March 24, 2017
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -
032517 Saturday Prelims Heat Sheets
Friday night was a night for breaking records for Auburn at the 2017 Men's NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships.
Senior Joe Patching took down his 364-day old record in the 400 IM.
Sophomore Zach Apple knocked off Hugo Morris's two-year-old record in the 200 free.
And although he didn't overtake his own school record in the 100 breast, Michael Duderstadt earned All-America honors in the 100 breaststroke for the fourth time in four years, something that hadn't happened at Auburn in over a decade.
Yes, Friday night was a good night.
"We came in ready to race," Auburn head coach Brett Hawke said.
Patching shaved .60 seconds off of his previous best mark in the 400 IM to lower it to 3:41.19. Swimming in lane 1 of the consolation finals, he took home second in the race, which placed him 10th overall.
"This morning my time was alright but I knew I had a few things I wanted to improve upon," Patching said. "I had a different race strategy tonight. I just stayed relaxed a bit on my underwaters. Turning into the breaststroke leg I felt ten times better than I did this morning so I knew I could bring it home. Then to turn and see the record and then to celebrate it with the guys, that's always the best moment, regardless of the time."
With his 10th-place finish, Patching earned the program's highest finish in the event since previous school record holder Eric Shanteau took third in 2006. He also now owns seven of the top 11 400 IM times in school history.
"It's a grueling race," Patching said. "When you get it right it's really fun. When you do not, it is not so fun. Tonight was a fun one. There is a lot of strategy, lots of things you can change. It's always an exciting race."
"Huge school record for Patch," Hawke said. "I know it was his last 400 IM and he wanted to go out in style and he certainly did that."
Apple conquered the school record in the 200 free, knocking off Morris's old mark of 1:33.39 by .03 seconds to 1:33.36. Swimming in lane 6 of consolation finals, he finished fourth in the race, which was 12th overall.
"I was definitely feeling all the racing I was doing this morning. It hurt a little more than usual," Apple said. "I knew that I was going to be in a more competitive heat than I was this morning and I knew I had a chance to get the record. I was just trying to go out smooth and come home fast."
Apple has now been a part of two school records this week as he also swam the anchor leg of the school record-setting 800 free relay in a blistering 1:32.39. He then qualified this morning in the 200 free in 1:33.44, which was just .05 off the record.
Prior to the championships, Apple was the seventh-fastest performer in school history, but after Friday's swims he now owns two of the top three fastest performances in school history.
"It has been a whirlwind," Apple said. "I was feeling pretty good in practices before the meet and I knew I could have a good meet, but the results I've been getting has been crazy. It's been a fun meet and I look forward to the last day."
"Zach has been racing tough all meet," Hawke said. "For him to get the school record and be the fastest 200 freestyler in school history is pretty incredible."
Duderstadt missed his school record by .05 seconds in the 100 breaststroke in finishing fifth in 51.55. After swimming in the consolation finals each of the previous three years, he became Auburn's highest finisher in the event since Adam Klein also finished fifth in 2010.
"It was a real fast heat with an awesome group of guys to go up against," Duderstadt said. "That's the best way I could have pictured going out after four years. Finally making it into the A Final. It's been a long time coming but it was an awesome race and I'm happy with the way it turned out."
Duderstadt, who finished 10th in both 2014 and 2015 and 12th in 2016, also became Auburn's first four-time All-American in the 100 breaststroke since Mark Gangloff did the same from 2001-04.
Auburn ended the night with a 14th-place finish in the 200 medley with a time of 1:24.63.
Auburn enters the final day of the competition 11th in the team standings, 2.5 points out of the top 10.
"The good news is our best day is our last day," Hawke said. "I know the boys are ready to come in and get the job done in the morning."
Auburn is looking to extend its streak of consecutive top-10 finishes by one more, to 25, reaching back to 1993.
Saturday's prelims session begins at 9 a.m. and will include the 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, 200 fly, 400 free relay, platform diving and the 1650 free.
Auburn Friday Results & NCAA Champions
400 IM
1. Chase Kalisz (UGA) 3:37.18/3:33.42
10. Joe Patching 3:43.34/3:41.19 (AU Record)
100 Fly
1. Caeleb Dressel (FLA) 44.49/43.58
17. Luis Martinez 45.92
24. Liam McCloskey 46.16
29. Santiago Grassi 46.31
36. Foster Ballard 46.82
20 Free
1. Townley Haas (TEX) 1:31.97/1:30.65
12. Zach Apple 1:33.44/1:33.36 (AU Record)
100 Breast
1. Will Licon (TEX) 50.87/50.68
4. Michael Duderstadt 51.75
43. Tommy Brewer 53.61
100 Backstroke
1. Ryan Murphy (CAL) 44.78/43.99
17. Kyle Darmody 46.23
34. Petter Fredriksson 47.29
3-Meter Diving
1. Steele Johnson (PUR) 409.75/502.20
47. Scott Lazeroff 274.10
48. Pete Turnham 263.55
200 Medley Relay
1. Texas ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" (Shebat 20.84, Licon 22.91, Schooling 19.45, Ringgold 18.34) ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" 1:21.54
14. Auburn ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" (Darmody 21.75, Duderstadt 23.51, McCloskey 20.41, Holoda 18.96) ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" 1:24.63
Team Standings
1. Texas 391.5
2. California 253
3. Florida 224.5
4. NC State 196
5. Indiana 189.5
11. Auburn 100.5