AUBURN, Ala. – The SEC Swimming and Diving Championships began Wednesday night with three events split between the SEC Women's Championships in Athens, Georgia, and the SEC Diving Championships in Columbia, Missouri.
For Auburn, there were positives to take away from both meets.
The highlight came of the night came from the diving side where freshman Maia Goldstein placed fifth in the women's 1-meter with a new personal-best 289.10 points.
At the women's meet, a DQ marred a strong performance in the 200 medley relay, but the Tigers bounced back and capped the night with a seventh-place finish in the 800 freestyle relay.
DAY 1 HIGHLIGHTS
Prior to the SEC Championships, Maia Goldstein had only earned a Zone qualifying score once on 1-meter. She did it twice Tuesday with 279.85 points to finish seventh in prelims and then a new personal-best 289.10 points in the finals where she placed fifth.
"Obviously, the diver of the day was Maia Goldstein," Auburn head diving coach Jeff Shaffer said. "As a freshman, her first SEC contest, and she just dives very consistent with two personal bests."
In Athens, both women's relays produced multiple lifetime-best splits.
It was a brand new 800 freestyle relay team, and the group responded with Auburn's fastest time of the season in the event, finishing in 7:07.51.
Junior Emily Hetzer led off with a lifetime-best 200 freestyle time (1:46.61), and Kensley Merritt, Claudia Thamm and Hannah Ownbey followed with lifetime-best splits of their own. Merritt and Owbey, two freshmen, were swimming at SECs for the first time.
After a quick start from Jewels Harris and Carly Cummings in the 200 medley relay, freshmen Abby Gibbons and Emma Steckiel swam lifetime-best splits on the back end.
QUOTEABLE
Head coach Gary Taylor
On 800 free relay…
"I thought they stepped up and did a solid job for us. Emily Hetzer led off with a lifetime best. Kensley Merritt, lifetime-best 200 free split for her. Claudia Thamm, another good swim as well. That was a lifetime-best swim on her end. And same with Hannah Ownbey. Some really good things, some positive things to take away from that."
On 200 medley relay…
"We got good performances out in front from Jewels and Carly. We had the two freshmen on the back end. Abby Gibbons has a lifetime best split, and then Emma Steckiel – a lifetime-best split for her at 22.0. Following the relay, I was obviously disappointed and saddened by the DQ. At the same time, I saw our women show a lot of strength and resiliency."
Head diving coach Jeff Shaffer
On Maia Goldstein's performance…
"She just did what I've been asking them to do. Just stay within yourself and trust the process. The prelims, I think her list was really set up by her second-round dive, a front two-and-a-half pike where she got 57.2 points. It really set her up to finish the contest strong and snag a spot in the finals. I'm just proud of her."
UP NEXT
At the SEC Women's Championships, Thursday marks the first full day of competition with prelims for the 500 freestyle, 200 IM and 50 freestyle beginning at 9 a.m. CT. The finals, which include those events as well as the 200 freestyle relay, will start at 4 p.m. CT.
At the diving meet, prelims for the women's 3-meter will get underway at 11 a.m. CT, and then the men will make their SECs debut on 1-meter with prelims at 3 p.m. CT.
Tigers wrap up Day 1 at SEC S&D Championships
