Badgers open Texas Invitational in record-setting fashion

Wednesday, November 30

Austin, TX

10 AM / 6 PM

Wisconsin Badgers

Texas Invitational

Badgers open Texas Invitational in record-setting fashion

November 30, 2016 | Men's Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving

Results

Unicomb, Jagdfeld, Sehmann, Runge combine for fastest 800 freestyle relay in UW history

AUSTIN, Texas – The Wisconsin swimming team began competition at the Texas Invitational with a bang, notching top-10 times nationally and breaking a school record in the process.

It was the Wisconsin women's "A" relay team of Jess Unicomb, Abby Jagdfeld, Emmy Sehmann and Cierra Runge that stole the show for UW, breaking the school record in the 800-yard freestyle relay in an automatic NCAA qualifying time of 7 minutes, 5.42 seconds.

The previous record was 7:07.18, which was set at the 2012 Big Ten Championships.

The Badgers' time currently ranks ninth in the nation and was good enough to take fourth overall amongst 23 teams in the lone event of the four-day meet's first session.

After breaking the school record in the 200 freestyle by posting a 1:45.64 leadoff split in the 800 freestyle relay at the USA College Challenge two weeks ago, Runge anchored the Badgers' relay with a blistering split of 1:43.93, which was the fifth-fastest in the field.

The Wisconsin men's "A" relay squad was also impressive, also notching the No. 9 time in the country in the event in a provisional NCAA qualifying time of 6:23.33.

Cannon Clifton, Matt Hutchins, Ryan Stack and Brett Pinfold combined their efforts to take sixth overall out of 25 teams in Austin, with Pinfold's anchor split of 1:33.58 ranking fifth out of the 100 swimmers in the race.

Wisconsin also had several other relay teams competing in the event, with the women's "B" team of Beata Nelson, Chase Kinney, Maddi Tew and Danielle Valley taking 10th overall in 7:13.06; the "C" team of Ari Saghafi, Grace Tierney, Kendall Smith and Megan Doty placing 13th in 7:20.93; and the "D" relay team of Marissa Berg, Molly Manchon, Hannah Lindsey and Maddie Martin finishing 15th in 7:22.46.

On the men's side, Sean Maloney, Anthony Lyons, Victor Goicoechea, and Ryan Barsanti represented the "B" team, which placed 12th in 6:32.57; the "C" team of Cameron Tysoe, Mike Sullivan, Niko Stines and Eric Geunes took 15th (6:38.13); and Griffin Back, Michael Milinovich, Kevin Braun and Justin Temprano of the "D" squad finished 19th (6:42.10).

Day two of action at the Texas Invitational begins at 10 a.m. (CT) Thursday with the preliminary heats of the 500 freestyle. Event finals will commence at 6 p.m., with live coverage on Longhorn Network.