411 on the Forty: Texas men’s swimming and diving wins Minnesota Invite

By Riley Zayas

“Hard  work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”

That definitely could be said for Texas athletes in their respective competitions over the past week, and for the coaches who not only led their teams to victory but also worked hard in their recruiting efforts as the job never stops for successful coaches whose future success depends in large part on their constant replenishment of the talent on their rosters. It’s always about [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)]conquering the next mountain, getting through the next valley and winning the games that matter most. A whole lot of those games took place for the Horns this week, and to find out the results, the only option is to read ahead.

Men’s swimming and diving wins Minnesota Invite; women place third
The men’s team beat Cal and Michigan in a four -day meet in Minneapolis. Head coach Eddie Reese’s top-ranked team has a strong balance of sprinters and distance swimmers and got contributions from all over the roster. Olympic hopeful Austin Katz set a pool record to win the 200-yard backstroke, and was followed in second by teammate Ryan Harty. Another 1-2 finish for the Horns came in the 100-yard freestyle, which Daniel Krueger won with the fastest time in the NCAA this year: 41.45 seconds. In addition, the Horns took first in the 400-yard freestyle relay.

Five Longhorns posted “A” cut times (the standard through which postseason meet invitations are determined). That group — Krueger, Sam Pomajevich, Caspar Courbeau, Braden Vines and Katz — automatically qualifies for the NCAA Championships, which will be held March in Indianapolis.

The women’s team finished third at the Minnesota Invite, behind Cal and Michigan. Sophomore Julia Cook continued her winning streak in the 200-yard backstroke, extending her total to six individual wins this season across three events: the 100 and 200 backstroke and the 100-yard freestyle, while freshman Kelly Pash won the 200-yard butterfly. Cook also swam one leg in the 400-yard freestyle relay, helping the Longhorns finish second hehind Cal.

Also, Cook sprinted one leg on the 400 Free Relay, helping the team take second in a close race with Cal. Also taking home a first place title, in the 200 Butterfly, was freshman Kelly Pash.

Volleyball’s leaders honored
Prior to Friday’s season-ending loss to Louisville, four members of the volleyball team received awards from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). Freshman Skylar Fields, who was named Southwest Region Freshman of the Year, which qualifies her for National Freshman of the Year, an award that many believe she has a good shot at winning. Skylar Fields, Micaya White, Logan Eggleston and Jhenna Gabriel all were named to the All-Region team, and became eligible for All-America honors.

Track adds three to 2020 recruiting class
Texas head coach Edrick Floréal announced the signing of Joseph Nizich, Leo Neugebauer and sprinter Stacey Ann-Williams, raising to 16 the number of athletes who will join the UT men’s and women’s squads next fall.

Nizich will be 2,062 miles away from his hometown of Oregon City, Oregon. He has appeared at multiple Junior Olympics in his young javelin throwing career and also flexed his strength on the gridiron, where he was a linebacker at Central Catholic High School. He will follow in the footsteps of his brother, Jon, by throwing the javelin for a high-profile college track program; Jon was an All-America thrower for the nationally recognized Oregon Ducks squad after a successful high school career that concluded in 2014.

Neugebauer is a highly recruited decathlete from Germany. The top-ranked under-20 decathlete in the world, Neugebauer is an all-round athlete who has competed all over Europe and defeated the best his continent has to offer.

Ann-Williams is from Jamaica, and comes to UT as a transfer from NAIA Southern University in New Orleans, where she has won five NAIA national championships, primarily in her best distance, the 400 meters.
[/s2If] [s2If !current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)] [habeabk] [/s2If]