Result also available on Meet Mobile: “Louisville vs Kentucky”
Team Scores
Women: Louisville 210 – Kentucky 90
Men: Louisville 209.5 – Kentucky 89.5
The Kentucky Wildcats made the quick one-hour drive to face off with the Cardinals on Saturday. Louisville walked away victorious for both the men and the women, but both teams showed some very promising results heading into championship season. It appears that most swimmers wore technical suits for this competition.
Men’s Recap
The Louisville men made a statement during the first event of the day, placing 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the 200 medley relay. The winning team of Dalton Lowe (21.18), Denis Petrashov (23.64), Charlie Crush (20.65), and Matias Santiso (19.37) touched in 1:24.84 for the win, while the “B” and “C” teams touched in 1:26.65 and 1:27.24, respectively.
The 1000 free featured perhaps the swim of the day, as Ilia Sibirtsev of Louisville blew away the field en route to a school record. His final time of 8:46.07 not only cleared the field by well over 10 seconds, but it eclipsed the previous school record of 8:49.64 (Marcelo Acosta) from 2018. Sibirtsev owned a previous best time of 8:56.19 in the event, so he made over a 10 second drop at this meet. Sibirtsev would double up with another win in the 500 free, where he finished in 4:17.80. Sibirtsev will be racing at the upcoming Doha World Championships, as he recently changed his country affiliation from Russia to Uzbekistan.
Cardinal sophomore Jackson Millard swept the backstroke events, winning the 100 in 46.91 and the 200 in 1:42.22. He also added a 2nd place finish in the 200 IM, hitting the wall in 1:46.00. Both backstroke swims from Millard represent new best times, and set him up to challenge for multiple A-finals at the upcoming ACC Championships.
Just like his teammate Millard did in the backstroke events, grad student Denis Petrashov secured both breaststroke victories. His time of 52.34 cleared the field by over a full second in the 100m while his time of 1:55.17 in the 200 was a near three second victory. It was a 1-2 finish for the Cardinals in both events, with Luke Shourds (53.57) touching 2nd in the 100 and Tommy Bried (1:57.75) securing 2nd in the longer distance.
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Kentucky sophomore Ryan Merani posted two individual wins on the day, taking the 200 fly and 200 IM. His win in the 200 fly came in a time of 1:42.50, and is a new best time. His time of 1:45.82 in the 200 IM is just shy of his 1:45.38 best time from a few months ago. Notably, he posted a time of 47.27 in the 100 fly for 2nd place, another best time. The winner of that 100 fly was Louisville senior Dalton Lowe, who won by about two seconds in a swift 45.33. The swim narrowly missed his best time of 45.26 from the 2022 ACC Championships.
Lowe bagged another win earlier in the day, taking the 50 free win in 19.37. Once again, he narrowly missed his best time in that event as well. He has been as quick as 19.32, which he recorded at the 2022 NCAA Championships. Despite just missing his best ever performances, it sets him up for a very promising championship season over the next two months.
Other Event Winners:
Louisville junior Denis Loktev led a 1-2-3 finish for the Cardinals in the 200 free, stopping the clock in 1:34.67. Murilo Sartori (1:34.96) and Guy Brooks (1:35.07) followed closely behind.
Sartori would build upon his runner-up finish in the 200 free with a win in the 100, touching in 43.35.
The Cardinals were victorious in the 400 free relay, stopping the clock in 2:52.80. It was a 1-2 finish for Louisville, with the winning team consisting of Matias Santiso (43.54), Dalton Lowe (42.67), Denis Loktev (42.93), and Guy Brooks (43.66).
Women’s Recap
The Louisville women kicked off the day with a decisive 1-2 victory in the 200 medley relay, with the foursome of Karoline Barrett (25.04), Ella Welch (27.15), Christiana Regenauer (22.58), and Gabi Albiero (21.87) posting a time of 1:36.64 to clear the field by almost two seconds. The B-squad touched in 1:38.49, while Kentucky rounded out the top three in 1:38.81.
Kentucky fought back in the next event, clocking a 1-2 finish in the 1000 free. Junior Caroline Benda led the way, touching in 9:45.40 for an 8 second victory. Her teammate, senior Megan Drumm, touched in 9:53.81 for 2nd place. Drumm was in a close race with Louisville grad student Maddie Luther the whole way, and Luther ultimately finished in 9:53.92 for 3rd. Luther split 27.81 on the final 50 to Drumm’s 28.30, but Drumm had a big enough lead at the 950 turn to hold on for 2nd.
Kentucky would add another individual win in the 200 back, with sophomore Grace Frericks getting the better of Louisville junior Rye Ulett at the final touch. Frericks took the race out strong and led from start to finish, touching in 1:53.77 to Ulett’s 1:53.81. Ulett made a charge on the final 50, splitting 28.63 to the 29.17 posted by Frericks. It ultimately wasn’t enough, as Frericks held on by 0.04 for a Wildcat victory.
