Swimming and Diving Earns 13 Medals at CSCAA National Invitational Championship

OCALA, Fla.- The Kentucky Swimming team finished the 2024 College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) National Invitational Championship with the women’s team in third place with 552 points and the men’s team in fifth with 521.5 points. The Wildcats earned 14 medals over the three-day meet, and added five new top-10 times to the program history list. 

The third-place finish for the women’s team was pioneered by senior Torie Buerger’s 64 point contribution, including her first place finish in the 200 yard backstroke (1:54.59) and silver medal in the women’s 100 yard backstroke (53:00). The women’s team picked up another gold medal in the 800 freestyle relay, swimming a combined time of 7:15.22, courtesy of freshmen Lauren West, Madi McGlothen, Libby Grether and junior Caroline Benda. 

Benda added 19 more points with her second-place swim in the 400 individual medley where she swam 4:14.67. Grether’s 4:42.59 personal best swim in the 500 yard freestyle added another gold medal, and was the ninth fastest time in UK history. McGlothen took bronze in the same event, swimming a personal best of 4:43.26.

Sophomore Denise Phelan took home a silver medal in the 200 yard breaststroke (2:11.66) and bronze in the 50 yard breaststroke (27.94). Olivia Mendenhall also took home a medal in the 200 yard breaststroke, placing third after her 2:12.12 swim. 

The men’s team was led by freshman Lance Johnson’s 63 points, including 19 points from his second-place finish in 400 yard IM, where he swam a 3:47.46. His bronze worthy 1:56.69 swim in the 200 yard breaststroke earned the team 18 points, and was the sixth-fastest time in school history. Sophomore JT Broome also made that list, swimming a 1:58.58 in the same race, making him the tenth-fastest swimmer in the event in UK history.

Sean Mackey earned a silver medal in the 500 freestyle where he swam 4:22.30. In the 1650 freestyle, freshman Josh Fujimoto earned a bronze medal after swimming 15:25.37. In the 200 yard backstroke, sophomore Logan Ingerick earned the 9th fastest time in Kentucky school history after swimming 1:44.44. 

Next up for the wildcats, the women’s swimming team’s Bridget Engel and Grace Frericks head to Athens, Georgia to compete in the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships, March 20-23. 

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