MEET RESULTS

MANSFIELD, Texas (SMU) – In its first dual meet of the season, the SMU men’s swimming and diving team lost to rival TCU, 173.5-126.5, on Wednesday night at the Mansfield ISD Natatorium.   

“This sets a baseline for us to improve on,” said head coach Eddie Sinnott.  “Some guys raced well and some guys made a lot of mistakes that we can learn from.  So, in that respect, it was a good meet.”

TCU (3-0) jumped out to an early lead by winning the first three events.  The Horned Frogs opened up the meet by winning the 200-yard medley relay, before taking the 1,000-yard freestyle and 200-yard freestyle events.

SMU (0-1) earned its first of five victories of the meet when senior Sam Straughan, a transfer from the United Kingdom’s Loughborough University, captured the 100-yard backstroke (49.73).  The first-place finish was the first of two for the Maidenhead, United Kingdom, native, as he also won the 100-yard butterfly (49.54).

“That was a great debut performance by Sam Straughan,” said Sinnott.  “He swam great tonight.”

Senior diver Devin Burnett also earned two first-place finishes.  Burnett, the reigning American Athletic Conference Diver of the Year, swept both the one-meter (362.78) and three-meter (365.85) dives.  Both of Burnett’s scores were Zone Diving Standard qualifying scores.

Freshman Matt Ackman registered the other first-place finish for the Mustangs, winning the 200-yard breaststroke (2:04.10).

In addition to his win in the 200-back, Ackman finished a close second in the 100-yard breaststroke.  Then, in one of the night’s most thrilling races, Ackman (1:52.79) was edged by TCU’s Cooper Robinson (1:52.58) in the 200-yard IM.  

Three other Mustangs registered second-place finishes.  Senior Tyler Rauth placed second in the 200-yard butterfly (1:52.45), freshman Bartosz Krzyzaniak touched the wall second in the 200-yard backstroke (1:53.24) and junior Eastman Holloway finished second in the 500-yard freestyle (4:39.95).

SMU’s team of Krzyzaniak, Ackman, sophomore Tucker Wells and junior Justin Gibson also finished second in the 200-yard medley relay (1:34.03).

“Our goal from here is to just get better,” said Sinnott.  “The goal tomorrow is to just get better.  If we do, by the end of February we will be a pretty good team.”

The Mustangs return to the pool for the Texas A&M Invitational, beginning on Thursday, Nov. 20.