Louisville Dominant in Season-Opening Home Win Over Xavier
The Louisville Cardinals opened their 2025-26 season with dominant wins over Xavier in the women’s and men’s competition. The final scores were quite similar, 192-67 for the Louisville women and 196-61 on the men’s side, and the Cardinals did not drop a single event.
The Louisville women went 1-2-3 in the 200 medley relay, with the team of Xeniya Ignatova, Caroline Larsen, Sophia Rodriguez and Daria Golovaty taking the win in 1:41.37. Golovaty returned to top the 200 freestyle in 1:49.87, followed by Ignatova topping the 100 backstroke (55.50) and Mia Cheatwood going 1:02.01 for first in the 100 breaststroke.
Golovaty, Ignatova and Cheatwood would all claim second individual wins later in the meet, with Golavaty first in the 100 free (50.58) and Ignatova going 1:59.88 in the 200 back. Cheatwood’s triumph came in the 200 breast (2:16.28). Summer Cardwell came in first in the 200 butterfly (2:02.24), followed by Larsen’s winning effort of 22.61 in the 50 free. Larsen would be another double winner in the 100 fly (54.47).
Maya Bezanson touched in 4:57.45 to win the 500 free, and Kim Herkle topped the 200 IM (2:02.20). Diving events, held as exhibition, saw Samantha Helmboldt winning -meter (289.20) and 3-meter (317.55). Larsen, Cardwell, Ignatova and Romao grabbed first in the 400 free relay 3:24.87.
The men’s team of Rian Graham, Finley Conklin, Thomas Powers-Hammond and Nikita Sheremet began their similarly-dominant performance with a time of 1:26.96 in the 200 medley relay. Tommy Bried then won a tight race in the 1000 free in 9:17.77 before Guy Brooks touched out Matias Santiso in the 200 free by 0.19, 1:37.60 to 1:37.79.
The top individual performance came from Gregg Enoch, who began his day with a first-place time of 1:47.44 in the 200 fly before he went 1:48.48 to win the 200 IM. Jackson Millard picked up second-place finishes in both events. Also topping two events was Sheremet, who won the 50 free (19.83) and 100 free (44.06), while Conklin swept the 100 breast (54.85) and 200 breast (2:01.01).
Charlie Crush was first in the 100 back (49.47), and Filip Kosinski came in first in the 200 back (1:47.98). Oscar Isberg was the winner of the 500 free (4:30.12), and Graham won the 100 fly (47.88). Diving wins went to Mack Malloy on 1-meter (345.45) and Ray Preas on 3-meter (362.85), and the team of Matias Santiso, Sheremet, Kayden Lancaster and Crush topped the 400 free relay in 3:00.16.