Dec. 6, 2014
ATHENS, Ga. - Auburn's 200 medley relays recorded NCAA automatic qualifying times on both the men's and women's side, and Fraser McKean provided the Tigers with a win in the 3-meter final during the second night of finals Saturday at the Georgia Invitational.
Auburn's men swam the third-fastest 200 medley relay of the year as the team of Joe Patching, Michael Duderstadt, Arthur Mendes and Kyle Darmody went 1:25.45. The time by the Tigers was good enough for second overall in the championship final and secured another NCAA automatic qualifying standard.
In the women's 200 medley relay, Jillian Vitarius, Natasha Lloyd, Megan Fonteno and Allyx Purcell opened the session by taking fourth place, recording a 1:37.81 to eclipse the NCAA `A' cut mark.
"I thought overall we were a lot more consistent," head coach Brett Hawke said. "I was happy with some of the swims up front. Going into the final day, we want to have a better morning and hit on all cylinders instead of just pieces. We need to come in tomorrow morning and attack."
McKean led the way for the Auburn divers by winning the men's 3-meter final with a six-dive list of 379.45. Pete Turnham also finished 12th overall by scoring 294.55. In the women's 1-meter final, Carly Scheper was 10th overall with a score of 257.40 to lead the Tigers. Shanna Schuelein placed 12th (253.95) and Cinzia Calabretta was 13th (247.75) to give Auburn three top-15 finishes.
In the women's 100 breast, Lloyd led the Tiger women with a second-place finish at 1:00.66, while Annie Lazor's 1:00.83 allowed the junior to claim third overall. Brooke Malone won the C-final with a personal-best time of 1:02.64 to achieve a NCAA provisional standard, while Breanna Roman was second at 1:03.24.
In the men's 100 fly, Mendes earned a third-place finish in the championship final, clocking a 46.88. Alex Hancock matched his prelim time, taking fifth overall at 47.16. Cam Jones went 48.41 to finish eighth in the `A' final. Allen Browning provided the Tigers with a tenth-place finish, claiming second in the consolation final at 47.27. Taylor Copeland took 22nd overall with a time of 49.63.
Duderstadt was third overall in the men's 100 breast, tying a personal-best with a swim of 52.54. The sophomore's time ranks as the third-best mark in school history in the event. Jacob Molacek dropped time from the morning session and claimed sixth overall at 53.92, a season-best time for the freshman.
Patching earned a fifth-place finish in the 100 back championship final with a swim of 47.10, lowering his NCAA `B' cut time for the season. Kyle Darmody posted a 48.27 to notch a `B' standard and win the consolation final, while Joshua Booth took fifth (48.50) and Copeland finished seventh (49.06).
Zoe Thatcher took 10th overall in the women's 400 IM, swimming the ninth-best time in school history at 4:13.19 and improving her NCAA `B' cut time. Sarah Peterson also finished 16th in the B-final (4:21.23). Ashley Neidigh won the C-final with a personal-best and NCAA `B' cut swim of 4:15.61, while Kristen Murslack posted a 4:19.29 to set a PR. The sophomore's time also was good enough for a NCAA `B' cut standard.
Vitarius took second in the women's 100 back consolation final, posting a 53.56. Sarah Reynolds won the C-final at 54.04 to lower her `B' cut time and dropping nearly a second from the morning session.
Megan Fonteno was Auburn's top-finisher in the women's 100 fly as the senior went 53.83 to take 15th overall. Maddie Martin's 54.01 earned the sophomore a 'B' cut and a second-place finish in the C-final.
Other highlights included, Valerie Hull winning the C-final of the women's 200 free from lane eight. The freshman cut over a second off her prelim time, posting a 1:47.17 to get the win. In the men's 200 free, Tommy McKee took 23rd overall at 1:41.53.
The men's 800 freestyle relay team of Patching, Mendes, Browning and Hancock posted a 6:26.88, just shy of the NCAA `B' cut standard. Patching's leadoff split of 1:36.20 lowered his `B' cut time in the 200 free and was a personal-best for the sophomore.
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Georgia Invitational - Day Two Finals Results
Dec. 6, 2014
Gabrielsen Natatorium - Athens, Ga.
Auburn Men's Top Performers:
200 Medley Relay: 2. Patching, Duderstadt, Mendes, Darmody (1:25.45); 400 IM: 13. J. Jones (3:53.01); 100 Fly: 3. Mendes (46.88); 200 Free: 23. McKee (1:41.53) 100 Breast: 3. Duderstadt (52.54); 5. Patching (47.10); 3M Diving: 1. McKean (379.45); 800 Free Relay: 4. Patching, Mendes, Browning, Hancock (6:26.88)
Auburn Women's Top Performers
200 Medley Relay: 4. Vitarius, Lloyd, Fonteno, Purcell (1:37.81); 400 IM: 10. Thatcher (4:13.19); 100 Fly: 15. Fonteno (53.83); 200 Free: 17. Hull (1:47.67); 100 Breast: 2. Lloyd (1:00.66); 100 Back: 10. Vitarius (53.56); 1M Diving: 10. Scheper (257.40); 800 Free Relay: 8. Thatcher, Hull, Fonteno, Vitarius (7:21.92)