Houston, Texas—On Saturday afternoon, on the beautiful campus of Rice University, the University of St. Thomas Swim teams made some waves and, more importantly, some improvement on Day 2 of the Celt Classic. The St. Thomas women hosted the University of Texas Rio Grande Vally and McMurry, while the men went head-to-head with McMurry.

Men's Recap

With a roster of only sophomores and freshmen, the future of the UST men's swimming program is promising. Day 2 started strong, as Austin Brister, Benjamin Tercero, Oscar Mayorga, and Charles Wallace swam the 200 Medley Relay at a brisk 1:43.79.

Freshman Jackson Demoss hopped on the wave of momentum and won the 400-yard IM, clocking in at 4:32.98, demonstrating his strength in the event. Demoss also claimed the top spot in the 100 Yard Butterfly with a swift 55.95, edging out his teammate TaylorLee Goebel, who placed second with a close 56.07. Goebel also had a solid race in the 200 Yard Freestyle, finishing second at 1:52.74, right behind Oscar Mayorga, who won the event in 1:51.51. Oscar Mayorga continued his dominance in longer distances, taking first in the 1000 Yard Freestyle, finishing in 10:30.25 and setting a solid pace throughout the race.

Women's Recap

The UST women's team started a little slower than the men but turned in a solid performance, ending on an exciting note.

Ava Verret ignited the Celts in the 100 Butterfly, swimming a quick 1:08.56. Sophomore Emily Perez followed Verret's performance with a strong showing in the 100 Free at 1:06.40. The real excitement came in the final event of the day. Verret joined Valentina Garcia-Lara, Luna Mendez, and Emely Lopez in the 400-Yard Freestyle Relay, where the team finished third with a time of 4:19.00.

Up Next

The Celts take to the road for the first time this season next Saturday as they travel to Sherman, TX, to compete against Austin College. Check out ustcelts.com or ustswimming on Instagram for the latest news about UST swimming.