Feb. 19, 2014
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ATHENS, Ga. - Auburn's men saved its best performances for the end of Wednesday night's finals as the Tigers continue to lead the 2014 SEC Championships in Athens, Ga., heading into day three after picking up a pair of wins.
Senior John Santeiu IV became the first Auburn diver since 2010 to win gold on the 1-meter springboard and the Tigers captured their 12th straight title in the 200 freestyle relay with the fastest time in the country of 1:15.98 during day two's finals.
"We knew we were going to finish the night really strong, but diving was such a big event for us," Auburn head coach Brett Hawke said. "The way the boys moved up and with John getting the win; Fraser (McKean) getting on the podium that was enormous. It really gives us a lot of confidence heading into tomorrow."
Santeiu gave the Tigers their first individual win of the SEC Championships, posting a personal-best score of 395.25 on the 1-meter board. Junior Fraser McKean recorded his best score of the season in the six-list final, scoring 390.45 to earn his first career SEC medal with a bronze.
"John and Fraser did a great job this evening. I was a little disappointed in us not finishing dives this morning. Fraser got in by the skin of his teeth tying for eighth spot," Auburn diving coach Jeff Shaffer said. "They both stepped up and did what they I knew they could do tonight. That was a remarkable contest from the start of the first dive."
The Tigers were big point scorers in the 1-meter competition as Michael Beran was 12th in Wednesday's prelims with a score of 312.55, while Justin Youtsey was 14th overall at 302.75.
Auburn capped off Wednesday night with a strong performance in the men's 200 free relay as the team of Marcelo Chierighini, James Disney-May, TJ Leon and Kyle Darmody helped the Tigers earn their 12th straight title in the event. The Tigers were strong in the last 100 yards as Darmody's split of 18.57 as the anchor powered the Tigers into the wall first ahead of Alabama's time at 1:16.26 as Florida took third in 1:16.88.
Cherighini improved on the nation's second-best time in the 50 free, with a leadoff split of 19.04 to pace the Tigers, while Leon posted a split of 19.02 to set up Darmody's final leg. All 10 times in the men's 200 free relay final were good enough for NCAA automatic qualifying times.
Auburn's men took two of the top three spots in the men's 50 free final as the Tigers went four-up. Chierighini finished at 19.10 in second behind Florida's Brad deBorde's time of 18.88, which ranks as the fastest mark in the nation. Darmody continued his strong performance in the meet, earning bronze with a personal record swim of 19.21, the 10th-fastest time in school history. Leon was seventh at 19.60, while Disney-May claimed eighth at 19.69.
Alex Press claimed second in the consolation final to finish 10th overall with a night swim of 19.71 along with Cam Jones' 14th-place finish at 19.90.
"We talked about depth coming into the meet and it's not about one person, it's all about depth. The boys have really got together on that and to get four-up in the 50 free hadn't happened for us in a couple of years," Hawke said.
Joe Patching posted the top mark by a freshman in the 200 IM, improving his personal best time with a swim of 1:44.26 to win the consolation final. The freshman's time ranks as the sixth-best time in Auburn history. Alex Hancock was right behind Patching in second in the consolation final to finish 10th overall at 1:44.74, the ninth-best time in school history. Allen Browning set a personal record with a swim of 1:46.11 to finish 12th, while Michael Duderstadt took 16th at 1:49.22. Jordan Jones finished 23rd overall with a time of 1:48.01.
Zane Grothe was the top-finisher for Auburn in the 500 free, taking eighth with a time of 4:19.01. Tommy McKee improved his PR time from Wednesday's prelims, finishing fifth in the consolation final to earn 13th overall touching the wall at 4:20.92, the ninth-best mark in school history.
Auburn's women jumped up to ninth with 181 points following the second day of competition. Georgia's women have won all seven events and lead the field with 577 points, holding a 156-point advantage over second-place Florida (421). Texas A&M is in third with 417 points followed by Tennessee at 312.
