Texas Women Open New Year with 3:15 400 Free Relay in Win Over Auburn

Texas @ Auburn

• Thursday, January 10th
• Martin Aquatics Center, Auburn, AL
• Short Course Yards
• Results

TEAM SCORES

WOMEN

1. Texas – 161
2. Auburn – 139

MEN

1. Texas – 164
2. Auburn – 131

Auburn played host to Texas in a dual meet on Thursday, January 10th, at Martin Aquatic Center. Texas pulled out somewhat comfortable victories in both meets, despite only winning a combined 17 of 32 events, although Texas’ men did swim exhibition (not for points) in the last two events. Daniel Krueger returned for Texas after missing the mid-season invite due to illness.

Aly Tetzloff came up big for Auburn, winning the 50 free and 100 fly, as well as providing a quick split on the 400 fre relay. Tetzloff roared to a 22.54 win in the 50, narrowly out-touching teammate Claire Fisch (22.57) for an Auburn 1-2 punch. The pair beat out Texas’ sprint group of Anelise Diener (22.85) and Grace Ariola (22.86). Tetzloff went on to win the 100 fly in 52.79. She was also 2nd in the 100 back (52.69), an event Julia Cook won in 52.55. Cook also took the 100 free with a time of 49.10.

The women’s 400 free relay was a stellar race for a dual meet. Texas got the better of Auburn, touching in 3:15.95 to Auburn’s 3:16.41, however, both times are very fast for a dual meet in early January. Texas was led off by Cook (49.51), and followed by Diener (48.66), Brooke Hansen (49.51), and Claire Adams (48.27). Auburn was led off by Tetzloff (49.66), and followed by Fisch (48.50), Robyn Clevenger (49.66), and Julie Meynan (48.59).

Evie Pfeifer put up a pair of wins in the 500 and 200 IM, posting times of 4:46.42 and 1:59.50 respectively.

Townley Haas swam a solid dual meet 200 free of 1:36.52, beating out Drew Kibler (1:36.99). Jake Sannem and Jeff Newkirk swam 200 free times of 1:37.34 and 1:38.30 for a 1-2-3-4 Texas finish, although Newkirk swam exhibition. John Shebat took the men’s 200 back, keeping Texas unbeaten in the 20 back in duals this season, by swimming a 1:44.91. Austin Katz was just behind Shebat, posting a 1:45.18. Shebat also went on to post the fastest time in the 200 IM (1:47.39), though he swam exhibition.

Santiago Grassi took the 100 fly decisively for Auburn, swimming a 47.47 to win by over a second.

PRESS RELEASE – TEXAS MEN:

AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 2 Texas Men’s Swimming and Diving team knocked off the Auburn Tigers at the Martin Aquatics Center on Thursday afternoon, 164-131.

Score
Texas 164, Auburn 131

Wins
1-meter diving – Jordan Windle (392.70)
200 medley relay – John Shebat, Charlie Scheinfeld, Jacob Huerta, Tate Jackson (1:27.94)
1000 free – Chris Yeager (9:08.19)
200 free – Townley Haas (1:36.52)
100 back – Ryan Harty (47.69)
100 breast – Charlie Scheinfeld (54.69)
200 fly – Sam Pomajevich (1:46.80)
200 back – John Shebat (1:44.91)
3-meter diving – Jordan Windle (436.88)

Meet Notes

• The Longhorns are now 17-13 against Auburn all-time in dual meets.
• Texas is 2-0 after today on the road and 3-0 against SEC-opponents.
• With John Shebat’s win in the 200 backstroke, UT has now won the event in every dual meet this season.
• This is the first time this year that a Texas diver has swept the springboard events this season.
• Townley Haas, the three-time defending NCAA champion in the 200 free, won the event for the second time this season.

PRESS RELEASE – TEXAS WOMEN:

AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 1 Texas Women’s Swimming and Diving team took eight of the final 12 events to comeback against No. 17 Auburn and grab a 161-139 win. The Longhorns have won 18-straight dual meets going back to the 2016-17 season.

Score
Texas 161, Auburn 139

Wins
100 back – Julia Cook (52.55)
200 fly – Remedy Rule (1:58.58)
1-meter diving – Meghan O’Brien (305.25)
100 free – Julia Cook (49.10)
200 back – Quinn Carrozza (1:55.24)
500 free – Evie Pfeifer (4:46.42)
200 IM – Evie Pfeifer (1:59.50)
400 free relay – Julia Cook, Anelise Diener, Brooke Hansen, Claire Adams (3:15.95)

Meet Notes

• All five wins this season have come against top-20 opponents.
• Texas is now 8-5 against the Tigers all-time in dual meets.
• The Longhorns have taken both the 100 and 200 backstroke in all four duals this season.
• Meghan O’Brien picked up her first win of the dual meet season.
• Sophomore Evie Pfeifer has won two events in the last two dual meets.

