Strong Performance at Big 12 Championships in Federal Way

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. — The Wildcats shone brightly on the third night of the Big 12 Championships, showcasing their talent across several finals events. The highlight of the night for the Wildcats came in the men’s 400 medley relay, which earned an NCAA A Cut with a phenomenal time of 3:03.68.

The evening kicked off with another standout diving performance from Gage DuBois. After nabbing silver in the 3m event the previous night, DuBois took home sixth place today with a score of 305.80 in the 1m diving competition.

The excitement continued with the men’s 100 fly, where eleven Wildcats advanced to the finals. Haakon Naughton made a splash, taking home the bronze medal with a personal best time of 44.94, placing him among the top 20 swimmers in the country. Hunter Ingram also delivered a strong performance, finishing in sixth place with a time of 45.96.

On the women’s side, Maryam Sheikhalizadehkhangh was the lone Wildcat in the A final, finishing eighth with a season-best time of 53.47. In the C final, MJ Neilson achieved a personal best of 54.23, while Jack Donovan posted a season-best of 47.77.

In the 400 IM, junior Bryan Wong broke his previous personal best not once but twice, finishing the C final with a time of 3:51.00. Freshman Kayman Neal shined in the 200 free, taking silver with a time of 1:45.85, another personal and Arizona season-best.

For the men’s sprint, Tomas Lukminas grabbed the bronze with a time of 1:32.44, while Ralph Daleiden finished closely behind in fourth at 1:33.01. Freshman Lars Kuljus rounded out the top positions by finishing seventh with a time of 1:34.76.

In the women’s diving event, Brooke Earley and Zara Ayazi secured more podium finishes, with Earley finishing third (345.85) and Ayazi in fifth (298.00).

To finish the night, both the men’s and women’s teams earned silver in the 400 medley relays. The men’s team comprised of Ryan Hardy, Daniel Young, Naughton, and Lukminas secured an NCAA A cut, placing them well within reach of Arizona’s all-time record.

As the Wildcats continue to display impressive performances, fans are eagerly anticipating what’s next in this championship competition.