Feb. 16, 2017
Auburn will swim for individual championships in four events on Thursday night as prelims of the 2017 SEC Swimming and Diving Championships continued Thursday morning. Joe Patching (400 IM) and Luis Martinez (100 fly) will swim for men's titles while Haley Black (100 fly), Bailey Nero (100 fly) and Erin Falconer (200 free) will vie for a women's individual title.
Patching will vie for the 400 IM title after qualifying fifth in 3:45.36 while Martinez checked in at third in the 100 fly in 46.02. Auburn's last 400 IM title came in 2002 (Kevin Clements) while its last 100 fly title came in 2009 (Matt Targett).
Black (52.09) and Nero (52.39) both established new personal bests and qualified third and eighth, respectively, for the 100 fly, where they are in search of Auburn's ninth 100 fly title overall and first since Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace in 2010.
Falconer's 1:45.90 in the 200 free prelims qualified her fourth and puts her in position to claim Auburn's first SEC Championship in the event since 2009 (Caitlin Geary).
Aly Tetzloff (52.51) will swim in the B Final and Ashton Ellzey (53.43) in the C Final of the 100 fly after establishing a new career best.
The men's 100 fly B Final will be littered with Auburn swimmers taking up half the lanes in Liam McCloskey (46.44), Santiago Grassi (46.80), Foster Ballard (46.93) and Peter Holoda (46.95) each establishing career bests in the morning.
Zoe Thatcher (4:13.59) is in the B Final and Ashley Neidigh (4:15.75) in the C Final of the 400 IM.
Jessica Merritt (1:47.25) will swim the B Final and Julie Meynen (1:47.95) the C Final of the 200 free after both established career bests.
Hugo Morris (1:35.47) and Joshua Booth (1:35.59) will each swim in the B Final of the 200 free, with Booth setting a new career best in the process.
Thursday finals session begins at 5 p.m. CT and will also include the men's 3-meter finals.
Thursday Auburn Prelims Finishes
Women's 400 IM
15. Zoe Thatcher 4:13.59
20. Ashley Neidigh 4:15.75
37. Jacqueline Hippi 4:25.07
Men's 400 IM
5. Joe Patching 3:45.36
27. Russell Noletto 3:53.83 (PR)
Women's 100 Fly
3. Haley Black 52.09 (PR)
8. Bailey Nero 52.39 (PR)
9. Aly Tetzloff 52.51
17. Ashton Ellzey 53.43 (PR)
25. Maddie Martin 54.14
Men's 100 Fly
3. Luis Martinez 46.02
11. Liam McCloskey 46.44 (PR)
12. Santiago Grassi 46.80 (PR)
14. Foster Ballard 46.93 (PR)
15. Peter Holoda 46.95 (PR)
37. Taylor Copeland 48.56
Women's 200 Free
4. Erin Falconer 1:45.90
16. Jessica Merritt 1:47.25 (PR)
22. Julie Meynen 1:47.95 (PR)
39. Allyx Purcell 1:50.02
Men's 200 Free
12. Hugo Morris 1:35.47
14. Joshua Booth 1:35.59 (PR)
27. Zach Apple 1:36.57
33. Ziv Kalontarov 1:37.40 (PR)
35. Colin Bone 1:37.68
51. Alec Morris 1:41.25