March 12, 2018
AuburnTigers.com will post a short spotlight on each of our NCAA Championship participants leading up the the championships, which will be contested March 21-24 at the University of Minnesota's at Freeman Aquatic Center.
Name: Zach Apple
Class: Junior
2018 NCAA Championship Events: 50 free, 100 free, 200 free
Previous NCAA Appearances:
2017 (50 free/t-4th; 100 free/14th; 200 free/12th; 200 FR; 400 FR; 800 FR) 2016 (50 free/19th; 100 free/35th; 200 free/20th)
Auburn Rankings:
50 free - 7th - 18.93 ... Time was swam at the 2017 NCAA Championships and is tied for the 21st-fastest performance in school history ... Also swam an 18.97 at last year's national championships, becoming Auburn's first American-born swimmer to break the 19.00 second barrier ... 2018 qualifying time of 18.91 was set at the 2018 SEC Championships, leading off the DQ'd 200 FR.
100 free - 4th - 41.64 ... Time was swam leading off the 400 FR at the 2018 SEC Championships and is tied for the ninth-fastest performance in school history ... Makes him the fastest American-born sprinter in program history ... Also swam a 41.91 at 2018 SECs, which is the 19th-fastest performance in school history.
200 free - 1st - 1:32.92 ... Swam as the leadoff to the 800 FR at the 2018 SEC Championships ... Also swam the second and third-fastest 200 frees at the 2018 SECs and now holds five of the top six performances in program history.
Notable: SEC Champion in the 50 free ... Also took third in the 100 free and fourth in the 200 free at SECs ... Three-event winner at the South Carolina dual meet (50 free, 100 free, 200 free) ... Also won the 100 free at the Texas and Florida dual meets and the 200 free at the Tennessee & Wisconsin double dual meet, the Texas A&M and Texas dual meets ... Swam on four winning relays throught the regular season ... Swam on each of Auburn's top relays ... Also held a NCAA B cut in the 100 fly (47.65).