AUBURN, Ala. – Fresh off a second-place finish at the SEC Championships last month in College Station. Head coach Ryan Wochomurka and his men's squad are tuned and ready for another thrilling performance at the 2023 NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships.
The action begins on Wednesday, March 22 and runs through Saturday, March 25. Complete coverage of the championships can be found on ESPN+.
Henry Bethel, Michael Bonson, Grant Davis, Kalle Makinen, Mason Mathias, Evan McInerny, Reid Mikuta, Jacques Rathle, Danny Schmidt, Aidan Stoffle Nate Stoffle, Logan Tirheimer, Walker Creedon and Conner Pruitt each earned a spot to compete for a National Title in Minneapolis.
Wochomurka has also elected to bring Mihalis Deliyiannis, Ryan Husband and Christian Sztolcman as relay alternates.
NCAA QUALIFIER BREAKDOWN
Henry Bethel | So. | Dalton, Ga.
Bethel has been an expert in dropping time over the last couple of months on the Plains. Last month at the UGA last chance meet, the Georgia native clocked a personal best 51.87 in the 100 breast to earn a spot in Minneapolis. The sophomore is making his first appearance at NCAAs and is seeded 27th in the 100 breast, 41st in the 200 breast and 56th in the 200 IM.
Michael Bonson | Jr. | Slidell, La.
Last year at the NCAA Championships in Atlanta, Bonson went sub 15 minutes to finish 21st in the mile. In 2023, the junior's seed time is nearly six seconds faster as Bonson is seeded 27th in the 1650 and 18th in the 500. Bonson is also slated to compete in the 200 free where he's seeded 37th.
Grant Davis | So. | Woodstock, Ga.
Another member of Auburn's stout distance group, Davis pieced together a blistering mile time of 14:51.37 to earn a spot at the championships and is seeded 23rd. The Georgia native is also scheduled to compete in the 500 free where he's seeded 38th.
Kalle Makinen | Fr. | Espoo, Finland
One of two freshman phenoms who qualified for the NCAA Championships, Makinen has been one of Auburn's best sprinters all season long. The Finnish product is seeded 29th in the 50 free, 44th in the 100 free and is slated to compete in the 100 back where he is seeded 43rd.
Mason Mathias | So. | Leeds, Ala.
It's already been a record-breaking season for Mathias. The Alabama native knocked down the 1,000 free record in January, he was part of the 800 free relay team that broke the school record at the SEC Championships last month and now Mathias sets his sights on his first NCAAs. The sophomore is seeded 10th in the mile, 17th in the 500 free and 44th in the 200 free.
Evan McInerny | Jr. | Lawrenceville, Ga.
Junior Evan McInerny is making his first trek to the NCAA Championships. His 1:42.22 in the 200 fly earned the Georgia product the 19th seed this week. McInerny is also slated to compete in the 200 and 400 IM where is he seeded 65th and 41st, respectively.
Reid Mikuta | Jr. | Greensboro, N.C.
In 2022, Mikuta excelled in the biggest moments at the NCAA Championships. Then a sophomore, Mikuta smashed the 100 breast program record to earn ninth overall. The North Carolina native has since broken his mark again and enters the week seeded sixth in the 100 breast, 27th in the 200 and 26th in the 200 IM.
Jacques Rathle | So. | Thibodaux, La.
Rathle has made it 2-2 in qualifying for the NCAA Championships. Last season, his best finish came in the 400 IM when he hit the wall in 24th place. In 2023, the Louisiana native is seeded 21st in the same event. Rathle is also scheduled to compete in the 200 IM and the 200 breast and is seeded 42nd in both.
Danny Schmidt | Fr. | Magdeburg, Germany
The second of two freshmen to make NCAAs, Schmidt's 400 IM time of 3:42.99 was just enough to get him in the field. Schmidt is also slated to compete in the 200 fly and 200 IM where is seeded 35th and 46th, respectively.
Aidan Stoffle | Sr. | Lilburn, Ga.
A focal point of backstroke U, Aidan is seeded in the top-16 in both the 100 back (14) and 200 back (10). Last season in Atlanta, the Georgia native was part of two scoring efforts in the 100 back (15th) and the 400 medley relay (16th). Stoffle is also slated to compete in the 100 fly where is seeded 33rd.
Nate Stoffle | So. | Lilburn, Ga.
For the second time in as many seasons, Nate Stoffle has earned a place at the NCAA Championships. In 2022, he was just outside the top-16 in the 100 back, hitting the wall 18th. Stoffle also was part of both medley relay teams that picked up points. Nate already broke the 100 back program record at SECs and is seeded sixth this week. He's also seeded 18th in the 200 back and 39th in the 100 fly.
Logan Tirheimer | Jr. | Tampa, Fla.
Last season, Tirheimer was a relay alternate in Atlanta. This year, Tirheimer has been one of Auburn's best sprinters. A 19.05 in the 50 free earned the Tampa, Florida product the 14th seed this week. Tirheimer is also scheduled to compete in the 100 free and 100 fly where he is seeded 43rd and 44th, respectively.
Walker Creedon | Gr. | Cary, N.C.
After a clutch performance on the Platform at Zones, Creedon earned a spot at his third NCAA Championships. The North Carolina native's best finish came in 2019 when he grabbed 23rd on the tower.
Conner Pruitt | Gr. | Opelika, Ala.
For the second straight year, Pruitt will compete on both the 1-meter and 3-meter at the NCAA Championships. Last season in Atlanta, the Opelika native earned a spot in his first final, grabbing 15th on the 1-meter and 16th on the 3-meter. Pruitt has seven wins on the boards this season and glided into NCAAs after a solid performance at Zones.
NCAA TEAM HISTORY
The Auburn men won its first National Championship in 1997 under the direction of then head coach David Marsh. Fans of the Orange and Blue have watched the Tigers win seven more NCAA titles since then, including five in a row from 2003-07.
Last season, Wochomurka's delivered an immediate impact in his first year at the helm of the program. Auburn scored 22 points for 29th place, its first appearance on the scoreboard since 2019.
Both Wochomurka (2002-5) and assistant coach Gideon Louw (09-10) each helped the Tigers to a National Championship during their tenure on the Plains.
The full schedule of events for the 2023 NCAA Men's Swim and Dive Championships is below:
Wednesday, March 22
6 p.m. CT | Finals - 200 Medley Relay, 800 free relay
Thursday, March 23
10 a.m. CT | Prelims – 500 free, 200 IM, 50 free
6 p.m. CT | Finals – 500 free, 200 IM, 50 free, 200 free relay
Friday, March 24
10 a.m. CT | Prelims – 400 IM, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breast, 100 back
6 p.m. CT | Finals – 400 IM, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breast, 100 back, 400 medley relay
Saturday, March 25
10 a.m. CT | Prelims – 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, 200 fly
3:50 p.m. CT | Finals – 1650 free
6 p.m. CT | Finals – 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, 200 fly, 400 free relay
No. 8 Men look to rise to the occasion at the 2023 NCAA Championships
