NCAA Div. I: Tigers Roar, Take Commanding Leads at SEC Champs

AUBURN, Ala., February 20. WHO'LL stop the Tigers?

Perhaps Florida or Georgia's women, perhaps Florida's men — but don't bet the farm on it.

Coach David Marsh's Auburn ladies' and men's Tigers, the foremr defending NCAA champs, the latter winners of eight of the last nine Southeastern Conference Championships, have the lead after Day 2 of the SEC title meet here: and it's gonna' take some doing to knock off the champs.

The women lead Georgia, 287.5-235, with defending champ Florida third (197). Ninety points is not an insurmountable advantage to overcome with half the meet's events still to be contested, but Florida does indeed have a tough road to hoe, as does Georgia — which won NCAAs from 1999 through '01.

On the men's side, Auburn has a 306.5-237 lead over the Gators with Georgia (173) and Tennessee (170) next in line.

Building on Wednesday's success, which saw the Tigers win three of the four relays and set U.S. Open/NCAA records en route to golds in the women's 200 medley-800 free relays, Auburn carted home six titles and two SEC more records tonight.

“This morning’s events really set up the day for us,” Marsh said. “The men started off well with B.J. Jones. He has established himself as the hardest worker on the team, so he deserves all that he gets. He set the tone this morning.

“Tonight Magda (Dyszkiewicz) and Heather Kemp set the tone for the women. Those two continue to step up for us during key times. The men’s 200 IM was the point-getter for us tonight. Justin Caron really stepped up for us in that event. We are in the position that we would like to be in.”

* * * * *

Starting off, Florida won the night's opening event as SaraMcLarty went a pr and national No. 2 4:41.10 to win the 500 free — up a spot from her second-place last season. McLarty, who leads the nation in the 1000 free and is defending SEC 200 fly champ, has come of age this season and will be among the favorites in this race at NCAAs.

Her time ranks her second to Cal's Natalie Coughlin's 4:37.62 from the Tiger Invitational last December in this same pool. It's unlikely the Golden Bear NCAA champ will opt to swim this race at NCAAs here in another month so — depending on what happens at Pac-10s in Federal Way next weekend — McLarty could wind up seeded No. 1.

Dyszkiewicz's 4:43.87 in the heats was just a bit better than her finals time of 4:44.13 that won her the silver. Her pr is 4:41.92 from NCAAs two years ago. Arkansas' Whitney Lynn (third, pr 4:44.35); Kemp (4:44.81 with a pr 4:44.40 in the heats) and Florida's Meredith Green (fifth, 4:45.36) all made the "A" cut of 4:45.71.

In the men's 500, Georgia's Robert Margalis went a nation-leading 4:17.99 for the gold with Florida's defending NCAA 200 free champ, Adam Sioui, hot on his heels (pr 4:18.07). Tiger sophomore B.J. Jones came up with a solid third-place performance 4:18.26, second-fastest in Auburn history and a pr by several seconds.

Margalis' pr and Bulldog record is 4:16.12 from last year's NCAAs and he, Sioul and Jones all made the "A" cut of 4:19.72.

“The 500 freestyle is one of my favorite races,” Dyszkiewicz said. “It was a personal goal of mine to come in and be on the winner’s platform in the SECs since I have never been there before. I’m happy to achieve this goal and I’m looking forward to swimming it again at NCAAs.”

The Auburn men pulled away in the points standings in the 200-yard individual medley as five qualified for the championship finals and one in the consolation finals. Auburn freshman George Bovell claimed the title in a nation-leading 1:44.21.

Bovell, a Trinidadian Olympian and World Championships 200 IM finalist while still at Bolles School two summers ago, not only ranks No. 1 nationally but he's now No. 2 all-time among SEC swimmers. Only Gator Greg Burgess' formerAmerican/NCAA record of 1:43.52 is faster among conference athletes and that standard may not be around too much longer. Bovell is now 12th all-time (performances) and eight-fastest performer.

He was followed by teammate Mark Gangloff in third (1:46.31) and Eric Shanteau in fourth (pr 1:46.43), Gangloff's been 1:45.45 last season.

