AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn's men climbed up to second place in the team standings while the women remain fourth with one day to go at the SEC Championships inside the James E. Martin Aquatic Center.
A bronze medal from the men's 400 medley relay and sturdy swims up and down the roster put both the men and women in position for a strong showing when the dust settles on Saturday.
Fresh off a silver medal in the 100 fly, senior Meghan Lee jumped right into the A finals of the 200 on Friday with a 1:55.57 in prelims.
Lee would hit the wall sixth overall in finals.
Graduate Averee Preble showed her grit and determination, winning a swim-off to get into the C final.
Danny Schmidt produced his third top 10 swim of the meet in the men's 200 fly, jumping to seventh all-time with a 1:42.24 and solidifying a spot in the A final. Mason Mathias, Evan McInerny and Rusty Jerger all made it a crowded B final for Auburn. Meanwhile, Lucas Thomas locked in a spot in the C final.
The German international claimed eighth in finals. McInerny came home in 10th with Jerger right behind in 11th. Mathias would finish 14th.
Auburn's women's backstroke duo of Ellie Waldrep and Kensley Merritt each made their way into the evening's A final in the 100 back, both going sub-53 seconds. Kyla Maloney grabbed a spot in the C final.
Waldrep climbed up to sixth in the evening while Merritt claimed eighth overall.
Brothers Nate Stoffle and Aidan Stoffle were neck and neck in prelims. Nate qualified second overall with a 44.99. Aidan was close behind by just over a tenth of a second. It was Sohib Khaled, though, that turned heads in the morning, becoming the seventh-fastest performer to get a third tiger in the A final.
Nate couldn't quite find the sub-45 second mark but managed to hit the wall fifth to score important points on Friday. Aidan grabbed seventh and Sohib came in eighth.
Anastasia Makarova shaved over half a second off her best time this season in the 100 breast, hitting the wall eighth overall at 59.36.
Makarova nearly went below 59 seconds in finals to move all the way up to fifth in finals.
On the men's side, both Henry Bethel and Alejandro Flores rocketed up the all-time list. Bethel dropped a 51.51 to qualify as No. 3 overall and become the third-fastest performer in Auburn history. Flores, on the other hand, clocked a 52.17 for seventh in the morning session and the sixth spot on the Orange and Blue all-time list.
Bethel was leading the field at the halfway point but the Georgia native settled for fourth with a 51.67. Flores would finish seventh.
Nate Stoffle, Bethel, Khaled and Makinen finished off the evening with the sixth-fastest 400 medley relay in school history to win bronze.
On the women's side, Waldrep, Makarova, Lee and Polina Nevmovenko hit the wall sixth.
The Tiger diving crew didn't mess around on Platform. Hunter Kebler led the group with a 335.10 to make the A final in the evening. Kebler would take eighth in finals.
Whit Andrus took advantage of a consoles appearance. After a 297.25 in prelims, Andrus responded with a career-high 364.25 to finish 9th overall.
Talan Blackmon and Alex Just each scored at 18th and 19th place, respectively.
TEAM STANDINGS
MEN
1.Florida - 1198.5
2.Auburn - 837
3.Tennessee
4.Georgia - 791
5.Texas A&M – 757.5
6.LSU - 431
7.Missouri - 415
8.Alabama - 366
9.South Carolina - 324
10.Kentucky - 319
WOMEN
1.Florida – 1051.5
2.Tennessee – 837
3.Texas A&M – 664.5
4.Auburn – 625.5
5.Georgia - 617
6.Alabama - 473
7.South Carolina - 459
8. LSU - 392
9. Kentucky – 307
10.Missouri – 281.5
11.Arkansas – 260
12.Vanderbilt – 162
REMAINING SCHEDULE
Saturday, Feb. 24 (Women's Platform, 1650 free, 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, 400 FR)
9:30 a.m. CT - Prelims
11:30 a.m. CT - Diving prelims (Consolation finals immediately after)
2:30 p.m. CT - 1650 heats
5:30 p.m. CT – Finals
Tigers climb up team standings with one day to go at SEC Championships
