SEC Championship Notes
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Feb. 18, 2006
Knoxville, Tenn. - For the 10th straight year the Auburn men's swimming and diving team took the SEC Championship leap into the pool after pulling off their most dominant victory yet, winning over Florida by 161.5 points in Knoxville, Tenn. The Tigers and Bulldogs took it down to the wire on the women's side, as Georgia claimed their first championship since 2001 by a mere 19 points.
The men's SEC team title marks the 12th time in 13 years Auburn's men have stood first on the podium and the 10th straight since 1997. The Tiger women were looking to make history by becoming the first men and women's team to take four straight victories on both sides. The Tigers four individual titles on the men's side was its lowest total in a championship season since 1995 when AU won four.
"Every SEC Championship is different because the personality of the each team is different," head coach David Marsh said. "The competition in the SEC is always fabulous. Swimming in the SEC is only going to get better and for now we are very proud to be number one."
Overall the men claimed eight titles, including the 100 and 200 backstrokes the 50 and 100 freestyles, both 200 and 400 medley relays and the 200 and 400 free relays. On the women's side, three individuals return to Auburn as SEC individual event champions and the 400 medley relay also earned the conference title.
The Tiger men closed out the 2006 SEC Championships with a statement in the 400 free relay, as the group of Cesar Cielo, Bryan Lundquist, Kurt Cady and Jakob Andkjaer won in 2:52.41, to mark the fastest time in the United States to date. Overall, the AU men took four of five relays during the four-day championships. Cielo opened up with 42.81 split over Florida's Lochte (20.98) to take the early lead and the remaining legs never lost it. Andkjaer sealed the deal with a blistering 42.88 anchor split.
"It was a combination of a great team effort," Lundquist. "We all operate so well as a team. It was great to have some of these new guys in here. They add to our team atmosphere so much. They bring a very positive attitude. It was a great way to finish off the meet. We could not have asked for a better way to end it."
Cielo joined a distinguished list of AU sprinters who have won both the 50 and 100 free in the same year at SEC's. Winning his fifth title of the meet, Cielo blasted through the field in 43.00, just two one-hundredth's of a second over teammate Andkjaer, who touched in 43.02. Lundquist finalized the AU dominance of the sprints as he touched the wall in third, 43.81
"It's great for us," Cielo said. "This is my first SEC, and my first year swimming at Auburn. I left my family in Brazil, but everything is going awesome in the United States. And swimming with these guys in the race was just like in practice. We were so comfortable about it, and I think this is why we got 1-2-3 in the 50 and 1-2-3 in the 100."
This marks Auburn's ninth title in the 100 free and the third straight as Fred Bousquet took the last two. Cielo becomes just the fifth Auburn man to win both sprint free's at the SEC Championship. Cielo's time is the third fastest in the U.S. to date, and Andkjaer's is fourth. The Tigers had three more swimmers competing, two in B finals, as Alexei Puninski raced to the wall in 43.93, for the win, and Kurt Cady touched in 10th (44.30). George Bovell cruised to the victory in the C final in a time of 44.40. In this event alone, 103 points were added to the AU men's team total.
The Tigers made it three in a row, as Hayley Peirsol kept it in the family in the 1650 free, winning easily by 15:53.90, to capture her first SEC title in her three-year career and the automatic qualifier. Peirsol showed her strength in the event at the halfway point as she had a 25 yard lead on the next best competitor. She ended up lapping the entire field except for the runner-up from Georgia. The reigning two-time SEC Champion in this event, Adrienne Binder, ended up on the awards stand as she finished third in an `A' cut time of 16:09.64, well off the past two year's winning times. Chelsea Haser ended up 11th (17:00.43).
"This feels good," Peirsol said. "I am just glad that race is over with. It is nice to have it under my belt. In three weeks we have NCAA's, which is exciting."