Freshman Allyx Purcell turned in a personal record time of 22.15 to take seventh in the women's 50 free championship final. Purcell's time is tied with former Tiger Hannah Riordan for the fifth-best 50 free in school history. Emily Bos finished 13th overall at 22.54, while Megan Fonteno took second in the C-final, posting a PR with a swim of 22.43 to take second place.
Sarah Peterson took 20th overall with a fourth-place finish in the C-final in 1:59.09 in the 200 IM, the fastest time of the season by an Auburn swimmer and just .38 from breaking a personal best.
The Tigers capped off the night with a fourth-place finish by the team of Bos, Purcell, Fonteno and Aubrey Peacock at 1:28.63 in the women's 200 free relay. Fonteno's split of 22.04 and Peacock's anchor swim of 21.99 guided the Tigers to the fourth-place finish, just .15 seconds behind Texas A&M, who finished third. All times in the final were good enough to earn NCAA automatic qualifying marks.
Day three begins tomorrow at 10 a.m. (ET) with prelims in the 400 IM, 100 fly, women's 3-meter diving and the 200 free at the Gabrielsen Natatorium.
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Auburn Swimming & Diving
2014 SEC Championships - Day Two
February 19, 2014
Gabrielsen Natatorium - Athens, Ga.
Men's Team Scores: Auburn 574, Florida 451.5, Georgia 414, Texas A&M 296, Tennessee 289, Alabama 285, Missouri 266, South Carolina 251, Kentucky 239, LSU 208.5.
Women's Team Scores: Georgia 577, Florida 421, Texas A&M, Tennessee 312, Arkansas 217, Missouri 199, LSU 191, Alabama 183, Auburn 181, Kentucky 156, South Carolina 109, Vanderbilt 94.
Men's 500 Freestyle
8. Zane Grothe
13. Tommy McKee (4:20.92) (PR)
Men's 200 IM
9. Joe Patching (1:44.26) (PR)
10. Alex Hancock (1:44.71) (PR)
12. Allen Browning (1:46.11) (PR)
16. Michael Duderstadt (1:49.22)
23. Jordan Jones (1:48.01)
Women's 200 IM
20. Sarah Peterson (1:59.09)
Men's 50 Freestyle
2. Marcelo Chierighini (19.10)
3. Kyle Darmody (19.21) (PR)
7. TJ Leon (19.60)
8. James Disney-May (19.69)
10. Alex Press (19.71)
14. Cameron Jones (19.90)
Women's 50 Freestyle
7. Allyx Purcell (22.15) (PR)
13. Emily Bos (22.54)
18. Megan Fonteno (22.43) (PR)
Women's 200 Freestyle Relay
4. Bos, Purcell, Fonteno, Purcell (1:28.63)
Men's 200 Freestyle Relay
1. Chierighini, Disney-May, Leon, Darmody (1:15.98)
Auburn Notes
- Auburn won the men's 200 freestyle relay for the 12th straight year
- Auburn's John Santeiu IV won the 1-meter championship on Wednesday, becoming the first Auburn diver to win the event since Kelly Marx in 2010. The senior also set a personal record with a score of 395.25
- Fraser McKean posted his best finish at the SEC Championships, taking the bronze medal to give Auburn a pair of medalists on the 1-meter board for the first time since 2009
- Tommy McKee's swim of 4:20.92 in the men's 500 freestyle final is the ninth-best time in Auburn history.
- Joe Patching's time of 1:44.26 in the men's 200 IM ranks as the sixth-best swim in Auburn history and is the 10th-best time in the nation.
- Alex Hancock also climbed into the top-10 in school history; the junior's time of 1:44.71 ranks ninth.
- Allyx Purcell clocked a 50 free time of 22.15 and is now tied for fifth in school history with former Tiger Hannah Riordan.
- Kyle Darmody's time of 19.21 in the men's 50 free ranks as the 10th-best time in Auburn history, passing former Tiger Aaron Ciarla.
- Marcelo Chireghini posted a season-best time of 19.10 in the men's 50 free, but then bettered that mark in the men's 200 free relay with a leadoff split of 19.04 with the nation's second-fastest time.