Feb. 18, 2017
One month ago, senior Ashley Neidigh was trying to win a single distance event over Florida for the first time in her career.
On Saturday, she topped the entire SEC, winning the 1650 freestyle.
Neidigh became Auburn's eighth SEC mile champion, cruising to 15:56.95 to win the race by 10 seconds over second place. She joins Maggie Bird (2008), Hayley Peirsol (2006, 2007), Adrienne Binder (200, 2005) and Liby Pruden (1984, 1985) as Auburn's SEC Champions in the mile and in the process became Auburn's first female individual SEC swimming champion since Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace won the 50 free in 2012.
"I came in knowing there was eight to ten girls that could win the event," Neidigh said. "I really wanted it and I went out there and got it for Auburn. It has been a goal of mine (to win an individual SEC title) since I was 16 so to get one my senior year is very exciting."
"It's amazing to see (Ashley's) transformation over four years," head coach Brett Hawke said. "She stuck with the process and has grown so much. To come out and perform like that as a senior is a testament to her and how hard she works."
While Neidigh was leading the charge for Auburn's women, a trio were grabbing top-four finishes for the men's team. Scott Lazeroff placed second on the platform, Joe Patching took third in the 200 backstroke and Michael Duderstadt was fourth in the 200 breaststroke.
Lazeroff, a sophomore, grabbed his second straight top-three finish on the platform, finishing second with a career-best 461.00. That came on the heels of his prelims performance in which he scored a 447.85, which at the time was a career-best.
"We all know that platform is Scott's love and he came this morning with focus and with the mission to make up for his springboard performance," diving coach Jeff Shaffer said. "Two lists, both were personal-bests, and I'm real proud of his performance tonight."
"Platform is where I am most confident and where I have the most fun," Lazeroff said. "I fought as hard as I could."
In his final SEC race, Patching brought home a bronze medal with a third-place showing in the 200 back in 1:40.46. Newcomer Petter Fredriksson, who raced to a 1:41.99 in the morning, took eighth (1:43.07). Joshua Booth (1:45.72) and Taylor Copeland (1:46.03) were 23rd and 24th, respectively.
Duderstadt became the second-fastest Auburn 200 breaststroker with a 1:53.22, which placed him fourth in a race in which first through fourth were separated by a second. Tommy Brewer, who set a personal-best in prelims, finished 14th in 1:57.12.
Auburn's men finished third in the team standings with 925.5 points, making it 25 consecutive top-three finishes in a row, the longest active streak in the conference.
"We are a proud, rich tradition at Auburn and we certainly never want that to end, but we are disappointed we are not on the top of the podium holding that trophy," Hawke said. "It fuels us every year that we are not there. We get hungrier and hungrier."
The Auburn women finished fifth with 849 points.
"I'm really happy with the way team fought from start to finish," Hawke said. "We always want to compete for championships. In the end we just ran out of numbers.
"I'm super proud of the way the team came together this year and I know we have more in us for NCAAs," Hawke said.
Florida won the men's event with 1271.5 points while Texas A&M grabbed the women's title with 1304 points.
In the remaining races:
- Peter Holoda and Zach Apple tied for fifth in the men's 100 free, both touching in 42.78. Kyle Darmody took 10th (43.32) and Ziv Kalontarov 19th (43.93).
- The Tigers had four women swim in the 100 free. Julie Meynen finished sixth in 48.65, Aly Tetzloff was 11th in 49.07, Allyx Purcell was 16th in 49.57 and Ashton Ellzey was 23rd in 50.13.
- Zoe Thatcher also had a top-eight showing in the mile, placing seventh 16:17.22.
- Senior Natasha Lloyd's final SEC Championship swim resulted in a 10th-place finish in the 200 breast, clocking a 2:10.33.
- Erin Falconer became the 10th-fastest performer in school history in the 200 back when she took 12th in 1:54.40, topping her previous personal-best set this morning by over a second. Caroline Baddock moved up from 24th after prelims to 18th with a finals time of 1:56.69.