Doug Van Wie has taken the walk up the podium steps before in the 200 back, but this time he took two more steps to the top. Van Wie, swimming 1:42.83, completed the sweep of the backstroke events at this year's championship to become just the second male in Auburn history to accomplish this in the same year. This is his fifth SEC title - fourth in 2006.
"It's great being able to win two individual titles my senior year," Van Wie said. "We had a goal of doubling our lead coming into today. We didn't want to be complacent with the lead we had. We really wanted to bear down this last day and really extend it."
Also competing in the championship final was Scott Goodrich who swam 1:48.39 for sixth. In the B final Joey Schneider lowered his prelim time two one-hundredth's of a second to 1:47.05 to take 10th and Nick Bovell followed him in 12th (1:48.15). Mark Johnson competed in the C final, swimming an improved time from prelim of 1:49.35.
In the final women's race of the championships, Rachel Goh, Jana Kolukanova, Margo McCawley, and Emily Kukors turned in an automatic qualifying time of 3:18.31, the third fastest in the NCAA to date, to finish second in the 400 free relay. Kukors turned in the fastest split of the team in the anchor position, 48.22.
"I think this weekend demonstrated two things," co-women's head coach Dorsey Tierney-Walker said. "When this team focuses on a specific goal we see phenomenal things happen and some incredible performances. The other thing that this meet demonstrated was the importance of all three and a half days. I think we had some great performances and I think we were also able to see what areas we need to work on."
With the last four 200 back SEC titles going to Auburn women and three Tigers in tonight's final, the streak looked to be extended to five, but Georgia's Alek Putra took the lead over Jeri Moss in the final 25 yards for the win with the top time in the NCAA (1:55.56). Moss turned in her second fastest time in a SEC final, 1:56.84, and another `A' cut for the runner up place. Goh bettered her automatic qualifier and ended up third, 1:57.05, and teammate Erin Volcan lowered her `A' time to 1:58.16 to take fifth.
In the B final, it was all Auburn, as newcomer McCawley posted an `A' cut time of 1:57.33 for the easy win. Her time would have been good enough for fourth in the championship final. Swimming in the C final, Tawnie Bethune swam her fastest SEC final time of 2:00.78 and finished 14th.
"I want to commend Tennessee on running a fantastic championship," Marsh said. "The staff did a great job."
Kukors entered the 100 free with the second fastest qualifier and she remained in that spot in the finals as Georgia's Kara Lynn Joyce successfully defended her title. Kukors swam a lowered 48.80 for second, which was not only an improved `A' cut but also a lifetime best in the event. Kolukanova improved two places in the standings from last year's finish as the senior ended up fourth with a season best 49.70. Newcomer Emile Ewing won the C final handedly with a time of 50.65, a lifetime best.
Auburn's third through sixth place finish in the women's 200 breast led by Julie Stupp who posted a 0.43 lifetime best time of 2:12.49 and an `A' cut while Alicia Jensen (2:12.84), Lauren Duerk (2:14.75) and Anne Amardeilh (2:15.18) rounded out the championship final which earned a total of 78 points for the women's team.
Anthony Fleming shaved off 14 seconds from his lifetime best in the 1650 free - 15:04.38 - to finish third in a strong field of competitors. Fleming, a freshman, was just over three seconds off the Auburn record set in 2002 by SEC Champion in the event Kevin Clements, and is now in second on the Auburn all-time top performers list. Also contributing major points for the AU men was Daniel Slocki, who swam a season best 15:30.33 for ninth.
Wike had the advantage in lane four of the men's 200 breast as he earned the fastest qualifying time (1:57.69) but was unable to repeat his performance in the final's, finishing fifth with a time of 1:59.76.
Auburn's Kristen Hastrup and Tawnie Bethune were up against the three-time defending SEC Champion in the 200 fly - Mary DeScenza of Georgia - and DeScenza was successful for a fourth time. Hastrup ended up fourth and scored 20 points with a time of 1:59.09. Bethune swam 2:01.00 for sixth and 18 points. In the B final, Danielle LeClair swam 2:00.31 to end up third in the race and ninth overall.
