Nov. 16, 2016
Auburn's women's swimming and diving team and the men's diving team head to Atlanta this weekend for the Georgia Tech Invitational. The meet will be contested in the McAuley Aquatic Center, site of last year's NCAA Championships, from Thursday, Nov. 17-Saturday, Nov. 19.
Auburn goes into the meet with a 4-1, 3-1 SEC dual meet record, is ranked No. 11 in the latest CSCAA poll, and has been racing each of the past three weekends.
"It's on our schedule, the tail-end of a four-week deal where we are traveling or racing at home and it just happens to be a perfect culmination to the previous meets," Auburn associate head coach Lauren Hancock said. "We swam at this pool at NCAAs last March and I'd like to think that we can return to that very same pool that left a sour taste in our mouth and kind of redeem ourselves in that arena."
Through five meets, Hancock has seen some impressive times posted by the team.
Julie Meynen, the three-time SEC Freshman of the Week, holds the country's 12th-fastest 50 free time (22.65) and the 14th-best 100 free time (49.26). She is currently undefeated in the 100 free and has won the 50 free at three dual meets.
"Julie's obviously been invaluable," Hancock said. "She's received the accolades to prove that but really it's just fun watching her represent the 'AU' and want to win for her teammates."
In the distance freestyle events Ashley Neidigh has won the 500 free three times and the 1000 four and will be swimming the mile for the first time this season. Thus far her 1000 free time (9:45.74) is 11th-fastest in the country.
"For some, improvement (this week) means going from an already top-10 ranking in the country to maybe a top-five ranking, making it that much harder from someone to come up and out-swim her," Hancock said.
Aly Tetzloff has been Auburn's top sprint butterfly specialist thus far, winning the 100 fly in four dual meets. Her 52.75 from the LSU meet ranks fifth nationally. She also has a NCAA provisional time in the 100 back (54.48) and the third-fastest 50 free (23.18) on the team.
Zoe Thatcher leads all Auburn swimmers with three NCAA provisional times, earning them in the 100 back (54.97), the 200 back (1:58.94) and the 400 IM (4:17.47).
"Zoe kind of flies under the radar," Hancock said. "She doesn't win a lot, she gets second a lot, but her times get better from meet to meet. She is showing signs of being even more versatile than she was last year and she's pretty close to her lifetime bests and well under her previous season-bests so far."
In the diving well, Alison Maillard and Maddie Cox have both already earned Zone Diving qualifying scores, with Cox holding the team's top 1-meter score (279.23) and Maillard the top 3-meter score (311.93).
For Auburn's male divers, Scott Lazeroff and Pete Turnham have both posted Zone Diving qualifying scores on both springboards. Lazeroff has posted the top scores on both the 1-meter (341.03) and 3-meter (380.85) while Turnham is coming off of a career-best showing on the 3-meter (375.45) during the Tennessee dual meet.
"The build-up has been nice and progressive and the team is definitely hungry," Hancock said. "Based on the psyche sheet that came out we should be at or near the top in a lot of events."
Other women's swimming teams competing include Alabama, Arkansas, Campbell, East Carolina, No. 16 Florida, Florida Gulf Coast, Georgia Southern, Georgia Tech and South Carolina. The diving teams competing will be Alabama, Arkansas (women), BYU, Clemson (women), East Carolina, Florida Gulf Coast, Georgia Southern (women), Georgia Tech and South Carolina.
Events contested on Thursday will be the 200 free relay, 500 free, 200 IM, 50 free, women's 3-meter diving, men's 1-meter diving and 400 medley relay.
Friday's schedule includes the 200 medley relay, the 400 IM, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breaststroke, 100 backstroke, women's 1-meter, men's 3-meter and the 800 free relay.
Saturday's events will be the 1650 free, 200 back, 100 free, 200 breaststroke, 200 fly, platform diving and the 400 free relay.
Prelims begin every day at 10 a.m. ET and finals at 5:30 p.m.
Live stats and video will be available through the Georgia Tech website, ramblinwreck.com, divemeets.com and ACC Network Extra.