AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn swimming & diving earned three recognitions by the Southeastern Conference for its individual performances at the Georgia Tech dual meet tournament. Zoey Zeller was named the SEC Female Swimmer of the Week, Zetta Grace Bartee earned SEC Female Freshman Athlete of the Week, and Gabriel Machuco was dubbed the SEC Male Freshman Athlete of the Week.
Bartee made the biggest splash of the week, emerging into the Auburn record book with an outstanding performance in the 200 butterfly. Zeller added another time to the 200 breaststroke all-time performance sheet. Machuco continued his dominance in the 200 IM with a trio of victories in the event, and five overall for Auburn. All three Tigers played key roles in Auburn's championship run at the dual meet tournament, defeating George Washington, No. 20/-- Kentucky, and Georgia Tech en route to the tournament win.
Zeller, a senior from Gilroy, Calif., won both of her events in the championship-sealing dual meet against Georgia Tech to claim the SEC Female Swimmer of the Week. Zeller swam a personal-best 2:08.45 in the 200 breaststroke, the sixth-fastest time in Auburn history and bettering her own mark as the fourth-fastest Tiger ever in the event. Zeller's 2:08.45 finish ranks as the fifth-best time in the NCAA this season. Zeller also won the 200 IM against Georgia Tech with a 1:58.73 finish.
Zeller also shined in the 100 breaststroke, finishing second against Kentucky, touching the wall in 59.83, the 12th-fastest time in DI this season. The time just missed the Auburn top 25 performances sheet. Zeller's best 200 IM time of the week came against the Wildcats, finishing in 1:58.69, earning her second place in the event.
Bartee had a packed weekend, competing in nine total events across the Tigers' dual meet tournament championship. The freshman highlighted the week by entering the Auburn record book with a 1:55.63 victory in the 200 butterfly against Georgia Tech. The 1:55.63 mark made her the seventh-fastest performer in Auburn history with the 11th-fastest time overall in the event.
Bartee began her week with a 200 IM victory against George Washington, finishing in 2:01.18 for her first of three victories through the weekend. Bartee also helped lead Auburn to a 400 medley relay victory against Georgia Tech, swimming a 52.55 leg in the butterfly for the team's 3:34.64 finish. Bartee's best 200 IM finish of the weekend was a 2:00.19 fourth-place swim against Kentucky.
The Charlotte native also finished second in the 100 butterfly against Kentucky with a 52.66 finish, tied for the 18th-best time in NCAA DI this season.
Machuco won five events for the Tigers across the weekend, including a clean sweep of the 200 IM in all three dual meets. Machuco's fastest time in the 200 IM was a 1:43.74 victory against Kentucky. The 1:43.74 mark is his second-best of the season and would hold him as the second-fastest performer in the nation this season. Machuco also won the 200 IM against George Washington (1:47.15) and Georgia Tech (1:44.15).
A native of Guarulhos, Brazil, Machuco also won the 200 breaststroke against George Washington, with a 1:57.90 finish. His best time of the weekend in the 200 breaststroke was a 1:57.14 third-place finish against Georgia Tech. Machuco's other win from the week was a 400 freestyle relay victory in which he swam a 44.53 leg in the Tigers' 2:52.90 win. Machuco also swam a 43.14 leg as his relay finished second against Kentucky (2:52.05).
All three athletes are receiving SEC weekly honors for the first time in their careers.
Zeller, Bartee, and Machuco are all back in action on Friday, Oct. 23 at 4:30 p.m. CT for College Swimming League's match six. The Tigers will compete against Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama in Athens, Ga., fighting for a spot at the CSL Wild Card Match on Nov. 6 in Indianapolis. Friday's match can be streamed live on ESPN+.
—War Eagle—