texas – Texas freshmen Tasija Karosas, Madisyn Cox and Murphy Bromberg accounted for seven of the Longhorns' nine individual event victories Thursday evening at UT (2-0) pulled away to a 171-129 win over North Carolina at UT's Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center.
Texas opened the meet with a convincing victory in the 200-yard medley relay, as senior Lily Moldenhauer, Cox, junior Skylar Smith and junior Gretchen Jaques won by over two seconds in 1 minute, 41.95 seconds. Karosas picked up the first of her two wins in the 100 backstroke, where she clocked 54.87, good for a NCAA "B" qualifying cut. Cox followed suit and logged the first of three individual wins on the night with a mark of 1:02.63 in the 100 breaststroke.
Jaques also was a multiple victor Thursday. The Californian edged teammate Samantha Tucker in the 50 freestyle at 23.33. Bromberg, a former U.S. Olympic Trials finalist better known for her proficiency as a platform diver, led off her sweep of the diving events by winning the one-meter event with 287.40 points. She added a win in the three-meter event with 331.50 points.
Karosas used a strong final 50 yards to edge North Carolina's Annie Harrison at the touch in the 200 backstroke. The Stowe, Vt., native took the win in 1:57.64, good for another NCAA "B" cut. Cox posted a NCAA "B" cut with her winning time of 2:15.54 in the 200 breaststroke.
Jaques withstood a challenge from UNC's Sarah Koucheki in the final 25 yards and preserved a win in the 100 butterfly in 54.68. Cox notched the final win for Texas and her third of the night with a NCAA "B" cut of 4:17.36 in the 400 individual medley.
Texas concludes a busy week of competition Friday evening when it visits Texas A&M. The meet gets underway at 6 p.m. CT at A&M's Student Rec Center Natatorium.
POST-MEET COMMENTS
Texas head coach Carol Capitani
On the freshmen: Our freshmen were awesome. We have a big group of freshmen. We have nine swimmers. I would say the foundation of our freshman team, Tasija Karosas and Madisyn Cox, did a great job. I think Brynne Wong really stepped up today as well. Some of them are just really seeing the results of their efforts and discipline and things they've done in the water all week. A lot of them are showing really steady improvement just racing and feeling good.
On seeing newcomers competing: I think it's fun and I think they should think it's fun. It's easier for some people just to train everyday without putting themselves on the line. We're just learning and telling them, "This is a meet. This is shorter than practice, and this is more fun. This is why we train - to see what we're made of."
On the upperclassmen: I think our seniors did a really nice job. Lily [Moldenhauer] barely swam last year and she really stepped it up. Sam Tucker had a great start to dual-meet season. Gretchen Jaques did a great job swimming her off events, swimming some butterfly and some freestyle where we really needed her to stand out. The divers did a great job. They really knocked it out of the park. Kaitlin Pawlowicz had the 1,000 and the 200 fly and the 400 IM, and that's a lot of events. She did a great job.
On the divers' performance: The divers are always good. Matt (Scoggin) does such a great job. It's nice to be able to count on some great diving. We were a little short-staffed with some of our kids out, so it was nice to count on the divers to pick up some points.
