Jayhawks Dominate at Sunflower Showdown

Friday, October 4

Lawrence, Kan.

2 p.m. CT

University of Kansas

Sunflower Showdown

Jayhawks Dominate at Sunflower Showdown

10/4/2024 5:11:00 PM | Women's Swimming and Diving

Results Gallery Photo Gallery

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas women's swimming and diving swept all 10 races, including the one-meter diving event and finished with 1,157 points to win the sixth-annual Sunflower Showdown on Friday afternoon at Robinson Natatorium.

Saint Mary's (KS) placed second with 425 points, Barton Community College trailed in third with 126 points and Sterling College took the fourth spot with 62 points.

"We were a little better than we were last year, which I am really excited about," said Kansas head coach Clark Campbell. "The team is in a good spot and have worked really hard, especially this last week."

The Jayhawks started off the meet strong with four teams sweeping the top marks of the 200 medley relay. The group consisting of senior Lezli Sisung, junior Caroline Blake and sophomores Mia Waldron and Ryan Johnston posted a time of 1:43.76 to win the event, beating last year's Sunflower Showdown champion time by over three seconds for the first Kansas victory of the 2024-25 season.

For the second-straight year, the winners of the 200-yard freestyle, 200-yard IM, 100-yard backstroke and 100-yard breaststroke reclaimed their titles. Kotzamanis touched the pad first in the 200-yard freestyle (1:55.39), as junior Aidan Howze followed in 200-yard IM with a time of 2:08.31. Sisung – who has been the top Jayhawk swimmer in the event for the last two seasons – later renewed her first-place finish in the 100-yard backstroke (1:53.78) and Johnston proceeded in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:04.23).

All Jayhawk competitors within the 200-yard freestyle and 200-yard IM races placed consecutively in the top-10 ranks, including freshmen Tait Haag and Taylor Cloutman, who finished second and third in the 200-yard freestyle.

Success continued for the Jayhawks as Waldron snagged the 50-yard freestyle at 24.29 as an ensuing trio of freshmen consisting of Izzy Porter, Lucia Krings and Izzy Satterlee trailed within .27 of a second for the next three spots, respectively.

It was a successful career debut across the board for all freshmen as Anna Gearheart earned her first collegiate win in the 100-yard butterfly at 56.71. Hagg picked up another medal, this time being her first career first-place finish, as her time of 5:12.74 won the 500-yard freestyle.

"I was really pleased with our freshmen," said Campbell. "I thought Anna Gearhart was very solid. Tait Haag was really good, Izzy Satterlee, Izzy Porter and Lucia Krings were all really solid as well. Lezli, Caroline and Ryan were good like they are expected to be. Eleni also did very well in all of her races."

Blake, who led Kansas in the 100-yard freestyle last year, found her first victory on the day, swimming a 52.79 in the event to rack up nine more points to the Kansas total.

Racing wrapped up with another Jayhawk win in 200-yard freestyle relay as Blake, Howe, Porter and Krings time of 1:36.54 narrowly edged out teammates Waldron, Wallace, Satterlee and senior Claire Hyatt by .28 of a second for first.

Over on the diving boards, returning Honorable Mention All-American diver sophomore Shiyun Lai collected 288.00 points to win the one-meter event. Junior Lize van Leeuwen finished second with 262.95 points as Grace Zifcak settled into third with 229.50 points.

"We saw a lot of upside to what we did today and hopefully can take some of that momentum into Illinois," Campbell said. "We're in a really good spot and excited about facing a tough Illinois team that challenged us last year."

UP NEXT
Kansas heads up north to Champaign, Illinois, to take on the Fighting Illini on Thursday, Oct. 10 at 5 p.m. CT. The Jayhawks will be back at home on Friday, Oct. 18 for its Alumni Meet.