Get ready for an exciting day 3 of the 2025 Ohio State Fall Invitational! The competition has been fierce so far, with some incredible swims setting the stage for today's finals.
Leading the pack are the Ohio State women and Indiana men, but the race for the top spot is far from over. The women's team totals are closely contested, with Ohio State holding a slim lead over Indiana and Louisville.
One of the standout performances came from Indiana's Miranda Grana, who made history by becoming the first Indiana woman to break the 50-second barrier in the 100 fly. Her impressive time of 50.97 in the 100 backstroke prelims has her poised for more success today. Grana is one of the swimmers benefiting from the new NCAA event order, allowing her to showcase her skills in both the 100 fly and 100 back on the same day.
Fellow Hoosier Owen McDonald also made waves, leading a trio of Indiana swimmers in the men's prelims with a time of 44.25. However, his record-breaking performance was short-lived as Will Moglin from Texas swam an even faster 43.26 at the Texas Invite.
In the 200 breaststroke, Mia Cheatwood of Louisville and Noah Cakir of Indiana took the top spots in the morning prelims, but the competition is heating up. Both swimmers are less than a second ahead of the second-place qualifiers, setting the stage for some thrilling races tonight.
The women's 500 freestyle saw Ohio State dominate, with four swimmers qualifying for the final. Mila Nikanorov led the way with a time of 4:42.07, just edging out Louisville's Leticia Fassina Romao, who clocked in at 4:42.94.
On the men's side, Zalan Sarkany won the 500 free prelims, touching the wall in 4:12.28. His teammate, Luke Whitlock, secured the second seed with a time of 4:14.30. Indiana also had a strong showing, qualifying five swimmers for the final.
As the individual events come to a close, all eyes will be on the 50 freestyles and the 400 medley relays. Louisville's Julia Dennis and Nikita Sheremet are the swimmers to watch in the men's and women's 50 freestyles, respectively.
The women's 100 backstroke final promises to be a highlight, with Indiana's Miranda Grana looking to defend her top spot. Grana's time of 49.89 in the prelims was over a second faster than her teammate, Mya DeWitt, who finished second.
In the men's 100 backstroke, Owen McDonald of Indiana took the top spot with a time of 44.19, narrowly beating his teammate, Raekwon Noel. McDonald's performance was just three hundredths off his personal best, showcasing his consistency and talent.
The women's 200 breaststroke final saw Louisville's Mia Cheatwood emerge victorious with a new best time of 2:07.14. Cheatwood's performance was a six-tenth improvement over her previous best, solidifying her position as one of the top breaststrokers in the competition.
In the men's 200 breaststroke, Penn State's Mariano Lazzerini took the gold with a time of 1:50.93, followed by Indiana's Noah Cakir at 1:51.68.
As the sun sets on day 3 of the Ohio State Fall Invitational, the competition continues to heat up. With the individual events wrapping up and the relays on the horizon, the stage is set for some thrilling races and potentially new records. Stay tuned for more live updates and recaps as we bring you all the action from Columbus, Ohio!
