By Nicole Miller on SwimSwam
2024 Texas Hall of Fame Invite
- November 20-22, 2024
- Where: Lee and Joe Jamail Swimming Center — Austin, TX
- When: 10 am CT prelims/6 pm CT finals
- Participating Teams: Pitt, Stanford, Texas (host), USC, Wisconsin, BYU, Cal Poly
- Meet Info
- Live Results
- Results on Meet Mobile: “Texas Hall of Fame Swimming Invite”
- Day 1 Prelims Recap | Day 1 Finals Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Recap | Day 2 Finals Recap
The Pitt Panthers saw a significant milestone on the second night of the Texas Hall of Fame Invite as the women’s team hit an NCAA A-cut in the 200 medley relay, giving the team their first NCAA relay in 18 years.
The team of Claire Jansen, Cecilia Viberg, Sophie Yendell, and Avery Kudlac combined for a time of 1:35.81, dipping under the NCAA A-cut of 1:36.24 by almost a half second en route to a 4th place finish in the event. In the process, the team also shattered the school record of 1:36.68 from last season by Jansen, Tatum Detwiler, Yendell, and Kate Fuhrmann.
Splits:
- Backstroke (Jansen) – 24.25
- Breaststroke (Viberg) – 26.89
- Butterfly (Yendell) – 22.52
- Freestyle (Kudlac) – 22.15
The addition of Viberg was a huge advantage for Pitt over last season, as she produced a breaststroke split of 26.89, the 2nd fastest in the field. She was also over a half-second faster than the 27.38 Jessica Strong produced on the school record-breaking relay last season.
Going back through the NCAA archives, the last time that Pitt qualified a relay for the NCAA Championships was back in 2006. At the 2006 NCAA Championships, Pitt contested both the 200 free and 400 free relay, finishing 20th and 21st, respectively.
The NCAA cut not only marks an important point for the program as a whole, but is also a significant milestone for second-year head coach Chase Kreitler. Under Kreitler, the Pitt men’s team has already seen significant success, with the women’s team now sharing in that success. Last season, the Pitt men earned their All-American honors since 2002, finishing 16th in the 200 medley relay at the NCAA Championships. Kreitler, who previously served as an assistant coach at both Cal and Texas, now has established success on both sides of the field during his short time at Pitt.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: Pitt Women Hit A-Cut in 200 Medley Relay to Qualify for NCAAs for the First Time Since 2006