AUBURN, Ala. – Head coach Ryan Wochomurka and Tigers welcome in 2023 with a high-powered SEC matchup on the cards. Auburn welcomes Texas A&M for a dual meet to kick off the new year on Wednesday.
The first diving event begins at 1 p.m. CT, while the swimming will kick off at 2 p.m. CT.
Wochomurka's crew enters Wednesday's meet ranked No. 9 on the men's side and No. 19 on the women's. It'll be a top-25 showdown for both as the Aggies bring the No. 8 men's team and No. 14 women's program.
For the men, the No. 9 ranking is Auburn's highest since 2017, and the No. 19 ranking on the women's side is the program's best since the final ranking of 2020. Both are the highest ranking since Wochomurka and his staff arrived on the Plains.
Auburn finished off an impressive fall campaign at the UGA Invite in Athens, GA, where the women took the crown in a highly-competitive meet and the men finished off a second-place finish with five NCAA A cuts.
In total, the Orange and Blue own 24 top-20 swims in all of Division I swimming. While Reid Mikuta has been a one-man wrecking ball in the breaststroke, the distance swimmers have been making a name of their own. Emily Hetzer, Lilly Byrne, Michael Bonson, Mason Mathias and Grant Davis have all put in impressive times this season.
Anastasia Makarova has looked to equal the efforts of Mikuta in the breaststroke. The Russian, native has already broken the school record in the 100 breast and is closing in on the 200.
Brothers Nate Stoffle and Aidan Stoffle continue to push each other in the backstroke events. The duo has each registered top-10 swims this season in both the 100 and 200 back.
Freshmen Kalle Makinen and Ainsley Jones have shown what firepower they are capable of already. Makinen's 50 and 100 free times have led the way for the Tigers while Jones has picked up two wins in the 200 breast.
Jeff Shaffer's diving squad has been equally impressive. Coming off a terrific finish in 2022, all seven Auburn Divers own zones scores in each of their disciplines. Conner Pruitt remains a force to be reckoned with on both the 1-meter and 3-meter, while Walker Creedon platform numbers are on the rise.
Ashlynn Sullivan, Gretchen Wensuc and Abigail Farrar have all collected personal bests this season.
Fans unable to make their way to James E. Martin Aquatic Center can stream the meet live on ESPN+.
Auburn Swim and Dive kicks off 2023 with SEC showdown against Texas A&M
