AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn's swimming and diving teams gave Texas all it could handle in a pair of dual meets on Thursday afternoon at the Martin Aquatics Center. The No. 17-ranked Auburn women's team won eight events but fell to the top-ranked Longhorns, 161-139, while the unranked men were first to the wall in five races in a 164-131 loss to No. 2-ranked Texas.
WOMEN'S RECAP
Auburn came out of the gate fast, winning the women's first diving competition as well as the first three races.
"We came out swinging," Auburn head coach Gary Taylor said. "Our women did a fantastic job. Texas is number one in the country for a reason. They were fantastic and the meet came down to the end and I couldn't be more prouder of the fight, energy and determination our women brought from start to finish."
Erin Falconer led off the winning 200 medley relay (1:39.75) and took the top spot in the 200 free (1:46.36) just two events later, which bookended an Emily Hetzer win in the 1000 free (9:48.67), her sixth distance individual won of the season. Falconer added a second place finish in the 200 back (1:55.97) later in the meet.
Aly Tetzloff had a huge meet for Auburn, taking the top spot in the 50 free (22.54) as part of a 1-2 finish with Claire Fisch (22.57) and winning the 100 fly in 52.79. The senior's biggest swim may have come in the 100 back, however, where she finished second with a lifetime-best 52.69.
"Aly's performances were really out of this world," Taylor said. "They were on a whole different level. We kept out of the relay up front and gave her three opportunities individually. She came out and hammers in the backstroke with a lifetime best, comes back in the 50 and goes 1-2 with Claire and then has her best performance of the season in the 100 fly. You really can't ask for me."
Carly Cummings continued her emergence in the breaststroke events, swimming on the winning medley relay as well as winning the 100 breast (1:02.16) and taking second behind teammate Val Tarazi (2:14.18) in the 200 (2:14.49). Tarazie was third in the 100 (1:03.17).
Senior Bailey Nero provided two runner-up finishes, touching second in the 200 fly in 1:59.31 and again in the 200 IM (1:59.74).
Fisch, who anchored the winning 200 medley relay, added a runner-up finish in the 100 free (49.18), while Hetzer was also the runner-up in the 500 free (4:46.92).
"Race after race it went Texas and then Auburn, then Texas and Texas and then Auburn and Auburn. It was very back-and-forth throughout," Taylor said. "You saw great performances from our endurance athletes, middle distance and sprint. It was a team effort and it was a lot of fun."
MEN'S RECAP
Liam McCloskey swept the sprint freestyle events and Santiago Grassi was a top-2 finisher in both butterfly events as Auburn battled the four-time defending NCAA Champions to the end.
"The challenge all year, regardless of outcome, regardless of where we are in the meet, you never quit, you never walk away," Taylor said. "The character of this team has really come out the last couple of weeks and we I saw it all fall. I'm incredibly proud of their fight, their heart and their grit. They never give up and they never walk away. If that's something you can say about a team, that's something I can be proud to stand behind."
McCloskey won the 50 free in 20.20 and the 100 free in 44.20 to earn his second and third individual wins of the season.
Grassi won the 100 fly (47.47) as part of a 1-2 finish with McCloskey (47.81) and also was second to the wall in the 200 fly (1:48.26).
Distance specialist Josh Dannhauser also had a pair of top-two finishes, touching second in both the 1000 free (9:15.23) and the 500 free (4:27.60).
Tommy Brewer closed out the individual wins by taking the top spot in the 200 breaststroke (2:01.09), pairing it with a second-place finish in the 100 breast (54.99).
DIVING RECAP
Alison Maillard and Conner Pruitt each collected a personal-best during a meet against one of the top diving programs in the country.
"It was a pretty solid day," diving coach Jeff Shaffer said. "Texas has some outstanding divers and it was good for us to step up and compete against them."
Maillard scored a 358.28 to easily win the 3-meter competition. That score bested her previous lifetime best of 345.10 by over 13 points, which was also her margin of victory in the competition.
"Kudos to Alison with her personal best on 3-meter," Shaffer said. "She hit all three of her big dives and they are coming and that's encouraging and exciting to see."
Maillard also scored a 293.48 to finish fourth on the 1-meter.
Conner Pruitt's 376.20 in his third-place finish on the 3-meter was also a lifetime best for the freshman, topping his previous best of 372.00. He also finished third on the 1-meter (311.40).
Logan Andrews added a Zone Diving Score with his fourth-place finish on the 3-meter (333.23) while also finishing fifth on the 1-meter (308.40).
"We give up a lot of DD on 1-meter (on the men's side) doing back one-and-halves to our competitors back two-and-a-halves," Shaffer said. "Conner was consistent and Logan had another Zone Qualifying Score, so that was positive. Conner came away with another personal best on the 3-meter and competes his reverse three-and-a-half again. If had been a little firmer on his kick-out he would have scored pretty well. Every time we step on the boards, whether it be practice or in a meet situation, we have an opportunity to learn and get better and I like where we are headed."
WHAT'S NEXT
Auburn will compete in its final dual meet of the season on Saturday, Jan. 26, when it plays host to Florida at the Martin Aquatics Center. The meet begins at 11 a.m. and admission is free.
-- War Eagle –
Tigers give Texas all it can handle in pair of narrow defeats
