The Texas A&M swimming and diving teams hosted Texas in an exciting rivalry meet at the Rec Center Natatorium on Friday, as the men’s team claimed a 158-142 win, their first victory over the Longhorns since 1962. The women fell, 151.5-148.5.
The meet came down to the final races for both Aggie teams. The men clinched their victory with a first place 200 IM finish by senior Mauro Castillo. The women lost in their final race, with the Longhorns just out-touching the Aggies in the 400 free relay.
Both Aggie teams secured the top four spots in the 200 breast, helping secure the win for the men and giving the women a temporary lead over Texas.
The battle started early for the Aggies, with senior Beryl Gastaldello earning the 200 medley relay team the first place victory after a neck-and-neck race with Texas’s Rebecca Millard.
Adam Koster continued the winning for the Aggies, rounding out the men’s team for a 1:27.06 finish.
The Texas women took over the lead after the second event, taking the top two places in the 1000 free to go up 34-21 over the Aggies. The Aggie men remained in charge of the meet though, leading the Longhorns 32-23.
Texas dominated in the 200 free, earning the top two spots in women’s and top four in men’s.
The women’s hard-fought battle continued with Lisa Bratton and Texas’s Claire Adams tying for first place in the 100 back with 52.92. A first place victory in the 100 breast by Jorie Caneta cut the Longhorn lead to 61.5-50.5.
A battle for the 200 fly victory helped widen the Aggie men’s lead. Angel Martinez led the charge with 1:47.68 and Ben Walker followed closely behind (1:48.13).
Brock Bonetti took a quick lead in the 200 back to finish the race in 1:43.02. Anthony Kim followed in third place with 1:45.67, giving the Aggie men a 102-86 lead.
Going into the 200 breast, the women trailed Texas 112.5-94.5. After the 1-2-3-4 finish led by Sydney Pickrem, the Aggies narrowed that margin to 115.5-110.5.
The Longhorns started to pull away after first and second place victories in the 500 free, but Jing Quah barely out-touched Texas’s Remedy Rule to seal the 100 fly victory for the Aggies.
A victory in the 400 IM by Pickrem gave the Aggie women a 142.5-140.5 lead over Texas. Monika Gonzalez-Hermosillo and Bethany Galat followed Pickrem to secure the 1-2-3 finish for Texas A&M.
The Longhorn women took back the lead in the final race with a narrow victory in the 400 free relay.
Other Aggies with first place victories include Bonetti in the 100 back (47.25), Castillo in the 100 breast (53.70), and Gastaldello in the 50 free (22.30) and the 100 free (49.16).
The Aggies will host the Art Adamson Invitational on Nov. 16-18.