AUBURN, Ala. – The Auburn men take center stage in Atlanta this week at the NCAA Men's Championships. The Tigers, ranked No. 16 on the men's side, come into the meet with seven individual qualifiers – six swimmers and one diver.
For Auburn, this will be the first NCAAs experience for all six swimmers – juniors Lleyton Smith and Aidan Stoffle, sophomores Michael Bonson and Reid Mikuta, and freshmen Jacques Rathle and Nate Stoffle. Smith qualified for the NCAA Championships as a freshman in 2020, but the meet was canceled due to COVID-19.
Only Auburn's diver, Conner Pruitt, has competed at the NCAA meet. The senior dove all three events as a freshman in 2019. This year, he will compete on 1-meter and 3-meter. He was fourth on 3-meter at the SEC Championships last month.
Mikuta might be Auburn's best chance to earn All-American honors. The sophomore finished on podium in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke at SECs, and his best times this year, both program records, are among the top 15 nationally in each event.
Bonson (1650 free), Nate Stoffle (100 back) and Smith (200 back) also enter the NCAA Championships with top 20 times in at least one event.
Like the women, the Auburn men also have all five relays qualified after no relays qualified a year ago. Mikkel Gadgaard, Christian Sztolcman, Logan Tirheimer and Matthew Yish will join the other qualifiers as relay alternates at the meet.
First up will be the 200 medley relay and the 800 freestyle relay on Wednesday night. The first heat will begin at 5 p.m. CT. For the next three days of competition, prelims are at 9 a.m. CT and finals at 5 p.m. CT. Each session will be streamed live on ESPN3.
Wednesday, March 16
200 Medley Relay
800 Free Relay
Thursday, March 17
500 Free: Michael Bonson
200 IM: Reid Mikuta, Jacques Rathle
50 Free: Nate Stoffle
1-Meter: Conner Pruitt
200 Free Relay
Friday, March 18
400 IM: Jacques Rathle
100 Fly: Aidan Stoffle
200 Free: Michael Bonson
100 Breast: Reid Mikuta
100 Back: Lleyton Smith, Aidan Stoffle, Nate Stoffle
3-Meter: Conner Pruitt
400 Medley Relay
Saturday, March 19
1650 Free: Michael Bonson
200 Back: Lleyton Smith, Nate Stoffle
100 Free: Aidan Stoffle
200 Breast: Reid Mikuta, Jacques Rathle
400 Free Relay
Tigers gear up for NCAA Men’s S&D Championships