- In his final SEC event, Alec Morris took 21st in the mile in 15:16.56.
- Pete Turnham placed 17th (301.85) and Justin Checchin 21st (269.35) on the platform.
- Both of Auburn's 400 free relays took third, with Tetzloff, Meynen, Purcell and Falconer touching in 3:14.84 and Apple, Holoda, Kalontarov and Darmody touching in 2:50.54.
Auburn's divers will compete next in the NCAA Zone Diving Championships, which will be held March 6-8 at Auburn. The NCAA Women's Championships will be March 15-18 in Indianapolis and the NCAA Men's Championships will be March 22-25, also in Indianapolis.
Saturday Auburn Finishes & SEC Champions
Women's 1650 Free
1. Ashley Neidigh 15:56.95
7. Zoe Thatcher 16:17.22
Men's 1650 Free
1. Akaram Mahmoud (SC) 14:38.91
21. Alec Morris 15:16.56
30. Bryan Lee 15:30.95
33. Russell Noletto 15:4.46
Women's 200 Back
1. Asia Seidt (Kentucky) 1:51.52 / 1:50.22
12. Erin Falconer 1:55.60 (PR) / 1:54.40
18. Caroline Baddock 1:57.69 / 1:56.69
44. Shannon McKernan 2:01.96
Men's 200 Back
1. Christopher Reid (ALA) 1:41.49 / 1:39.64
3. Joe Patching 1:41.04 / 1:40.46
8. Petter Fredriksson 1:41.99 (PR) / 1:43.07
23. Joshua Booth 1:44.37 (PR) / 1:45.72
24. Taylor Copeland 1:44.34 (PR) / 1:46.03
Women's 100 Free
1. Olivia Smoliga 47.74 / 47.37
6. Julie Meynen 48.51 / 48.65
11. Aly Tetzloff 49.22 / 49.07
16. Allyx Purcell 49.27 / 49.57
23. Ashton Ellzey 49.45 (PR) / 50.13
29. Robyn Clevenger 50.25
33. Jessica Merritt 50.35 (PR)
39. Haley Black 50.87 (PR)
54. Jacqueline Hippi 51.52
55. Maddie Martin 51.59
Men's 100 Free
1. Caeleb Dressel (UF) 41.51 / 41.24
t5. Peter Holoda 42.45 / 42.78
t5. Zach Apple 42.96 (PR) / 42.78 (PR)
10. Kyle Darmody 43.64 / 43.32
19. Ziv Kalontarov 43.76 (PR) / 43.93
39. Colin Bone 44.78
Women's 200 Breast
1. Sydney Pickrem 2:07.93 / 2:06.65
10. Natasha Lloyd 2:11.45 / 2:10.33
36. Breanna Roman 2:17.27
41. Brooke Malone 2:17.86
44. Kristen Murslack 2:20.57
Men's 200 Breast
1. Anton McKee (BAMA) 1:53.99 / 1:52.22
5. Michael Duderstadt 1:55.16 / 1:53.22 (PR)
14. Tommy Brewer 1:56.41 (PR) / 1:57.12
Men's Platform
1. Juan Hernandez (LSU) 460.95 / 496.55
2. Scott Lazeroff 447.85 (PR) / 461.00 (PR)
17 Pete Turnham 301.85
21. Justin Checchin 269.35 (PR)
Women's 400 Free Relay
1. Georgia (Smoliga, Burchill, Raab, Van Landeghem) 3:12.19
3. Auburn (Tetzloff, Meynen, Purcell, Falconer) 3:14.84
Men's 400 Free Relay
1. Florida (Rooney, Szaranek, Dressel, Switkowski) 2:47.09
3. Auburn (Apple, Holoda, Kalontarov, Darmody) 2:50.54
Women's Top-5 Team Finishes
1. Texas A&M 1304
2. Georgia 1113
3. Kentucky 938
4. Tennessee 855
5. Auburn 849
Men's Top-5 Team Finishes
1. Florida 1271.5
2. Georgia 985
3. Auburn 925.5
4. Alabama 897
5. Missouri 771