Auburn vs. Arkansas
- January 9, 2024
- James E. Martin Aquatic Center, Auburn, AL
- SCY (25 yards)
- Results
- Final Scores:
- Auburn – 208
- Arkansas – 89
The #20 Auburn women hosted the Arkansas Razorbacks on Tuesday for an SEC dual. The Tigers captured every event in the pool, resulting in a decisive 119-point margin of victory.
Kicking things off for Auburn individually was graduate student Averee Preble, who took 1st in the 1000 with a time of 10:03.50. Preble completed her distance freestyle sweep with a later victory in the 500, where she stopped the clock at 4:57.18. Both of Preble’s wins were dominant, as she topped the field by 25 seconds in the 1000 and 13 seconds in the 500.
Another multi event winner for the Tigers was freshman Lawson Ficken. Ficken opened with a victory in the 100 free (50.39), then went on to win the 100 fly in 53.98. Her time in the 100 fly put her only a few tenths shy of the personal best she set at the Georgia Fall Invite in November.
Also contributing two individual wins for the Tigers was Meghan Lee. The senior recorded a time of 1:57.53 to win the 200 fly, then posted a 2:01.51 to take the 200 IM. While it was not a season best time, her performance in the 200 fly time marks the fastest she’s been in a dual meet so far this season.
Among the top scorers for the Razorbacks was Sydney Craft. Craft, a sophomore, was the runner-up finisher being Preble in both distance freestyle races with times of 10:28.09 and 5:10.39, respectively.
Arkansas senior Alessia Ferraguti was caught in a tight battle in the 100 breast with Auburn’s Stasya Makarova. Makarova ultimately got her hand on the wall 1st at 1:02.39, while Ferraguti was just 0.02 back at 1:02.41.
Diving was Arkansas’ strongest event group, as freshman Anna Arnautova swept the 1-meter and 3-meter events with scores of 323.25 and 298.80, respectively.
Other Event Winners:
- Auburn’s team of Lee, Makarova, Gibbons, and Mulvihill combined for a 1:39.53 in the 200 medley relay, putting them just a few tenths ahead of Auburn’s ‘B’ team.
- Auburn freshman Wyllo Hanson clocked a 1:49.03 to win the 200 free. Her teammate, Polina Nevmovenko joined her under the 1:50 barrier with a 1:49.95 for 2nd.
- Ellie Waldrep, a junior, led a 1-4 Auburn sweep in the 100 backstroke (54.68).
- Lexie Mulvihill was the only athlete in the 50 free to clear 23 seconds, as she stopped the clock at 22.95.
- Kensley Merritt secured the top spot in the 200 backstroke with a time of 2:00.35, topping the rest of the field by nearly a second.
- Brynn Curtis logged a time of 2:16.71 to capture the 200 breast.
- Auburn’s team of Ficken, Nevmovenko, Hanson, and Steckiel combined for a winning time of 3:21.62 to win the 400 freestyle relay.
Up next, Arkansas will host the the University of Arkansas-Little Rock, while Auburn will take on Alabama.
