In an exciting season opener for the LSU swimming and diving team, the Purple team triumphed over the Gold team with a score of 125-105 during the annual Purple & Gold Intrasquad held at the LSU Natatorium. The competition marked the commencement of the new season, showcasing both established talent and promising newcomers.
The Purple team was spearheaded by captains Michaela de Villers, Carson Paul, and Jacob Pishko, while the Gold team was led by captains Megan Barnes, Jere Hribar, and Sofia Sartori.
The morning began with a competitive spirit as the Gold team surged ahead, winning the first seven events. Highlight performances came from Gold team members Sartori, Hribar, Zoe Carlos-Broc, Stepan Goncharov, and Volodymyr Lisovets, who each notched individual victories. The Gold team also excelled in the men’s and women’s 200-IM relays.
Despite the strong start from the Gold team, the Purple team showcased resilience, claiming victories in the remaining five events of the opening rounds, including standout performances from de Villiers, Nicole Santuliana, Nikola Simic, Caleb Ellis, and Martina Bukvic. As a result, the Purple team entered the first break with a slim lead of 56-51.
Following the break, the next set of events further tightened the competition, but the Purple team continued to secure crucial victories. Ellis, de Villiers, and Bukvic contributed significantly, allowing the Purple team to accumulate 49 points in this round. Meanwhile, the Gold team managed to add 46 points through efforts from Sartori, Goncharov, Lisovets, Bako, Hribar, and Carlos-Broc. By the end of this round, the score stood at 105-97, still favoring the Purple team.
In a shift to the diving portion of the event, the Purple team earned 11 additional points from Paul and Morgan Lalonde while the Gold team earned four points from Travis Keith and Eve Nelson.
The excitement culminated in the mixed 200-free relay, where de Villiers, Simon Meubry, Avery Littlefield, and Diggory Dillingham clinched victory for the Purple team, solidifying their overall win at 125-105.
Looking ahead, the Tigers are set to compete again on October 10-11 at the SMU Classic held at the Robson & Lindsey Aquatics Center in Dallas, Texas, marking their first official meet of the season.
