CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Impressive times and scores from the Auburn Tigers lit up the leaderboard inside Koury Natatorium on Friday afternoon. The Orange and Blue women earned their second dual win of the season, 154-146, over North Carolina while the men dropped their bout, 169-131.
Wins came early and often for the women’s team. Before anyone stepped on the blocks, it was Kyleigh Kidd who put the first points on the board for the Tigers in the 3-meter diving competition. Her 298.28 edged out UNC for first while teammate Abigail Farrar locked in third place with a 289.88.
Ethan Swart equaled Kidd’s effort on the 1-meter. His 324.68 was more than enough for the win. Meanwhile, Whit Andrus (308.78) and Talan Blackmon (307.20) took third and fourth, respectively.
The Orange and Blue quartet of Lora Komoroczy, Anastasia Makarova, Abby Gibbons and Lexie Mulvihill kept the momentum going in the 200 medley relay. Their 1:36.01 goes down as the fifth-fastest relay in program history and put a second-straight win on the board for the Tigers.
On the men’s side, Nate Stoffle, Henry Bethel, Logan Tirheimer and Kalle Makinen slid into second with a 1:25.28.
Freshman Julia Strojnowska outpaced everyone in the 1000 free. Her 9:47.98 earned the win by nearly five seconds and jumped the rookie into ninth all-time in school history. The Canadian made it a sweep in the distance events, dropping a 4:45.70 in the 500 to pick up her second win of the day.
There was little doubt that Mason Mathias wasn’t going to outrace everyone in the men’s 1000 free. The Auburn record holder pieced together a 9:07.32 for first with fellow Tiger Grant Davis right behind him at 9:08.23. Mathias would snag a silver in the 500 later in the afternoon with a 4:22.81.
In the 200 free, it was Polina Nevmovneko snagging silver on the women’s side with a 1:45.62. Ryan Husband hit wall third with a 1:36.06 on the men’s side.
Hungary native Lora Komoroczy has been nothing short of stellar early in her Auburn career. A 51.83 in the 100 back not only earned the freshman the win but jumped her to eighth all-time in program history. She would stay hot in the 100 fly, outracing everyone with a 52.50 to win her third race of the afternoon. Gibbons would hit the wall third in the same race at 53.59.
Keeping the backstroke unit on top, Nate Stoffle hit the wall at 46.01 to earn his first win of the day. The Georgia native would make it 2-2 when the 200 back came around, blowing out the competition with a 1:41.94.
Makarova dropped a season-best 59.81 in the 100 breast to earn second. Audrey Crawford slid into fourth at 1:01.95. Crawford, the freshman from Fishers, Indiana jumped to No. 10 all-time at Auburn in 200 breast with a 2:10.85. She would return in 200 IM to finish second with a 2:00.20.
Head coach Ryan Wochomurka’s freshmen continued their impressive showing in the 200 fly. Taylor Grimley led the way for Auburn to slide into third with a 1:58.97. Gibbons was right behind at 1:59.81.
Danny Schmidt almost ran down the Tar Heels on the men’s side, touching in second at 1:44.59.
All Mulvihill has done this season is win the 50 free. A season-best 22.28 gave the senior her second victory of the season. Sophomore Lawson Ficken finished third at 22.73.
Makinen, like Mulvihill, has a taste for first place in 2024. His 19.34 was also a season-best and another victory for the young man from Finland. Logan Tirheimer glided into third with his first sub-20 second race of the year at 19.91. Makinen would return in the 100 free to dial up another season-best (43.01) to grab his second win of the afternoon.
Back in the diving well, Swart capitalized for his second victory of the afternoon. The Indiana native scored a 380.55 on the 3-meter to earn the win. Andrus finished second at 333.38. On the women’s side, Kidd grabbed third on the 1-meter with a 261.00. Farrar would finish 4th.
Maggie McGuire led the way in the 200 back for the Tigers, recording at 1:56.88 and second place. Ellie Waldrep was right behind in third at 1:57.13.
Needing a victory in the 400 free relay to wrap up the dual win, Nevmovenko, Klevanovich, Kate Murray and Mulvihill delivered. Their 3:14.61 was more than enough to return home to the Plains with a second dual victory of the season for the Tigers.
Makinen, Husband, Tirheimer and Jazdauskas closed out the day with a second-place finish in the 400 free relay with a 2:54.41.