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Louisville freshman Summer Cardwell claimed a pair of individual wins, taking the 200 and 500 freestyle events. She stopped the clock in 1:45.19 to win the 200, taking the race out in a strong 23.90 through the first 50. She split 26.58, 27.23, and 27.48 on the final three 50s, enough for the win by just shy of a second. Teammate Fernanda Gomes Celidonio stayed with her through the first 100, took the lead at the 150 turn, but was overtaken through the closing stages. She ultimately finished 2nd in 1:45.87, while Kentucky sophomore Grace Frericks touched in 1:47.13 for 3rd. Gomes Celidonio would later take the 200 IM win in 1:58.94, leading a Louisville 1-2-3 finish in the process.
Cardwell’s second win in the 500 free was much more decisive, as she hit the wall in 4:46.26 to clear the field by over three seconds. It was another 1-2 finish for the Cardinals, as grad student Maddie Luther touched in 4:50.11 for runner-up status. Kentucky senior Megan Drumm touched in 4:50.30 to secure 3rd place points for the Wildcats.
Gabi Albiero showcased her butterfly skills en route to two wins, touching 1st in both the 100 and 200 distances. She first clocked a 1:54.95 best time to win the 200 fly, an event we rarely see the junior compete in. More known for her sprinting prowess, she hit the halfway mark in 53.55 before closing in 1:01.40.
She later led a 1-2-3 finish for the Cardinals in the 100 fly, winning in 51.25. Grad student Christiana Regenauer stayed with her the entire way, touching in 51.41 for a 2nd-place finish. Sophomore Karoline Barrett hit the touchpad in 53.74 to round out the sweep. The time from Regenauer is particularly impressive for January, as her best time stands at the 51.03 she recorded at the 2023 ACC Championships.
Before her 51.41 100 fly performance, Regenauer secured two individual wins in the 50 and 100 free events. She hit the wall in 21.95 to win the 50 before clocking 48.26 in the 100. She led a 1-2-3 finish for Louisville in both races, and the 50 saw two swimmers crack the 22-second realm. In addition to Regenauer, sophomore Julia Dennis hit a 21.98 marker in the race.
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The Cardinals ended the session on a high note, posting a very swift 400 free relay time for a dual meet. They stopped the clock in 3:12.93, with the quartet consisting of Gabi Albiero (48.10), Julia Dennis (47.69), Lucy Mehraban (48.99), and Ella Welch (48.15).
Other Event Winners:
Louisville senior Paige Hetrick clocked 52.63 en route to 100 back victory.
Cardinal sophomore Ella Welch touched in 59.99 to secure a win in the 100 breast. She owns a best time of 59.89 from the Ohio State midseason invite in November.
Kim Emely Herkle, a junior at Louisville, posted a time of 2:11.06 to win the 200 breast.
KENTUCKY (WKYT) – Monday marks the one-year anniversary of the Lexington shooting spree that left two people dead and another two injured.
One of the injured was Kentucky State Police Trooper Jude Remilien, who was shot in the leg outside of Blue Grass Airport after he pulled over the shooter, Guy House.
Good Samaritans saved Remilien’s life that day.
So, one year later, how is he doing, and what is he up to?
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PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
2 killed in Lexington church shooting after trooper shot; suspect killed, officials say
KSP trooper shot near Blue Grass Airport shares his story
According to KSP, Remilien is doing just fine physically and is currently assigned to the public affairs branch.
He has also taken on an active role in KSP’s Youth Academy Program as an instructor and mentor.
The program is a several-day experience in which teenagers interested in law enforcement, public safety, and community service train like state troopers.
West Kentucky Allied Services Paducah office on July 9.
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Max Davis
PADUCAH — Affordable Care Act marketplace rates are set to rise again in 2027, according to public filings, and West Kentucky Allied Services said that it could be catastrophic for those affected.
The ACA marketplace is a public platform for buying private insurance plans and applying for premium tax credits and Medicaid.
The rate increases can be found in 77 publicly released ACA rate filings submitted to state regulators on June 30. The rates reveal a median 14% rate hike across the country and double-digit rate increases for two policies in Kentucky.
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“For our low-income clients, we’re already seeing that a good number of them find prices are so out of reach that they are having to make a decision between paying rent or utilities or having health care coverage, and sad to say, a good number are deciding not to have health care coverage,” Uppinder Mehan, CEO of West Kentucky Allied Services, said.
Mehan said that the ACA marketplace was supposed to be the more affordable alternative to other private plans, but has become just as expensive. He explained that this has put many in Kentucky in a bind, especially those who do not qualify for Medicaid.
“I think the main driver is that the kind of support states like Kentucky have enjoyed in the past few years, that is, support from the federal government for Medicaid, has simply vanished,” Mehan said. “The decision was made by the current administration to no longer fund states in their Medicaid costs, and so now states like Kentucky have to come up with the resources to pay for the coverage for its citizens, or look to save money wherever they can, and unfortunately, what that often ends up meaning is that people end up losing coverage.”
