Several Longhorns of the past, present and future competed at the World Aquatics Championships which ran from Feb. 2 to 18. Texas men’s and women’s swimming teams represented the United States, as well as other countries.
Of the men’s team, fifth-year Jake Foster and junior Luke Hobson, and former Longhorns David Johnston, Drew Kibler, Carson Foster and Caspar Corbeau all competed in multiple swimming events. Hobson notably took home five medals, Carson Foster took home three medals, Corbeau took home two medals and Johnston took home one medal.
Hobson took home the bronze in all three events he competed in, with a time of 1:45.26 in the 200-meter freestyle. The other two medals came from relays, with the fastest split time in the 4×100 with 47.68 seconds and 1:45.26 in the 4×200.
Carson Foster participated in the 4×100 and 4×200 relays, with times of 48.12 seconds in the first and a personal best of 1.43.94 in the second relay. He additionally won a silver in the 200-meter individual medley, clocking a time of 1:56.97
Johnston also held a split in the 4×200 relay along with Hobson and Foster, taking home his bronze with a time of 1:47.15. He also swam in the 400-meter free and the 400-meter IM, placing 12th and fifth, respectively.
Corbeau swam for the Netherlands, earning a silver in the 200-meter breaststroke with a time of 2:08.24. He also swam in the 50 and 100-meter breaststroke races.
From the women’s team, freshman Jillian Cox, freshman Erin Gemmell, sophomore Lydia Jacoby, and signees Piper Enge and Kate Hurst got the opportunity to show out. Although they didn’t receive any medals, the future Longhorns showed they could compete on a worldwide stage.
Enge earned a top-10 time in the 50-meter breaststroke. She swam for a personal record of 30.53 seconds in the semi-finals and 30.69 seconds in the finals, enough to put her in sixth place.
Lastly, representing the United States and the Longhorn diving teams, seniors Bridget O’Neil and Noah Duperre participated in the mixed 3-meter synchronized springboard. The pair totaled up 262.17 points, earning seventh place overall.
Competing internationally is growing more and more important as the Big 12 Championship nears and the Spring Olympic Trials approach. For most of these athletes, gaining experience is of equal importance to gaining medals and they will utilize these experiences to carry them through the rest of this season.
