Minnesota Invitational: Mary-Ambre Moluh Sets Cal Record in 100 Back at 49.68
Welcome to college swimming, Mary-Ambre Moluh.
The French Olympian set an NCAA A Cut and the Cal program record with a time of 49.68 in the women’s 100 backstroke on Friday, the third day at the Minnesota Invitational.
Moluh climbed into the program’s top 10 with a swim of 50.34 in the morning. She outdueled grad student Isabel Stadden in the final, her time of 50.41 seconds good for third. Both Moluh and Stadden booked NCAA A cuts.
Moluh joins Kathleen Baker (49.80 in 2017) and Natalie Coughlin (49.97 in 2002) as the only Golden Bears to break 50 seconds in the 100 backstroke.
Those two swims made it three individual A cuts on the day, all from Cal, which is on the way to dominating the team category in Minnesota. The other was by Japanese international Yamato Okadome, who went 50.87 in the men’s 100 breaststroke. That’s an A cut by .15 seconds and puts him third in the country this year and fourth in Cal program history.
Cal finished the day with a pair of relay A cuts. Moluh anchored the women’s squad to a time of 3:29.60. Stadden led off in 51.52, followed by Leah Polonsky (58.81), Lilou Ressencourt (51.96) and Moluh (47.31).
The men followed suit in 3:03.17, an A cut. Gabriel Jett (44.54), Okadome (51.03), Samuel Quarles (45.29) and Bjorn Seeliger (42.31) took care of business, winning by nearly five seconds over any other school.
Ressencourt started the meet by winning the 100 fly in 51.81. Claire Reinke of Minnesota was second in 52.14, breaking up the Cal blockade. The Golden Bears’ Morgan Brophy was third in 52.21, .09 up on Lizzy Cook, with two more swimmers in the 52s.
Minnesota’s Jacob Johnson picked up a win for the hosts by going 45.44 to dominate the men’s 100 fly. He had been a season-best 45.21 in the morning. His finals time put him six-tenths clear of Quarles. David Schmitt of Harvard finished third in 46.26.
Cal’s Kathryn Hazle held off a late charge to get her hand to the wall first in the 400 individual medley. Her time of 4:11.66 was just enough to hold off Katie McCarthy of Minnesota. McCarthy made up 1.7 seconds on the closing 100, but couldn’t bridge the final three tenths, taking home second in 4:11.96. Rutgers’ Molly Urkiel lowered the school record with a 4:13.49 that was good for third.
Cal took home the top three spots in the men’s 400 IM. Humberto Najera led the group to the wall in 3:41.25. He was nearly six seconds up on teammate Tyler Copp, with Carter Lancaster third.
Polonsky picked up another win in what is shaping up as an excellent weekend for the Israel international. She went 1:45.24, rallying on the third 50 to get past teammate Ava Chavez, whom she edged by .06 seconds at the wall. Minnesota’s Mina Kaljevic was third in 1:46.50, just ahead of twin sister Anja Kaljevic.
Jett picked up a win in the 200 free with his time of 1:32.13, despite being just tied for fourth in prelims. He rallied on the back half to get past teammate Nans Mazellier, who finished second in 1:33.02. Cal took the top five spots, with Trent Frandson going 1:33.77 ahead of Keaton Jones.
Cal’s Margaux McDonald was the only 100 breaststroker to break a minute in prelims or finals. She went 59.95 in the morning, then 59.59 at night. Teammate Alicia Henry was second in 1:00.11, .03 up on teammate Abigail Herscu. Urkiel finished fourth for Rutgers in 1:01.07, .04 ahead of UNLV’s Heather Gardner.
Destin Lasco won the men’s 100 back in 45.23, nearly four tenths ahead of teammate Evan Petty. Cal secured the first six spots, with Lucca Battaglini third in 46.00 and Seeliger fourth.
In the women’s 100 back, Minnesota’s Ava Yablonski was third in 52.45, behind Moluh and Stadden. Harvard’s Anya Mostek finished fourth in 53.29. Okadome was followed in the men’s 100 breast by Hank Rivers of Cal, who went 51.63. UNLV’s Daniel Nicusan was third in 52.11.
