Swim & Dive Open 2025 with Win -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Cards Sweep Mizzou to Open New Year

With basketball being the only primary sport in action for the time being and WBB being between games, that gives us a chance to look at some other squads. Luckily, the Cards hit the pool for the first time in 2025 yesterday. Louisville women's swimming and diving is ranked 8th in the nation coming into 2025 and they're looking to continue their strong form as they pursue individual and team success in the NCAAs later this spring. 

photo by Chris Carter - UofL

The Cards headed to Columbia, Missouri yesterday for their first team action since the OSU Invite on Thanksgiving week and their first dual meet since October 24th against Tennessee. It was a strong day for the Cards, especially the women, as they won 204-95 while the men won 193-107. 

Louisville got off to a hot start with a win in the 200 medley relay with the team of Abby Karl, Caroline Larsen, Gabi Albiero, and Julia Dennis putting up a 1:36.15. Even better, their time was worthy of an NCAA A-cut. The Louisville women would also go on to get wins from Fernanda Gomes Celidonio (200 Free), Paige Hetrick (100 Back, 200 Back), Mia Cheatwood (100 Breaststroke), Dennis (50 Free), Albiero (100 Free, 100 Butterfly), Kim Emely Herkle (200 Breaststroke, 400 IM), Summer Cardwell (500 Free), and the relay team of Larsen, Albiero, Ella Welch, and Dennis in the 200 Free. They earned a number of other points finishes, including sweeping the top 5 of 100 Butterfly. 

Louisville's 200 Free relay win (they also took second with Abby and Avery Karl, Lucy Mehraban, and Hetrick) was not only an A-cut time, by the way, but it was also just 0.43s away from the pool record set by Tennessee in 2016. Safe to say the Cards are pretty quick. 

photo by Chris Carter - UofL

From the boards, Lindsay Gizzi led the Cards on the diving side. Gizzi took first in the platform diving with a 222.68 (just shy of an A-cut 225), while freshman Audree Brazeau-Howes came in 3rd. Gizzi was second in the 3m diving competition, with Brazeau-Howes finishing fifth. The top five all set A-cut scores in the event. 

Louisville will get an extended break again, as they're off for three weeks until they take on UK in the Battle of the Bluegrass in Lexington on January 25th. 

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

You'll have three today, as Daryl is (as I mentioned yesterday) still celebrating the nuptials and I'm off for family activities. Basketball has shown quite a bit more to be excited about recently, so I'm sure you can guess what Paulie, Jeff, and Jared will cover. You can check out the live stream of the show by going to the Cardinal Couple YouTube page and clicking on the live video. Jeff usually creates that about an hour before the show, which officially starts at 11 AM Eastern. If the live time doesn't work for you, there are plenty of playback options, so be sure to check out whichever is best for you!

Cardinal Couple YouTube: Link

Spotify: Link

Apple Podcasts: Link

Google Podcasts: Link

Overcast (free account required): Link

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RadioPublic: Link

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

Olympic Cards in Action -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Track and Field Host PNC Lenny Lyles Invitational

As has become a bit of a norm moving through the late winter sports season, Saturday is a look at Louisville's Olympic sports. The Cards are at home in the Norton Healthcare Sports & Learning Center again this week, as I mentioned in last week's post, for the PNC Lenny Lyles Invitational. After an extremely strong showing last week, Louisville's women's side has been a bit more muted as far as ultimate results go, but a full day of events remains. 

Fellows in action (by Taris Smith, UofL)

Louisville posted five podiums yesterday collectively, but only one came on the women's side. Freshman Lucy Fellows finished second in the pentathlon, the first combined opportunity of the season. Fellows put up personal bests in the 60m hurdles and the shot put and led the field in shot put and long jump. 

Other strong performances came from Lydia Stuart, Zoe Yeast, and Maddie Seaby. Seaby, a freshman, was making her debut on track, where she took fifth place in the 3000m. Yeast also took fifth in the weight throw. Stuart put up a personal best in the seeded pole vault, clearing 4.03m to take fourth place.

Events continue today beginning at 10am.

Swimming & Diving Hosts UK

I talked a bit about Louisville's swimming and diving meet earlier this week in the media day writeup. Diving coach Ryan Rougeux and Lindsay Gizzi were excited to bring in the Wildcats this weekend because of the atmosphere Louisville fans create at the Ralph Wright Natatorium. If you'd like to be a part of that, head on down to Floyd Street early this afternoon. Despite a bit of confusion on the gocards site, the meet officially gets underway at 1PM. Louisville women are ranked 8th (men 15th) in the country, and the Cards are coming off a decent break, having last competed on January 5th. Louisville swept Mizzou at the Wright to open the year. 

UK last competed a week later, when they were narrowly defeated by Alabama on both sides (men: 175-144, women: 163-156). Based on the results so far this year, Louisville should have a significant advantage in this one, but just like any other sport, weird things can happen when you compete against your rival. It's a little unclear if Louisville will have Else Praasterink aiding the diving side today. Praasterink took gold in the 10m platform dive in Germany on January 19th, and she'll participate in the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar which take place from February 2nd through the 18th. With diving events happening in the front half of that schedule, I would not be surprised if Else was already getting settled at the location of that event.

At any rate, whichever athletes are in attendance for the Cards today, you can be certain they'll be giving it their all. There is a "different air" around the program in an Olympic year, and everyone's desire to show out is heightened. 

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

With another midday home game for the Louisville men's basketball team, we'll be without Jared for the show this week. However, we will have Daryl, Jeff, and myself on board to bring you the joy and excitement of Louisville women's athletics. We'll talk about the down and up week for Louisville women's basketball, touch on the media day proceedings, and hear a bit from Jeff on what's happening in the Pro Volleyball Federation. As always, you can check out the live stream of the show by going to the Cardinal Couple YouTube page and clicking on the live video. Jeff usually creates that about an hour before the show, which officially starts at 11 AM Eastern. If the live time doesn't work for you, there are plenty of playback options, so be sure to check out whichever is best for you!

Cardinal Couple YouTube: Link

Anchor (podcast host): Link

Apple Podcasts: Link

Google Podcasts: Link

Overcast (free account required): Link

Pocket Casts (free account and app required): Link

RadioPublic: Link

Spotify: Link

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case