GREENSBORO, N.C. – In another opportunity to showcase their skills against some of the best swimmers around, Auburn did not disappoint at the 2022 Toyota US Open.
Five of head coach Ryan Wochomurka's crew hit standards for the Olympic Trials in 2024, an early indicator that the Orange and Blue will be well represented at the World's fastest meet.
On Thursday, the morning kicked off with Polina Nevmovenko qualifying for the C final of the 400 free with a 4:24.24. Kalle Makinen also made a C final in the 50 free with the freshman recording a 22.89.
Fellow Tiger Lexie Mulvihill has been dominating the sprints in the NCAA season and kept the momentum going in her first long course event since July. Her 25.87 in the 50 free narrowly missed the A final. Mulvihill would improve her time even further with a 25.68 in the final, marking the first Olympic Trials Cut for Auburn.
The night session was highlighted, though, by the men's 400 medley relay. Aidan Stoffle, Sohib Khaled Emam, Reid Mikuta and Kalle Makinen blitzed the field with a 3:40.72 for a first-place finish and a school record.
Stoffle's leadoff leg of 55.21 hit a second Olympic cut for the Tigers. The Lilburn, Georgia native took the momentum into Friday when he'd hit his second cut in the 100 fly with a 53.52.
Junior Abby Gibbons also made a B final in the 100 fly on Friday. Likewise, teammates Anastasia Makarova and Brynn Curtis solidified spots in the B final of the 100 breast. Meanwhile, Nevmovenko grabbed another C final in the 200 free.
Breaststroke king Reid Mikuta checked all the boxes in the prelims of the 100 breast. His 1:01.80 hit the Olympic Trials cut and guaranteed the junior a place in the A final. Mikuta would swim a tad faster in the final, hitting the wall at 1:00.96 for a third-place finish.
Stoffle and Andrew Simmons impressed in the 100 back. Stoffle secured fourth, swimming a 55.50, and Simmons did well to make the B final and put up a solid 56.41.
It was Simmons and Curtis who made the biggest splashes on the final day of action. Both made A final with Simmons continuing his crusade through the 200 back and Curtis in the 200 breast. The duo would also both hit Olympic Trials cuts in their respective events, marking the fourth and fifth Tigers to do so.
After a win in the 400 medley relay on Thursday, Auburn closed out the meet with another stellar performance in the 400 freestyle relay. Makinen, Stoffle, Simmons and Khaled dialed up a third-place effort with a 3:26.57, falling only to NSW Swim and Ireland.
Auburn alum Zane Grothe also had a good weekend in North Carolina. He grabbed fifth in the 800 free, fourth in the 400, second in the 200 and fourth in the 1,500. He'd hit standards in all four of the events.
UP NEXT
Wochomurka's swimmers get a break from competition until the new year when they return to action at home at the James E. Martin Aquatic Center for a duel with Texas A&M. The divers will get another shot at improving their scores before the holiday break at the Auburn Diving Invitational Dec. 17-20.