March 15, 2018
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Aly Tetzloff's incredible junior season added another chapter on Thursday night when she finished sixth in the 50 free and anchored the school record-setting 400 medley relay at the 2018 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships at Ohio State.
Tetzloff, from Crown Point, Ind., blistered a personal-best 21.77 from lane 1 to tie for sixth with Virginia's Caitlin Cooper in the 50 free championship final. She had entered the finals seeded seventh after a 21.85 swim in the morning.
"I wanted redemption from last night's 800 free relay and this morning's 200 free relay," Tetzloff said. "I knew I had more in me so going into prelims this morning, I knew I wanted to make it back. I didn't care what place, I just wanted to make it back and get the points. At this meet you need to believe in yourself and know that you did the work to get here."
Tetzloff's finish made her Auburn's first All-American in the event since Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace took third in 2012 with a time of 21.65. It also gives Tetzloff the 11th, 13th, 14th and 15th-fastest 50 free times in school history, all of which have been set in the past month.
"We knew coming in we were going to rely on Aly heavily and she was going to race a lot," Auburn head coach Brett Hawke said. "She was phenomenal against a world-class field and she is just finishing off her season the way she started."
Stanford's Simone Manual won in 21.18.
An hour later, Tetzloff was standing on the blocks watching as teammates Erin Falconer, Breanna Roman and Haley Black raced to a sizeable lead in the 400 medley relay.
Falconer, a junior, led off in 52.42, her third-fastest 100 backstroke ever, to put Auburn in fourth at the first exchange. Roman, a senior, moved the team up a spot into third with a 59.25 breaststroke leg before giving way to Black.
Black, also senior, put a charge into the crowd with a 50.73 fly leg, which moved the quartet into first with the 100 free remaining.
"This morning I had a hard time finishing the race so tonight I just relaxed, but it definitely hurt" Black said.
"Haley can swim some butterfly and that's going to give her a lot of confidence and relax her a lot," Hawke said. "We needed all four splits to be great and that's what they were tonight."
That's when Tetzloff took over, going 47.43 to take the top spot in the consolation finals at 3:29.83 and break the school record of 3:30.32 set by Emily Bos, Lauren Norberg, Oliva Scott and Vanderpool-Wallace at the 2012 NCAA Championships.
"That was a very upperclassmen-heavy relay and it just felt good to finally get a relay record," Tetzloff said. "Since I've been here I've never seen one happen. To be a part of it, I'm really happy about that."
"Any time you can break one of Auburn's school records you know you've put together a really great swim," Hawke said. "It wasn't our strongest looking relay at the start of the year and to come out and perform the way they did is really outstanding."
1-Meter Springboard
Alison Maillard finished 19th with a 282.90, which was just 2.55 points out of the top 16.
"Alison was solid," diving coach Jeff Shaffer said. "I'm proud of her effort. It was a tightly judged contest with a lot of talented divers. It's frustrating when you miss a second contest by less than three points. Any one dive with a cleaner entry and she would have been in contention for a final. We'll regroup, learn from today's experience and come back stronger tomorrow."
Championships Overview
In the team standings, Auburn stands in 14th place with 34.5 points. Stanford, which has won each of the first six swimming events, is in first with 211 points.
The competition continues on Friday at 8 a.m. CT with prelims of the 400 IM, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breast, 100 back, 200 medley relay and 3-meter springboard. Live stats and video is available on ohiostatebuckeyes.com.
2018 NCAA S&D Championships
NCAA Champions & Auburn Finishes
200 Freestyle Relay
1. Stanford -- 1:25.43 (Hu -- 21.65, Manuel -- 20.89, Pitzer -- 21.62, Howe -- 21.27)
22. Auburn -- 1:29.52 (Tetzloff -- 22.16, Meynen -- 22.40, Ellzey -- 22.36, Clevenger -- 22.60)
500 Freestyle
1. Katie Ledecky (STAN) -- 4:29.73/4:26.57
X. Sonnele Oeztuerk - SCR
200 IM
1. Ella Eastin (STAN) -- 1:53.74/1:50.67
43. Bailey Nero -- 1:58.60
50 Freestyle
1. Simone Manuel (STAN) -- 21.60/21.18
T6. Aly Tetzloff -- 21.85/21.77 (PR)
25. Ashton Ellzey -- 22.42
1-Meter Springboard
1. Sarah Bacon (MINN) 339.75/343.50
19. Alison Maillard -- 282.90
400 Medley Relay
1. Stanford -- 3:25.09 (Howe -- 50.34, Williams 58.59, Hu -- 50.36, Manuel -- 45.80)
12. Auburn -- 3:29.83 (Falconer - 52.42, Roman -- 59.25, Black -- 50.73, Tetzloff -- 47.43)
Team Standings
1. Stanford -- 211
2. California - 147
3. Texas - 109
4. Tennessee -- 108.5
5. Michigan - 101
14. Auburn -- 34.5