12 individual Tiger swimmers, two divers qualify for 2023 NCAA Men’s Championships

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The 2023 Men's Swimming and Diving Championships are right around the corner and NCAA announced Wednesday morning Auburn will be represented by 12 individual swimmers, double the amount from a season ago and the second-most amongst the Southeastern Conference.
 
Along with Conner Pruitt and Walker Creedon, who each solidified spots in their respective diving disciplines, a grand total of 14 Tigers will make the trek to Minneapolis at the end of the month.
 
Henry Bethel (100 breast), Michael Bonson (1650 free, 500 free), Grant Davis (1650 free), Kalle Makinen (50 free), Mason Mathias (1650 free, 500 free), Evan McInerny (200 fly), Reid Mikuta (200 IM, 100 breast, 200 breast), Jacques Rathle (400 IM), Danny Schmidt (400 IM), Aidan Stoffle (100 back, 200 back), Nate Stoffle (100 back, 200 back) and Logan Tirheimer (50 free) each earned a spot at the championships.
 
Head coach Ryan Wochomurka will also bring Mihalis Deliyiannis, Christian Sztolcman and Ryan Husband as relay alternates.
 
For Mikuta, Aidan Stoffle, Nate Stoffle, Bonson and Rathle, 2023 will mark their second trip to the NCAA Championships. Last season, the Tigers pieced together multiple point-scoring efforts including a pair of relays and a B final win from Mikuta in the 100 breast. In total, Auburn tallied 22 points and was 29th overall.
 
Mathias, Tirheimer, Davis, Bethel, Makinen McInerny and Schmidt have all qualified for the first time in their careers. Tirheimer made the trip to Atlanta in 2022 as a relay alternate.
 
Wochomurka's men are fresh off a momentum-building performance at the 2023 SEC Championships. A second-place finish that was highlighted by two school records on the men's side in the 800 free relay and 100 back earned the Orange and Blue its highest finish since 2016.  
 
The 2023 NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships are scheduled for March 22-25 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
 
INDIVIDUAL QUALIFIERS
Henry Bethel, Sophomore
Michael Bonson, Junior
Walker Creedon, Graduate (Diving)
Grant Davis, Sophomore
Kalle Makinen, Freshman
Mason Mathias, Sophomore
Evan McInerny, Junior
Reid Mikuta, Junior
Conner Pruitt, Graduate (Diving)
Jacques Rathle, Sophomore
Danny Schmidt, Freshman
Aidan Stoffle, Senior
Nate Stoffle, Sophomore
Logan Tirheimer, Junior
 
RELAY ALTERNATES
Mihalis Deliyiannis, Graduate
Christian Sztolcman, Senior
Ryan Husband, Junior