Nov. 1, 2014
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Auburn swimming and diving team turned in a complete performance at the Alabama Aquatic Center on Saturday by sweeping host Alabama and SEC foe LSU.
The Auburn women (5-0, 3-0 SEC) topped Alabama, 174-126, and LSU, 176-124, picking up seven individual wins and sweeping both relays. Auburn's men (2-1, 2-0 SEC) defeated Alabama, 167-133 and LSU, 225-75, as the Tigers won both relay events and earned nine individual wins during the meet.
"I was really happy with our performance. There has been really good focus ever since the Indiana meet, especially on the men's side," head coach Brett Hawke said. "We just wanted to get better and I think we proved that hard work pays off. For us, we're still in the middle of our season and it's still a matter of racing tough each time we go out and compete."
For the Auburn men, Joe Patching led the way with three individual wins during the meet. The sophomore took first in the 200 free (1:37.91), 200 back (1:45.32) and 400 IM (3:53.04). Patching's times in all three events qualified as NCAA 'B' cut standards and the sophomore has yet to lose an individual race this season.
Michael Duderstadt also doubled, touching in first with solid swim of 54.24 to take the 100 breast and continued his momentum in the 200 breast later in the meet, taking the win 1:59.31. Both times by the sophomore were good enough for NCAA provisional cuts.
"[Joe] is just the ultimate captain for us in terms of leadership in the pool. I thought Michael Duderstadt had a great meet and Arthur Mendes really showed up when we needed him the most," Hawke said.
Auburn's men swept the butterfly events as Arthur Mendes posted a 'B' cut time of 47.56 to take the win in the 100 fly, while Alexander Hancock led a 1-2 Auburn finish in the 200 fly with a time of 1:47.81 to earn his first NCAA 'B' cut of the season and the victory.
Jillian Vitarius swept the backstroke events to propel the Auburn women. The sophomore went a season-best 54.09 in the 100 back and earned her second win of the day by touching in at 1:56.88.
"I thought the women's attitudes stayed focused from start to finish," Hawke said. "We've gotten really good leadership from Megan Fonteno and Alex Merritt, but we're also getting people to step up in events. I thought overall, the women are really competing well as a team."
Ashley Neidigh also doubled for the second straight meet, winning both the 500 free (4:53.00) and 1,000 free (9:53.66). The sophomore is unbeaten this year in both the 500 and 1000 free events.
Annie Lazor earned a win in the 200 breast with a time of 2:13.21, while Allyx Purcell picked up her third win in the 100 free this season, clocking a 50.23. Megan Fonteno (100 fly, 200 fly) and Alexandria Merritt (100 free, 200 free) also picked up a pair of second-place finishes to score key points for the Tigers.
The Tigers also swept the relays on both the men's and women's side. Vitarius, Natasha Lloyd, Fonteno and Purcell opened the meet with a victory in the 400 medley relay with a time of 3:38.98. Auburn's women finished strong with a first-place finish as Purcell, Merritt, Fonteno and Valerie Hull touched in at 3:21.24.
Auburn's men turned in a season-best time of 3:13.97 in the 400 medley relay to begin the competition with a win, as the team of Patching, Duderstadt, Mendes and Kyle Darmody posted a time of 3:13.97. In the 400 free relay, it was the team of Dudestadt, Darmody, Jacob Molacek and Allen Browning that started out in front and never looked back, touching in at 2:56.92 - a season-best to take the win.
In diving, Fraser McKean swept the men's 1-meter and 3-meter springboard events for the second consecutive meet. The senior took the top spot on the 1-meter with a season-best score of 364.10 and earned his second win of the day on the 3-meter with a 362.20. Justin Youtsey took second behind McKean in the 3-meter competition with a score of 336.20, while Pete Turnham posted a 311.65 to finish third overall on the 1-meter.
Auburn returns to the pool on Friday, Nov. 14 in Knoxville, Tenn., when the Tigers take on Tennessee and Louisville in its final tri-meet of the fall season.
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