AUBURN, Ala. — Freshman Daniel Krichevsky dialed up two of Auburn’s six wins on Friday as the Tigers’ effort came up short against Florida inside James E. Martin Aquatic Center. The men fell, 193.5-105, while the women lost, 179-119.
Relays have always been a strong focal point under head coach Ryan Wochomurka. Kicking off the 200 medley edition, Lora Komoroczy, Kiia Metsakonkola, Izzy Iwasyk and Elizaveta Klevanovich combined for a 1:36.61 and second place overall. Ivan Tarasov, Uros Zivanovic, Sohib Khaled and Kalle Makinen equaled the effort with a 1:23.53.
Sophomore Sammie Hamilton led the way in the distance events. Her 9:50.92 in the 1000 free was good enough for third place. Hamilton would vault her way up to second in the 500 free with a 4:48.05.
On the men’s side, Mack Schumann hit the wall fourth in both events with a 9:14.56 and 4:24.42, respectively.
After Wyllo Hanson secured a podium spot with a 1:47.05 and third place in the 200 free, it was Krichevsky who delivered Auburn’s first victory of the day. A 1:33.10 was more than enough to lock up the top spot.
Later in the afternoon, Krichevsky delivered his second win of the afternoon with a sturdy 42.37 in the 100 free.
While Lora Komoroczy didn’t punch a ticket to the winner’s circle in the 100 back, her 52.26 was strong enough for second overall.
Ivan Tarasov also collected silver in the 100 back. His 46.17 was narrowly ahead of teammate Sohib Khaled as the duo locked in a 2-3 finish.
Since his arrival on the Plains, Uros Zivanovic has been nothing but consistent in the 100 breast. A 52.70 on Friday gave Zivanovic another second-place finish.
When it came time for the 200 breast, freshman Maston Ballew continued his stellar swimming from the fall, sliding into the second place with a 1:55.15.
Wochomurka’s group flexed its muscles across the butterfly events. Carissa Rinard kicked things off in the 200 fly with a 1:59.14 and second place. Moments later, Abdalla Nasr came through with a victory on the men’s side, hitting the wall at 1:44.66.
Not to be left out, Morgan Cartaeux secured her first win of the season in the 100 fly, sliding in at 52.41.
No one has been as dominant as Klevanovich in the sprints, though. The Russian native claimed her fifth win of the season in the 50 free with a 22.09. Klevanovich would go on to grab second in the 100 free after a 49.13.
For the men, Kalle Makinen came home in second in the 50 free with a 19.57.
Friday’s medleys belonged to Zoey Zeller and veteran Danny Schmidt. The duo each took home silver medals after a 2:00.95 and 1:47.78, respectively.
Rounding out the day on the blocks, Klevanovich, Iwasyk, Wyllo Hanson and Isabella Ekk combined for the 3:17.46 in the 400 free relay and second place. Warner Russ, Luke Bedsole, Krichevsky and Makinen also captured second with a 2:51.45 on the men’s side.
In the diving well, John Fox’s group also dialed up some strong performances and none more impressive than Juliette Landi. The freshman conjured a second-place effort in the 1-meter with a 293.10. However, she saved her best for the 3-meter, securing her second win of the season with a 320.93.
Talan Blackmon and Ben Wilson delivered on the men’s side. Blackmon finished second in the 3-meter after a 370.80 and Wilson locked in third in the 1-meter with a 339.83.
Auburn will be back in the pool on Friday, Jan. 30 when the Orange and Blue take on rival Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The Tigers will be back on the Plains for the Auburn Invite, Feb. 6-7.