SEC Weekly Preview: Texas A&M Faces Alabama

Photo Courtesy: Dan D'Addona

The SEC Conference continues its swimming & diving season with a full slate of meets this week.

There are two intriguing meets on the docket this week.

The first is Texas A&M at Alabama. On the men’s side, the Aggies are ranked No. 10, while the Crimson tide is No. 17.

The Texas A&M men are coming off of a win over No. 11 Louisville and a loss to No. 16 Ohio State.

Benjamin Walker earned three wins in that meet, including the 400 yard IM (3:53.51) and the 200 breaststroke (1:58.73) on the final day. Adam Koster (1:38.44) earned his first win of the season in the 200 yard freestyle.

Aggie captain Sam Thornton came away with the victory in the one meter dive (358.95). Thornton was trailing the whole competition to Ohio State’s Jacob Felding (328.20), until he landed a stellar last dive with a 68.7.

Alabama has had a couple of weeks off since a meet with Ohio State. Zane Waddell has roared into his third season at Alabama, winning four individual events in his first two dual meets and ranking among the top-10 nationally in four different events.

The All-American took top honors in the 100 backstroke and 100 butterfly at Ohio State and was first in the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly against Delta State and earned SEC Swimmer of the Week honors.

On the women’s side, the Aggies are No. 5, while the Crimson Tide is an honorable-mention ranking.

The Aggie women defeated No. 17 Ohio State.

Texas A&M captain Sydney Pickrem had her first individual wins of the year in the 200 yard IM (1:58.64) and the 200 yard backstroke (1:57.95). In the 100 yard freestyle, Claire Rasmus and Katie Portz tied for the individual victory, swimming a 50.76.

Arkansas swims at South Carolina on Saturday.

This should be an interesting meet, especially with the way Anna Hopkin of Arkansas has been swimming. She won the 50 free in 22.29 against Georgia and had a 21.9 relay split. The Razorbacks also have defending national diving champion Brooke Schultz, who has picked up right where she left off last year.

Also on Saturday, Auburn will host Florida Gulf Coast and Vanderbilt will swim at Air Force.

Florida will swim, along with Indiana, at Texas on Friday and Saturday.

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