Feb. 17, 2017
Michael Duderstadt did something on Friday night that hadn't been done in well over a decade.
He repeated as the SEC Champion in the 100 breaststroke.
In a field in which the top four finishers were separated by .78 seconds and the top two by just .29 seconds, Duderstadt, a senior from Panama City, Fla., raced to a school-record 51.50 out of lane six to become Auburn's first repeat champion in the event since Pat Calhoun won the title in 2002 and 2003.
The school record he took down was that of Adam Klein, a 51.80 set at the 2009 NCAA Championships.
"I didn't really didn't expect that time but it was a fun race and I'm glad I got my hand on the wall first," Duderstadt said. "The history (of Auburn breaststrokers) is very rich and it means a lot to me to be able to join that."
Duderstadt's title is the 14th in Auburn history in the event, won by 10 different people, with Calhoun winning three titles, he also won in 2000, and Scott Spann winning it in 1977 and 1978.
"Every now and then you get a certain kid that comes through the program and makes a big impact and there is none better than Duder," head coach Brett Hawke said. "The toughest thing to do is repeat as a champion and he did that today. He showed the rest of the team that fear is for others and race with no fear."
Duderstadt will attempt on Saturday to sweep the SEC breaststroke events for the second consecutive time.
While Duderstadt stole the show, he was one of five Auburn individuals to grab a top-eight finish.
Bailey Nero captured a seventh-place finish in the 200 fly in 1:57.31, improving upon her 14th-place finish from a year ago.
Hugo Morris grabbed a top-eight finish in the 200 fly for the third straight year, touching in 1:44.07 to finish eighth.
Natasha Lloyd brought home her second straight top-8 finish in the women's 10 breast, touching in eighth in 1:00.48.
"We are competing as a team and we have one big session left in the morning to get the job done," Hawke said.
Allison Maillard scored an eighth-place finish with a 244.20 on the platform after setting a career high in prelims with a 268.20. The freshman had placed eighth on the 3-meter and ninth on the 1-meter, and was the only freshman in the meet to grab even one top-nine finish.
"It's really exciting to get to finals as a freshman, especially at SECs," Maillard said. "This is a really big college meet so it's great to be there competing against some people I have looked up to my whole life."
"To come in as a freshman and compete in two finals and ninth in a third event is a great accomplishment," diving coach Jeff Shaffer said. "It's a tough field and it shows what a bright future she has. Tonight wasn't her best effort but the two dives she missed were new dives that we haven't been doing all that long. The experience of being in that final in that environment as a freshman will help her in years to come."
The night ended with Auburn's 400 medley relay team of Joe Patching, Duderstadt, Luis Martinez and Peter Holoda taking third in the 400 medley relay in 3:05.34 while the women's quartet of Caroline Baddock, Lloyd, Haley Black and Julie Meynen took fifth in 3:34.72.
Martinez narrowly missed winning the 200 fly B Final, placing 10th, but did establish a new career best of 1:43.56, which makes him eighth-fastest in program history. He surpassed Andrew Mitchell (1:44.29/2008) and Andy Haidinyak (1:44.49/2003) in the process. Foster Ballard took 20th in a personal-best 1:44.82 and Liam McCloskey 22nd in 1:45.42, one one-hundredth of a second slower than his personal-best from prelims.
Aly Tetzloff, who shaved off .49 seconds to set a new personal-best of 53.80 during prelims, clocked a 53.85 to take 20th in the 100 back.
Kyle Darmody finished 10th (46.59) in the 100 back while teammate Petter Fredriksson won the C Final in 47.03, his second personal-best in the event on the day. Joshua Booth finished 19th in 47.94 and Taylor Copeland finished 22nd in 47.60.
Breanna Roman took 10th in the 100 breast in 1:00.84, a personal-best, and Brooke Malone took 21st in 1:02.23.
Maddie Cox, who was sixth on the 1-meter and seventh on the 3-meter, placed 15th with a personal-best 244.55.
In the team race, the men are third with 663.5 points. Florida leads with 929.5 points and Georgia is second with 788 points.
In the women's race, Auburn is fifth with 648 points, just behind third-place Tennessee (673 pts) and Kentucky (659 pts) and ahead of sixth-place Missouri (631 pts). Texas A&M leads all teams with 961 points.
Saturday's prelims session begins at 9 a.m. CT and will include the 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast and men's platform prelims.
Thursday Auburn Finishes & SEC Champion
Women's 200 Fly
1. Sarah Gibson (TAMU) 1:54.43 / 1:52.64
7. Bailey Nero 1:56.96 / 1:57.31
32. Haley Black 2:01.62
36. Maddie Martin 2:02.63
Men's 200 Fly
1. Pace Clark (UGA) 1:43.52 / 1:40.87
8. Hugo Morris 1:43.82 / 1:44.07
10. Luis Martinez 1:44.49 (PR) / 1:43.56 (PR)
20. Foster Ballard 1:45.30 (PR) / 1:44.82 (PR)
22. Liam McCloskey 1:45.41 (PR) / 1:45.42
28. Santiago Grassi 1:46.58 (PR)
38. Bryan Lee 1:52.38
Women's 100 Back
1. Olivia Smoliga 51.10 / 50.60
20. Aly Tetzloff 53.80 (PR) / 53.85
27. Caroline Baddock 54.53
36. Shannon McKernan 55.40
41. Robyn Clevenger 56.28 (PR)
Men's 100 Back
1. Connor Oslin (ALA) 45.29 / 44.73
10. Kyle Darmody 46.74 / 46.59
17. Petter Fredriksson 47.43 (PR) / 47.03 (PR)
19. Joshua Booth 47.45 / 47.94
22. Taylor Copeland 47.82 / 47.60
Women's 100 Breast
1. Jorie Caneta (TAMU) 59.78 / 59.49
8. Natasha Lloyd 1:00.30 / 1:00.48
10. Breanna Roman 1:00.95 (PR) / 1:00.84 (PR)
21. Brooke Malone 1:02.22 / 1:02.23
28. Kristen Murslack 1:03.16
Men's 100 Breast
1. Michael Duderstadt 52.46 / 51.50
26. Tommy Brewer 54.77
Women's Platform
1. Allyson Nied (SC) 297.50 / 325.90
8. Alison Maillard 268.20 (PR) / 244.20
15. Maddie Cox 244.55 (PR)
28. Miranda Telmanik 212.20
Women's Top-5 Team Scores
1. Texas A&M 961
2. Georgia 843
3. Tennessee 673
4. Kentucky 659
5. Auburn 648
Men's Top-5 Team Scores
1. Florida 929.5
2. Georgia 788
3. Auburn 663.5
4. Alabama 614
5. Texas A&M 549