PRESS RELEASE – AUBURN:

AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn’s swimming and diving teams gave Texas all it could handle in a pair of dual meets on Thursday afternoon at the Martin Aquatics Center. The No. 17-ranked Auburn women’s team won eight events but fell to the top-ranked Longhorns, 161-139, while the unranked men were first to the wall in five races in a 164-131 loss to No. 2-ranked Texas.

WOMEN’S RECAP
Auburn came out of the gate fast, winning the women’s first diving competition as well as the first three races.

“We came out swinging,” Auburn head coach Gary Taylor said. “Our women did a fantastic job. Texas is number one in the country for a reason. They were fantastic and the meet came down to the end and I couldn’t be more prouder of the fight, energy and determination our women brought from start to finish.”

Erin Falconer led off the winning 200 medley relay (1:39.75) and took the top spot in the 200 free (1:46.36) just two events later, which bookended an Emily Hetzer win in the 1000 free (9:48.67), her sixth distance individual won of the season. Falconer added a second place finish in the 200 back (1:55.97) later in the meet.

Aly Tetzloff had a huge meet for Auburn, taking the top spot in the 50 free (22.54) as part of a 1-2 finish with Claire Fisch (22.57) and winning the 100 fly in 52.79. The senior’s biggest swim may have come in the 100 back, however, where she finished second with a lifetime-best 52.69.

“Aly’s performances were really out of this world,” Taylor said. “They were on a whole different level. We kept out of the relay up front and gave her three opportunities individually. She came out and hammers in the backstroke with a lifetime best, comes back in the 50 and goes 1-2 with Claire and then has her best performance of the season in the 100 fly. You really can’t ask for me.”

Carly Cummings continued her emergence in the breaststroke events, swimming on the winning medley relay as well as winning the 100 breast (1:02.16) and taking second behind teammate Val Tarazi (2:14.18) in the 200 (2:14.49). Tarazie was third in the 100 (1:03.17).

Senior Bailey Nero provided two runner-up finishes, touching second in the 200 fly in 1:59.31 and again in the 200 IM (1:59.74).

Fisch, who anchored the winning 200 medley relay, added a runner-up finish in the 100 free (49.18), while Hetzer was also the runner-up in the 500 free (4:46.92).

“Race after race it went Texas and then Auburn, then Texas and Texas and then Auburn and Auburn. It was very back-and-forth throughout,” Taylor said. “You saw great performances from our endurance athletes, middle distance and sprint. It was a team effort and it was a lot of fun.”

MEN’S RECAP
Liam McCloskey swept the sprint freestyle events and Santiago Grassi was a top-2 finisher in both butterfly events as Auburn battled the four-time defending NCAA Champions to the end.

“The challenge all year, regardless of outcome, regardless of where we are in the meet, you never quit, you never walk away,” Taylor said. “The character of this team has really come out the last couple of weeks and we I saw it all fall. I’m incredibly proud of their fight, their heart and their grit. They never give up and they never walk away. If that’s something you can say about a team, that’s something I can be proud to stand behind.”

McCloskey won the 50 free in 20.20 and the 100 free in 44.20 to earn his second and third individual wins of the season.

Grassi won the 100 fly (47.47) as part of a 1-2 finish with McCloskey (47.81) and also was second to the wall in the 200 fly (1:48.26).

Distance specialist Josh Dannhauser also had a pair of top-two finishes, touching second in both the 1000 free (9:15.23) and the 500 free (4:27.60).

Tommy Brewer closed out the individual wins by taking the top spot in the 200 breaststroke (2:01.09), pairing it with a second-place finish in the 100 breast (54.99).

DIVING RECAP
Alison Maillard and Conner Pruitt each collected a personal-best during a meet against one of the top diving programs in the country.

“It was a pretty solid day,” diving coach Jeff Shaffer said. “Texas has some outstanding divers and it was good for us to step up and compete against them.”

Maillard scored a 358.28 to easily win the 3-meter competition. That score bested her previous lifetime best of 345.10 by over 13 points, which was also her margin of victory in the competition.

“Kudos to Alison with her personal best on 3-meter,” Shaffer said. “She hit all three of her big dives and they are coming and that’s encouraging and exciting to see.”

Maillard also scored a 293.48 to finish fourth on the 1-meter.

Conner Pruitt’s 376.20 in his third-place finish on the 3-meter was also a lifetime best for the freshman, topping his previous best of 372.00. He also finished third on the 1-meter (311.40).

Logan Andrews added a Zone Diving Score with his fourth-place finish on the 3-meter (333.23) while also finishing fifth on the 1-meter (308.40).

“We give up a lot of DD on 1-meter (on the men’s side) doing back one-and-halves to our competitors back two-and-a-halves,” Shaffer said. “Conner was consistent and Logan had another Zone Qualifying Score, so that was positive. Conner came away with another personal best on the 3-meter and competes his reverse three-and-a-half again. If had been a little firmer on his kick-out he would have scored pretty well. Every time we step on the boards, whether it be practice or in a meet situation, we have an opportunity to learn and get better and I like where we are headed.”