AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn continued its strong week at the SEC Championships on Friday, and though there were no podium finishes, the Tigers still had 14 finalists compete in the night session and numerous swimmers set lifetime bests.
"Good night overall for the Auburn Tigers," Auburn head coach Gary Taylor said. "I thought we had some really strong performance this evening."
The highlight on the swimming side came from Santiago Grassi and Christian Ginieczki, Auburn's two A-Final participants. It was the third straight night Grassi swam in an A-Final, and after winning silver with a lifetime best in the men's 100 buttterfly the night before, he finished with another lifetime best (1:42.85) to take sixth in the men's 200 butterfly.
For Ginieczki, his lifetime best in the men's 100 backstroke coming into the week was 47.67. The junior swam a 46.56 in Friday's finals to finish seventh overall in the conference.
The Auburn men, now with 586 points, moved up a spot to seventh place in the meet standings thanks in large part to the divers. All three divers qualified for finals where the Tigers finished fifth, sixth and eighth to bring in a total of 71 points toward the team score.
Junior Logan Andrews led the way with a career-high 363.10 to place fifth.
On the women's side, Auburn had five swimmers compete in Friday's finals. Through the first four days of the SEC meet, the Tigers are now in sixth with 560 points.
Gallery: (2/21/2020) SEC Swimming & Diving Championship Day 4
200 FLY
In what was the first swim of the night, Auburn senior Jaden Bellina swam her final race for the Tigers and finished with a season-best 1:59.29, just missing her career best, to secure fifth in the C-Final and place 21st overall. Freshman Averee Preble and junior Jewels Harris both swam in the B-Final and finished 14th and 16th respectively, earning 24 combined points. Preble's 1:57.81 was a lifetime best.
On the men's side, Grassi wasn't the only Tigers to swim a lifetime best. Sophomore Brogan Davis won the C-Final with a lifetime-best 1:45.63 to finish 17th overall.
100 BACK
At last year's SEC Championships, Auburn had just one swimmer make the men's 100 backstroke final. This year, with Ginieczki, freshman Lleyton Smith and senior David Crossland, the Tigers had three advance to the night session and earn points.
Ginieczki finished seventh out of the A-Final. Smith, who swam a lifetime best (46.95) in prelims, took third in the B-Final and 11th overall with a time of 47.04. Crossland was fifth in the C-Final to place 21st.
Junior Sonnele Oeztuerk, the lone swimmer on the women's side to make finals, finished 23rd with a time of 53.80 in the C-Final.
100 BREAST
Junior McAuley Parker dropped nearly a full second from her lifetime best in prelims, finishing in 1:01.17. She came back and swam a 1:01.23 to place third in the C-Final and 19th overall.
For the men, fellow junior Spencer Rowe also set a new lifetime best (53.40) in prelims and qualified for the C-Final where he finished second with a time of 53.42. He matched his best overall finish at the SEC Championships, coming in at No. 18.
MEN'S PLATFORM DIVING
It was a standout night for the divers with all three making finals. Sophomore Conner Pruitt had the group's top score in prelims with 359.10 points followed by freshman Skip Donald (309.95) and Andrews (294.60).
In the finals, it was Andrews who put in the top score, but Pruitt finished sixth with 350.75 points and Donald scored a career-best 313.95 points to place eighth.
400 MEDLEY RELAY
The women's 400 medley relay team won the first heat Friday night, and their B-cut time of 3:33.68 was good for seventh in the conference.
On the men's side, the Tigers also secured a B-cut time, finishing in 3:07.12 to take sixth. It was a season-best performance for Ginieczki, Rowe, Grassi and Christian Sztolcman.
"We had a lead in that first heat and were two tenths away from a fourth-place relay," Taylor said. "Ginieczki had another solid swim. Spencer Rowe gets up and puts in his best performance of the day. Santi Grassi, two tough 200 fly swims and then comes back in the relay and puts in a lifetime-best performance there. Christian Sztolcman comes back tonight and gets his lifetime-best relay performance by almost a full second.
"I can't ask for any more. I'm really proud of the guys. It sets them up well for Saturday."
STANDINGS
Women
1. Tennessee, 817
2. Florida, 720.5
3. Texas A&M, 713
4. Kentucky, 701.5
5. Georgia, 692
6. Auburn, 560
7. Alabama, 526
8. Missouri, 363
9. South Carolina, 352
10. LSU, 318
11. Arkansas, 299
12. Vanderbilt, 120
Men
1. Florida, 887.5
2. Texas A&M, 727
3. Georgia, 682.5
4. Missouri, 681.5
5. Alabama, 655.5
6. Tennessee, 615
7. Auburn, 586
8. Kentucky, 583
9. LSU, 418
10. South Carolina, 392