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“Those of us who are in the middle are beginning to feel the squeeze more and more. A greater portion of folks’ budgets are going towards health care than ever before, and they’re finding it a challenge to find suitable coverage,” Uppinder Mehan, CEO of West Kentucky Allied Services, said.
Max Davis
ACA rates also increased in 2025 by a median of 20% across publicly available data. 2026’s change is lower, but according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, it is the second-highest rate change since 2018 and shows some premiums on the marketplaces have jumped by more than a third in two years.
“As more people become aware, they’re beginning to actually contact their representatives, which is probably the best thing you can do is let people in our state government know that there are concerns that you have about this,” Mehan said. “There are a number of committee hearings that are still going on, and my hope is that we can find a better solution.”
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While not every provider’s proposed rate is publicly available at this time, Mehan said that almost every provider is scheduled to raise their prices by 8% to 14%. The two Kentucky rate increases included in the 77 available on June 30 have Anthem Health Plans of Kentucky increasing by a proposed 16.9% and WellCare Health Plans of Kentucky increasing by 20.7%.
“A greater portion of folks’ budgets is going towards health care than ever before, and they’re finding it a challenge to find suitable coverage,” Mehan said.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 10, 2026) —Growing up in Grayson County, Hollie Hagan always knew she wanted to help people. She just wasn’t sure what that looked like.
Like many students entering college, Hagan originally envisioned a career in healthcare. She planned to study nutrition and dietetics, inspired by time spent volunteering at her local food pantry. But an internship with the Grayson County Health Department during her senior year of high school introduced her to a field she hadn’t even realized existed — publichealth.
“I had no clue what a health department does or even what public health was,” Hagan said. “Then I got there and saw all the ways they were helping people, both directly and indirectly. I thought, ‘This is something I really want to be a part of.’”
That experience changed everything.
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Alongside her coursework, she has served as a College of Public Health senator in the Student Government Association, has moderated public health panels and is participating in the Rural Public Health Scholars Program, a combination of course- and fieldwork that places students in rural communities to work on projects aimed at improving health outcomes.
But throughout those experiences, one goal has remained constant — returning to the community that helped shape her.
“I’ve realized that with public health you can make an impact on any level,” said Hagan, who is also aLewis Honors College student. “For me, I want to be at the local level helping people.”
That desire has been evident since she first arrived at the Grayson County Health Department.
Josh Horton, public health director for the Grayson County Health Department, said Hagan quickly distinguished herself through both her work ethic and willingness to learn.
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“Hollie has always been a very capable person,” he said. “You just give her instructions, and she runs with it.”
While Hagan entered her high school internship knowing she was interested in leadership, Horton watched her interests evolve as she gained firsthand experience in public health.
“When she came back to us and said, ‘I want to do something in public health,’ that was a reminder of why we’re doing what we’re doing,” Horton said. “Our goal has always been to inspire people to go into public health. We’d love for them to come back to Grayson County, but as long as they end up serving somewhere in public health, we consider it a win.”
For Hagan, public health offered something she hadn’t found elsewhere — the opportunity to create ripple effects that improve the health and well-being of entire communities.
“I think it’s important to learn about health at a community level,” she said. “You’re not just learning how to treat one person. You’re learning how to impact everyone in a community, which I think is just so amazing and unique.”
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Her time at the College of Public Health has given Hagan opportunities to grow both as a student and a leader. One of those experiences came when she moderated the Big Blue Public Health Illumination Seminar Series on Summer Safety and Emergency Preparedness, bringing together public health professionals and community leaders for a discussion on issues affecting Kentucky communities.
Hosting her first public health panel was intimidating, she said, but it quickly became one of her most rewarding experiences.
“Once the conversation got going, I found myself learning just as much as everyone else in the room,” Hagan said. “We had such a great group of panelists, and it really highlighted the work happening in rural communities.”
Among those panelists was Horton, who saw Hagan confidently guide conversations around the very work she’d experienced during her internship.
“To see her take what she learned here in Grayson County and then lead a panel discussing those ideas at the university was exciting,” he said. “It’s rewarding because it reminds us why we invest in students.”
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This summer, Hagan has returned to Grayson County for her fieldwork portion of the Rural Public Health Scholars Program, continuing to build experience in environmental health — an area she now hopes to pursue professionally as a registered environmental health specialist.
Long term, she sees herself building a career in rural public health.
“I like being on the go,” Hagan said. “I like being out in the community, doing site visits, talking with people and making a difference.”
For Horton, that commitment reflects something deeper than career ambition.
“It takes a certain heart to stay in rural public health,” he said. “There are opportunities to go elsewhere, but people who choose rural communities do it because they want to serve. Hollie has that same heart.”
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Looking back, Hagan never expected a high school job-shadowing experience and a food pantry volunteer position would lead her to public health. Now, she hopes other students discover the field just as she did.
“If you want to have a larger impact, come to the College of Public Health,” she said. “You’ll learn how to improve the health of an entire community.”
For Hagan, that community has always been Grayson County—and she hopes one day to return home and help it thrive.
