Feb. 6, 2010
AUBURN, Ala. - The No. 5/8 Auburn swimming and diving team defeated Division III power Emory at the James E. Martin Aquatics Center Saturday to close out the regular season. The men topped the Eagles, 174-100, to finish with a 5-2 overall mark. The women improved to 4-4 on the year with a 172-102 win.
"Emory showed a lot of fight and are a great team," head coach Brett Hawke said. "This meet provided us with a lot of fine tuning and was also a meet that everyone really enjoyed. It was nice to have a relaxed atmosphere before the ensuing championships."
The Tigers took time before the meet to honor their 13 seniors: Maggie Bird, Alana Dillette, Abby MacGregor, Melissa Marik, Ava Ohlgren, Jordan Anderson, Will Dove, Gideon Louw, Kyle Maese, Kelly Marx, Tyler McGill, Michael Silva and Pascal Wollach.
"It was a very emotional meet because this group of seniors has been through a lot here at Auburn," Hawke said. "This was a great way to send them out."
Leading the women were Ohlgren and Marik, who each finished with three wins on the day. Ohlgren picked up victories in the 100 fly (54.67) and the 200 breast (2:17.43), while Marik won the 200 IM (2:05.23) and 100 free (51.16).
The pair, along with classmates MacGregor and Bird, closed out their final dual strong as the group of seniors finished first in the 200 free relay with a time of 1:34.94. Individually, Bird came out on top in the 200 back, winning in 2:04.26. MacGregor also picked up a win, taking first in the 100 breast in 1:04.49.
Recording her first collegiate victory was freshman Sterling Wine, who captured the 1000 free with a time of 10:21.63. In the 500 free, Wine came from behind in the final laps to also take the win in 5:03.43.
Setting personal-best scores on both springboard events were sophomore divers Anna Aguero, Mary Catherine Cochran and Vennie Dantin. The trio finished 1-2-3 on the 1-meter, seeing Aguero win with a career-best score of 293.02. Cochran came in second (284.47) and Dantin in third (284.32).
Dantin won the 3-meter with a career-best score of 351.91, while Aguero was second (329.10) and Cochran third (300.38). All three recorded NCAA Zone scores in both springboard events.
"It was a great way to finish the regular season," head diving coach Jeff Shaffer said. "I'm very proud of all three of them. Their hard work is showing and they have put themselves in a confident position going into the championship season."
Other individual winners for the women were freshman Hanna Riordan and sophomore Stephanie Horner. Riordan recorded her first collegiate win in the 100 back (56.90), while Horner touched first in the 200 free (1:50.27).
On the men's side of competition, senior diver Kelly Marx put together two amazing performances in his final dual. Marx opened with a record-breaking score on the 1-meter, setting a new school mark with 395.47 points. He followed with a first-place finish on the 3-meter with a season-best score of 444.07.
"I wasn't coming into the meet expecting to break any record," Marx said. "Jeff continues to teach us consistency and to have great confidence. Every diver had a great meet and it was a crazy and exciting day for everyone."
"I'm very proud of Kelly," Shaffer said. "He continues to make great improvements and everything is starting to really come together for him."
Freshman Thad Ellis also set personal-best scores and finished second on both springboards. He recorded a NCAA Zone score of 363.29 on the 1-meter and followed with another Zone score of 375.52 on the 3-meter.
Senior swimmers Dove, Silva and McGill recorded individual wins during the meet. Dove won the free in 1:39.39, while Silva took the 50 free (20.52) and McGill finished first in the 200 IM (1:49.95). Silva, along with seniors Anderson and Maese and sophomore Christopher Fox, closed out the meet with a win in the 200 free relay in a NCAA "B" cut time of 1:21.23.
Fox had another B time on the day, winning the 100 breast in 54.72. Freshmen Tony Cox and Mason Chenier recorded their first collegiate wins, seeing Cox take the 100 back (49.55) and Chenier touching the wall first in the 100 free (46.78).
Other individual winners were Chris Kramer in the 1000 free (9:28.53), Robert Looney in the 200 fly (1:50.64), Max Murphy in the 200 back (1:49.26), Kyle Owens in the 500 free (4:38.70) and Adam Klein in the 200 breast (2:02.43).
The Tigers will begin preparing for the 2010 SEC Championships, Feb. 17-20, on the campus of the University of Georgia in Athens. The men look to win their 14th-straight conference title, while the women hope to pick up their sixth conference championships.
Auburn Swimming and Diving
Saturday, February 06, 2010
James E. Martin Aquatic Center; Auburn, Ala.
Team Scores:
Auburn (W) - 172; Emory - 102
Auburn (M) - 174; Emory - 100
Auburn Event Winners- Women: 100 Back - 1. Riordan (56.90); 100 Breast - 1. MacGregor (1:04.49); 100 Fly - 1. Ohlgren (54.67); 1000 Free - 1. Wine (10:21.63); 200 Free - 1. Horner (1:50.27); 200 IM - 1. Marik (2:05.23); 1-Meter - 1. Aguero (293.02); 200 Fly - 1. Gardocki (2:06.35); 100 Free - 1. Marik (51.16); 200 Back - 1. Bird (2:04.26); 500 Free - 1. Wine (5:03.43); 3-Meter - 1. Dantin (351.91); 200 Breast - 1. Ohlgren (2:17.43) 200 Free Relay - 1. MacGregor, Marik, Bird, Ohlgren (1:34.94).
Men: 100 Back - 1. Cox (49.55); 100 Breast - 1. Fox (54.72); 1000 Free - 1. Kramer (9:28.53); 200 Free - 1. Dove (1:39.39); 50 Free - 1. Silva (20.52); 200 IM - 1. McGill (1:49.95); 1-Meter - 1. Marx (395.47); 200 Fly - 1. Looney (1:50.64); 100 Free - 1. Chenier (46.78); 200 Back - 1. Murphy (1:49.26); 500 Free - 1. Owens (4:39.70); 3-Meter - 1. Marx (444.07); 200 Breast - 1. Klein (2:02.43); 200 Free Relay - 1. Silva, Anderson, Maese, Fox (1:21.23).