“I’ve been swimming really well lately, so tonight I swam hard and it paid off,” Bovell said. “This meet was a little intimidating for me. This meet is a little more intense than the ones I have swum in before. It feels awesome to come in and win in my first SEC Championship.”

* * * * *

Auburn senior Maggie Bowen has been there, done that. She's defending World 200 IM champ, double-defending NCAA champ in the 200 IM, winner of the 400 IM too last season…in short, she's far and away Auburn's most decorated and successful female swimmer ever. (Ex-Tiger Ambrose Gaines IV — Rowdy — quadruple Olympic gold-medalist at Los Angeles, is arguably the school's greatest swimmer period.)

In any event, Bowen showed that senioritis has not set in with her as she shattered her SEC record in the 200 IM with a 1:55.73. — No. 1 nationally — and sixth on the all-time performances' list (she's got Nos. 1-2 and now 6).

Bowen’s old conference record, set last year at Arkansas, was 1:56.51. Bowen also blasted the James E. Martin Aquatics Center record, set in 2000 by former Georgia All-American/NCAA champ Kristy Kowal (1:57.96).

Bowen split 26.05, 54.86 (28.81), 1:27.96 (33.10) and 1:55.73 (27.77). When she set the current American/
NCAA record at Austin last March (NCAAs), she split 25.76, 54.54 (28.78), 1:26.88 (32.34) and 1:53.91 (27.03).

But tonight's swim was just a warm-up, a get in the water and get it done swim. A mere prelude to the business at hand here a month from now.

Auburn went on to collect more points in the 200 IM as Coventry captured second in a personal-best 1:58.96. Auburn’s Lauren Duerk took seventh in 2:01.68 (pr 2:00.88p) and Leslie Lunsmann finished eighth in 2:02.08.

“When I win, I know that it helps my team towards our ultimate goal for this meet, which is winning. There’s a certain pressure to win, but I like it,” Bowen said.
“People probably expect me to have a certain amount of fear about defending my title, but it actually helps me psych up for the race.”

* * * * *

Dating back to the days of John Edgar, John Trembley, Lee Engstgrom, Andy Coan and Rowdy Gaines, the SEC has always been known as a "sprinters'" conference.

It was true then and its equally true today as the 50 frees show. The women's was all Ritzy, as in Georgia's defending NCAA champ-American record-holder Maritza Correeia, who set an SEC record in the heats (21.92, No. 1 nationally) and won at night in 21,93.

The old SEC record was 22.31 by Correia from last season's championship. Her prelim swim equals the sixth-best performance ever and her finals' time is seventh. She's also now the fastest sprinter in collegiate conference competition, breaking the old mark of 22.00 by Texas' Colleen Lanne from the Big 12s at Austin two years ago.

Auburn's Eileen Coporropa splashed to a pr and Tiger-record 22.07 for the silver and teammate Becky Short (22.44 with a pr 22.19 in the heats) was third. NCAA auto is 22.89.

“It was a pretty tough race,” Coparropa said. “I was focused on getting my time better for both myself and my team. All I wanted to do was help the team out. It was my best time by far, and I am really excited about NCAAs. I can’t wait to race in them.” The former Auburn record was a 22.18 by Katie Taylor from the '97 NCAAs at Indianapolis.

(Correia set the record en route to the 100 free gold at last season's NCAAs, only to have Coughlin lead off Cal's 400 free relay some 30 minutes later and break the record with her 47.47. Correia won in 47.56.)

(Coughlin didn't swim the 100 free, opting instead for the 200 back, where she broke her own American/NCAA record that she had set the previous year.)

On the men's side, Tiger freshman Fred Bousquet — a Frenchman who only joined the team some six weeks ago and who, prior to January, had never even SEEN let alone swum in a 25 yard pool — was not fazed in the least as he won in a pr and national No. 2 19.57.

"What, me worry?" Bousquet probably thought as he mounted the blocks for the finals next to top-qualifier Renato Gueraldi of Tennessee (pr 19.41).

