SEC Friday Recap: Alabama Women Earn Historical Win Over Auburn

By Dan D’Addona.

The Alabama women’s swimming and diving team won eight of 14 individual events and both relays to earn its first victory over Auburn since 1996 at Auburn on Friday afternoon by a score of 167-131.

On the men’s side of the meet, despite winning both relays and five individual events, the Crimson Tide men fell 167.5-132.5 to the Tigers. Alabama’s women are now 2-1 overall and 1-1 in Southeastern Conference competition while the Tide men are 1-2, 0-2 in the SEC. Alabama’s women last upended the Tigers 75-65 on Jan. 27, 1996, in Auburn.

The freshman duo of Leonie Kullmann and Flora Molnar produced four individual wins between them, with Kullman taking top honors in the 200 (1:47.43) and 500 (4:50.91) freestyles while Molnar won the 50 freestyle (22.41) and 100 butterfly (53.00). Senior Mia Nonnenberg and junior Justine Macfarlane also picked up two individual titles, each. Macfarlane won the 100 (1:01.72) and 200 (2:13.48) breaststrokes, while Nonnenberg won the 1,000 freestyle (10:01.78) and 400 individual medley (4:13.23).

On the men’s side of the meet, Luis Martinez, Hugo Gonzalez and Scott Lazeroff each picked up a pair of individual wins while Tommy Brewer, Peter Holoda and Bryan Lee each earned wins as well.

Martinez took the top spot in both butterfly events for the second straight weekend. He won the 200 fly in a season-best 1:46.61 and then made it a personal sweep of the fly events with a win by .01 seconds in the 100, touching in 47.00, seventh-fastest in the country to date.

Gonzalez turned in the sixth-fastest time in the country in winning the 200 back in 1:44.41. It was his second win in the event this season. Gonzalez also touched first in the 400 IM, swimming a 3:51.24. Petter Fredriksson was third in both the 200 back (1:46.93) and 400 IM (4:01.90).

Lazeroff swept the springboard events, taking home top honors twice as Auburn went 1-2-3 on the 3-meter with Lazeroff (363.83) taking first, Logan Andrews scoring a season-best 344.10 to take second and Pete Turnham finishing third (340.35). It was more of the same on the 1-meter as Lazeroff just beat out Turnham for first, scoring a 341.03 to Turnham’s 340.13, both of which are season-best scores.

Alabama junior Robert Howard led the way with wins in the 200 (1:36.93) and 100 (43.36) freestyles. Senior Luke Kaliszak (100 backstroke/46.58), junior Laurent Bams (100 breaststroke/53.99) and sophomore Daniel Kober (500 freestyle/4:28.50) also picked up individual wins against the Tigers.

Georgia splits with Florida

The No. 6-ranked Georgia women’s swimming and diving team remained undefeated on the season with a 182-119 victory over No. 20 Florida on Friday at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center Natatorium.

In the men’s meet, No. 3 Florida posted a 179-121 decision over the 12th-ranked Bulldogs.

The Lady Bulldogs improved to 5-0 overall and 1-0 in the SEC. Georgia’s women are undefeated in their last 22 conference meets with a 21-0-1 mark dating back to 2013. The Bulldogs slipped to 4-1 and 0-1.

Megan Kingsley, Meaghan Raab, Veronica Burchill and Courtney Harnish each won twice for the Lady Bulldogs. Kingsley swept the butterfly races, winning the 100 in 54.00 and the 200 in 1:57.85. Raab took the 200 breaststroke in 2:15.44 and the 200 individual medley in 2:00.51. Burchill went 23.19 to win the 50 freestyle and 48.99 to win the 100 freestyle. Harnish claimed the 200 freestyle in 1:46.76 and the 500 freestyle in 4:46.43.

Stephanie Peters won the 1,000 freestyle with a time of 9:49.76, Caitlin Casazza touched in 1:03.34 to claim the 100 breaststroke and Kylie Stewart finished first in the 200 backstroke with a time of 1:56.28.

The 400 freestyle relay of Burchill, Stewart, Maddie Wallis and Raab took top honors in 3:21.87.

Charlie Clifton, James Guest and Javier Acevedo were double winners for the Bulldogs. Clifton swept the springboards, winning the 1-meter with 352.58 points and the 3-meter with 335.03 points. Guest claimed each breaststroke race, taking the 100 in 54.86 and the 200 in 1:59.51. Acevedo reached the wall in 47.33 to win the 100 backstroke and won the 200 backstroke with a time of 1:44.1.

The men totaled seven individual wins to go along with their two relay wins. Jan Switkowski earned victories in the 100 fly and 200 fly, posting B-cut times of 47.02 and 1:44.35, respectively. He also won the 200 IM with a season-best time of 1:44.99. Classmate Caeleb Dressel also notched two wins in the 50 free and 100 free with B-cut times of 19.93 and 44.00.

Ben Lawless added another win this week, swimming a 9:05.41 in the 1,000 free to earn the victory, while Khader Baqlah posted a B-cut time of 4:24.07 in the 500 free to finish first.

The women recorded three individual victories to add onto their relay, beginning with Emma Ball’s 57.73 in the 100 back. The other two wins came on the boards, with Brooke Madden winning the 1-meter (316.58) and Teya Syskakis winning the 3-meter (315.53).

Tennesse women sweep, men split

The Tennessee women swept and the men split in a double dual meet against Indiana and Kentucky on Friday.

With five event victories and plenty of second- and third-place finishes throughout the meet, the Tennessee women (4-1, 1-1 SEC) defeated Indiana 166-134 and Kentucky 170-130. The Tennessee men (4-1, 2-0 SEC) beat Kentucky 216-84 but lost to top-ranked Indiana 165-135.

Sophomore Erika Brown led the way for the Lady Vols on Friday, winning the 50-yard freestyle (22.65 seconds) and the 100 butterfly (52.61). She also took second in the 100 freestyle, which was won by sophomore teammate Stanzi Moseley (49.35).

On the women’s side, Tennessee also got victories from Ana Celaya Hernandez on 3-meter springboard (316.30) and the 400 freestyle relay team in 3:20.85.

The Vols won four events on the men’s side, highlighted by a two-win day by sophomore Taylor Abbott. Abbott swept the distance races, taking first in the 1000 freestyle (9:07.14) and the 500 freestyle (4:25.63).

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Thomas A. Small

6 years ago

Congratulations