GREENSBORO, N.C. – It was a full day for the Auburn women Thursday as seven of the team's eight swimmers at the NCAA Championships were in action on the third day of competition.
Carly Cummings, Emily Hetzer, Hannah Ownbey and Devan Sweeney all placed top 30 in their respective events, and Cummings and Hetzer set new lifetime bests – Cummings in the 100 breaststroke and Hetzer in the 500 freestyle.
"I think all in all we had a better morning today," Auburn head coach Gary Taylor said. "I thought that we learned and were maybe better prepared. We had a better team environment and feel this morning, too, just having everybody at the pool and on the deck."
DAY 3 HIGHLIGHTS
Ownbey and Sweeney started off the morning finishing 23rd and 29th respectively in the 400 IM. Ownbey, who swam it in 4:11.95, was Auburn's top finisher of the day. Fellow freshman Colby Hurt made her NCAA Championship debut in the event and placed 38th overall.
Next up was senior Jewels Harris who swam for the final time in her Auburn career. Harris, an A-Final competitor at SECs, finished tied for 39th with a time of 53.33 on Thursday.
"I thought she put in good effort, good energy, good passion," Taylor said. "I know she wanted a little bit more from that, but at the same time, she bleeds orange and blue. I'm really proud of her effort during a senior year that obviously everybody would like to have seen be a little less tumultuous based on COVID and everything we've gone through. But I'm really proud of her efforts and the way she represented Auburn."
In the 500 freestyle, Hetzer won her heat with a new lifetime-best time of 1:46.37. The junior, who will compete again Saturday in the 1650 freestyle, finished 24th in prelims.
Cummings and freshman Brynn Curtis closed out the morning with the 100 breaststroke. Cummings' time of 1:00.15 was not only a lifetime best, it also moved her into 10th place all-time in Auburn history. Curtis, making her NCAA debut, finished 46th. Both swimmers will return Saturday to take part in the 200 breaststroke.
QUOTABLE
Head coach Gary Taylor
On looking ahead to Saturday's events…
"I think as we prepare for tomorrow, we've got some opportunities in the 200 breaststroke. All three of those women had some good performances today, and I think that bodes well as they look toward tomorrow with some confidence. And then we have the two milers tomorrow afternoon in Avery and Emily. Emily is coming off a good swim today in the 200 freestyle, and I think Averee is going to be zoned in and ready to go as well."
UP NEXT
The Tigers will wrap up the NCAA Women's Championships on Saturday with Cummings, Curtis and Ownbey in the 200 breaststroke and Hetzer and Averee Preble in the 1650 freestyle. Prelims are slated for 9 a.m. CT with finals at 5 p.m. CT.
Auburn women show solid effort on Day 3 of NCAAs