He swam, he won and now he's No. 2, at least until a certain Mr. Ervin and a certain Mr. Cavic and a certain Mr. Draganja — all of Cal — have their
"showdown at the ol' water hole" (aka the Pac-10 Championships) at Belmont Plaza in two weeks. Still, 19.57 is a truly outstanding conference time.

Gueraldi was second (19.59) with Gator Carlos Jayme, a childhood pal of Gueraldi's while the duo were growing up in Brazil a decade-plus ago, was third (19.77). Auburn soph Ryan Wochomurka (19.78) was fourth and he swam a pr 19.69 in the heats.

The NCAA "A" cut is 19.74 and Jayme made it leading off Florida's 200 free relay (19.70).

* * * * *

Auburn’s Ashley Rubenstein entered the evening’s competition on the 1-meter springboard in first-place and held the lead going into the final dive by a slight two-point lead. However, Tennessee’s Jaime Sanger earned near-perfect scores on her final dive and won by three points, 323.25-to-320.30.

“This was by far my best score in SECs,” Rubenstein said. “It’s so exciting to know that I’m helping our team to win. I’m just thrilled to help everyone on this team.”

In the last event of the night, the Auburn men took the 200 yard freestyle relay title in 1:17.73, just off their SEC-record of 1:17.25 from a couple of years ago. Wochomurka led off in 19.69, followed by Derek Gibb, Matthew Kidd (a British Olympic sprinter)and Bovell. The latter anchored in 19.00 (!) to overtake Florida’s Sioui for the win.

Not to be upstaged by their male counterparts, the Auburn women's 200 free relay foursome won as well in SEC- and James E. Martin Aquatics Center record-time of 1:29.48. The team of Short, Coparropa, Anderson and Bowen broke Georgia’s SEC record of 1:29.86 from last season.

“This was the first time I have been on the 200 free relay and I was incredibly nervous,” Anderson said. “But this feeling is so awesome, knowing that we’ve put more points up on the board, and that is what this meet is all about. Relays are always more intense than individual events, mainly because you are swimming for three other people and not just yourself. I’m so proud of our sprinters and I can’t wait until NCAAs.”

That's two relays where Bowen has anchored a record-breaking squad, as she was "The Terminator" on Auburn's U,S. Open/NCAA 800 free relay squad last evening.

Unless the piano The Babe supposedly threw into a lake in suburban Boston 80-plus years ago resurfaces and falls on the Tigers, it looks like Auburn is poised to win its first-even SEC women's championship come late Saturday evening.

But then didn't George Herbert Walker Bush win reelection jsut over a decade ago?

2003 SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
JAMES E. MARTIN NATTORIUM
AUBURN UNIVERSITY, AUBURN, AL., FEB. 20, 2003
25 YD. POOL
RESULTS (Day 2)
WOMEN'S SCORING
1) AUBURN 287.5 6) ALABAMA 135
2) GEORGIA 235 7) ARKANSAS 131
3) FLORIDA 197 8) LOUISIANA STATE 119
4) SOUTH CAROLINA 177 9) KENTUCKY 91
5) TENNESSEE 146.5

MEN'S SCORING
1) AUBURN. 306.5 5) ALABAMA. 124
2) FLORIDA. 237 6) SOUTH CAROLINA. 102.5
3) GEORGIA. 173 7) KENTUCKY. 98
4) TENNESSEE. 170 8) LOUISIANA STATE. 95

EVENT: 7 MEN's 500 Yard FREESTYLE

SEC Record: 4:15.57 MATT CETLINSKI FLORIDA 1985
NCAA Record: 4:08.75 TOM DOLAN MICHIGAN 1995
AMERICAN RECORD: 4:08.75 TOM DOLAN MICHIGAN 1995
US OPEN RECORD: 4:08.75 TOM DOLAN MICHIGAN 1995
POOL Record: 4:13.42 RYK NEETHLING ARIZONA 1998
QUALIFYING FOR NCAA "A" Cut: 4:19.72
QUALIFYING FOR NCAA "B" Cut: 4:27.51

RESULTS of FINALS