"I really want to commend Georgia as they put together a solid meet, top to bottom," Tierney-Walker said. "It is always exciting to compete at the highest level and with the best swimmers in the country."
The Tigers had two competitors in the championship final of the 200 men's fly. Eric Shanteau ended up fifth with a time of 1:46.92 and was followed by Fleming in sixth who swam 1:50.62. Mark Johnson took the B final in a time of 1:46.72, an improved mark from the morning session, and concluded the event in seventh.
In diving action, Lynnsey Segraves entered the final in the third position with 252.95 points. She increased her score to 263.10, to mark a season high, and ended up fifth. Kentucky's Taryn Ignacio was the champion with 282.80 points. Corey Lynn Gerlach, competing for just the second time in her collegiate career on platform, finished in 17th place - 170.25.
2006 SEC Championships
Champion and Auburn Finishes
Women's 1650 Free
1. Hayley Peirsol, 15:53.90
3. Adrienne Binder, 16:09.64
11. Chelsea Haser, 17:00.43
Men's 1650 Free
1. Sebastien Rouault (UGA), 14:40.81 (SEC record)
3. Anthony Fleming, 15:04.38
9. Daniel Slocki, 15:30.33
Exh. Jeff Smith, 15:35.64
Exh. Andrew Callahan, 15:37.77
Women's 200 Back
1. Alek Putra (UGA), 1:55.56
2. Jeri Moss, 1:56.84
3. Rachel Goh, 1:57.05
5. Erin Volcan, 1:58.16
7. Margo McCawley, 1:57.33
14. Tawnie Bethune, 2:00.78
Men's 200 Back
1. Doug Van Wie, 1:42.83
6. Scott Goodrich, 1:48.39
10. Joey Schneider, 1:47.05
11. Nick Bovell, 1:48.15
14. Mark Johnson, 1:49.35
Women's 100 Free
1. Kara Lynn Joyce (UGA), 47.67
2. Emily Kukors, 48.80
4. Jana Kolukanova, 49.70
13. Emile Ewing
Men's 100 Free
1. Cesar Cielo, 43.00
2. Jakob Andkjaer, 43.02
3. Bryan Lundquist, 43.81
7. Alexei Puninski, 43.93
10. Kurt Cady, 44.30
13. George Bovell, 44.40
Women's 200 Breast
1. Vipa Bernhardt (UF), 2:11.04
3. Julie Stupp, 2:12.49
4. Alicia Jensen, 2:12.84
5. Lauren Duerk, 2:14.75
6. Anne Amardeilh, 2:15.18
Men's 200 Breast
1. Vlad Polyakov (UA), 1:54.16 (SEC record)
5. James Wike, 1:59.76
8. Jon Roberts, 2:00.00
10. Sean Osborne, 2:00.63
Women's 200 Fly
1. Mary DeScenza (UGA), 1:54.23
4. Kristen Hastrup, 1:59.09
6. Tawnie Bethune, 2:01.00
9. Danielle LeClair, 2:00.31
Men's 200 Fly
1. Ryan Lochte (UF), 1:42.39 (SEC record)
5. Eric Shanteau, 1:46.92
6. Anthony Fleming, 1:50.62
7. Mark Johnson, 1:46.72
Women's Platform
1. Taryn Ignacio (UK), 282.80
5. Lynnsey Segraves, 263.10
Women's 400 Free Relay
1. Georgia (DeScenza, Cole, Miller, Joyce), 3:15.67
2. Auburn (Goh, Kolukanova, McCawley, Kukors), 3:18.31
Men's 400 Free Relay
1. Auburn (Cielo, Lundquist, Cady, Andkjaer), 2:52.41
Overall Team Finishes
Men
1. Auburn, 1101
2. Florida, 939.5
3. Georgia, 761
4. Tennessee, 715
5. Alabama, 468
Women
1. Georgia, 1094
2. Auburn, 1075
3. Florida, 758
4. Kentucky, 597
5. Tennessee, 535