Jan. 6, 2017
It will be a battle of two top-25 teams when No. 12 Auburn hosts No. 22 Texas A&M in an SEC swimming and diving meet on Saturday afternoon at the James E. Martin Aquatics Center.
The meet was originally scheduled to start at 11 a.m. but was changed to a 2 p.m. CT start and will feature only the men after Texas A&M's women had their flight canceled to due weather.
The Auburn men are undefeated in dual meets this season (5-0, 4-0 SEC), having topped then-No. 5 Alabama and then-No. 19 Tennessee in November. It also knocked off LSU, which is now ranked No. 14, and Wisconsin, now ranked No. 19, in dual meet action.
Joe Patching enters the meet with three of the nation's top 20 times in three different events. His 200 backstroke time (1:42.50) is 15th-fastest, his 400 IM (3:46.14) is 19th and his 200 IM (1:44.93) is 20th.
Michael Duderstadt has a top-20 time nationally in both the 100 breaststroke (52.83/14th) and 200 breaststroke (1:55.53/17th) and Peter Holoda has top-20 times in the 100 free (42.53/8th) and 50 free (19.58/20th). Luis Martinez' 46.20 in the 100 fly is 11th nationally.
Saturday's meet will also be mark the Auburn debut of Petter Fredriksson from Lomma, Sweden. He signed with Auburn during the fall signing period and is the Swedish national champion in the 100 and 200 backstrokes.
Live stats will be available through auburntigers.com.
Admission is free.