Alabama Women Beat Auburn for the First Time Since 1996

AUBURN VS. ALABAMA

• Results
• Hosted by Auburn
• Friday, October 27th
• 25 Yards
• Dual Meet Format

FINAL TEAM SCORES:

This week in college swimming brought a highly anticipated SEC and in-state rivalry meet between the Auburn Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide. On Friday, the Tide traveled to Auburn for dual meet action. The women were victorious, giving them their first dual meet victory over Auburn since 1996. On the men’s side, however, Auburn prevailed.

• MEN: Auburn 167.5, Alabama 132.5
• WOMEN: Alabama 167, Auburn 131

Senior captain Mia Nonnenberg, an All-American IM and distance freestyler, helped lead the Tide to their first victory against the Tigers in over 20 years with her individual performances in the 1000 free and 400 IM. In the 1000, she got them off to a good start to the meet, posting a 10:01.78 to lead a 1-2 finish with teammate Alexis Preski (10:03.40). She closed the session with a 4:13.23 in the 400 IM, finishing nearly 5 seconds ahead of the field.

Justine Macfarlane and Flora Molnar were also multiple individual event winners for Bama. Macfarlane popped off a 1:01.72 to win the 100 breast. She completed the breaststroke sweep in the 200 breast, leading from start to finish in 2:13.48. Freshman Molnar rocked a 22.41 in the 50 free to out-touch teammate Bailey Scott (22.61). She then went up against Auburn’s Aly Tetzloff (53.02) in the 100 fly, coming from behind to win by a fingernail in 53.00.

Among the event winners for Auburn were All-Americans Tetzloff and Julie Meynen. In the 100 back, Tetzloff was dominant, flipping in 25.79 en route to her winning time of 53.28. Meynen, on the other hand, took control of the 100 free, She was the only swimmer to break 50 seconds, touching in 49.92 ahead of Bama’s Temarie Tomley (50.42).

Freshman star Hugo Gonzalez, a Spanish Olympian, helped the Tigers to their win on the men’s side. Gonzalez went up against the reigning SEC champion, Alabama’s Christopher Reid, in the 200 back. They were tied at the 100, then Reid moved slightly ahead on the 3rd 50. Gonzalez answered back with a 25.68 across the final 50, winning in 1:44.41 to Reid’s 1:44.79. Gonzalez then went on to win the 400 IM, dominating by over 8 seconds in 3:51.24.

Teammate Luis Martinez contributed a pair of wins for the Tigers with his butterfly sweep. In the 200 fly, he trailed Alabama’s Will Freeman by half a second with 50 yards to go, but stayed steady coming home in 27.08 while Freeman faded. Martinez hit the wall in 1:46.61, followed by Freeman in 1:48.26. He returned for the 100 fly, running down Bama’s Laurent Bams (47.01) and Luke Kaliszak (47.16). Bams had the edge halfway through in 21.71, but Martinez pulled even going into the finish. They were separated by just a hundredth at the touch, with Martinez getting his hands there first in 47.00.

Alabama’s Kaliszak had impressive performances, starting with a blistering 21.19 50 back split on the Tide’s winning 200 medley relay. Later in the meet, he put up a season best 46.58 to dominate the 100 back. That’s the 3rd fastest time in the NCAA this season and the fastest time outside of the USA Swimming vs. College Challenge.

U.S. Open champ Robert Howard picked up a pair of wins for the Tide. He outpaced Auburn freestyle standout Zach Apple (1:37.81) in the 200 free, leading from start to finish in 1:36.93. Howard followed that up with a close win in the 100 free, out-touching Auburn’s Peter Holoda 43.36 to 43.42. That time for Howard was 6 tenths shy of his best.

PRESS RELEASE – AUBURN:

In a battle of top-20 squads, Auburn’s No. 9-ranked men’s swimming and diving team knocked off No. 16 Alabama, 167.5-132.5, on Friday at the Martin Aquatics Center.

“I thought the whole men’s team stood up as a unit,” Auburn head coach Brett Hawke said. “I know there was some individual highlights but the way we won this was through team swimming. It’s clear that Alabama came in with a little bit different agenda than we had. We came to race tough and I thought our guys did that man-to-man.”

Luis Martinez, Hugo Gonzalez and Scott Lazeroff each picked up a pair of individual wins while Tommy Brewer, Peter Holoda and Bryan Lee each earned wins as well.

Martinez took the top spot in both butterfly events for the second straight weekend. He won the 200 fly in a season-best 1:46.61 and then made it a personal sweep of the fly events with a win by .01 seconds in the 100, touching in 47.00, seventh-fastest in the country to date.

Gonzalez turned in the sixth-fastest time in the country in winning the 200 back in 1:44.41. It was his second win in the event this season. Gonzalez also touched first in the 400 IM, swimming a 3:51.24. Petter Fredriksson was third in both the 200 back (1:46.93) and 400 IM (4:01.90).

Lazeroff swept the springboard events, taking home top honors twice as Auburn went 1-2-3 on the 3-meter with Lazeroff (363.83) taking first, Logan Andrews scoring a season-best 344.10 to take second and Pete Turnham finishing third (340.35). It was more of the same on the 1-meter as Lazeroff just beat out Turnham for first, scoring a 341.03 to Turnham’s 340.13, both of which are season-best scores.

“On the 3-meter we were real consistent,” diving coach Jeff Shaffer said. “Pete still needs to work on finishing his backs and gainers but he really had an awesome top on his inward three-and-a-half. It’s unbelievable that it’s been four years and this is his senior year. I’m proud of his efforts and what he’s done.

“Scott was real steady,” Shaffer said. “He actually did a new dive on 1-meter, a front one-and-a-half, three twists, and I think that will be a strong dive for him as the season goes on.”

Auburn swept the 200 breaststroke behind Brewer (2:00.31), Spencer Rowe(2:02.30) and Bryar Long (2:05.13). The win was the first of the season for Brewer.

Holoda captured the 50 free in a season-best 19.93, which is the eighth-fastest time in the nation this season. It marked the second straight weekend the senior has won the event. He then returned and took second in the 100 free in a season-best 43.42, which makes him ninth-fastest in the country.

Lee won the 1000 free for a second straight week, touching in 9:19.81.

In the women’s lanes, Alabama took home the dual meet win, 167-131.

“I think the Alabama women came in in a different spot than we are,” Hawke said. “I thought our women improved from last week in terms of racing tough and getting some wins.”

Sophomore Alison Maillard made Auburn 4-for-4 in winning diving events, scoring a season-best 292.80 to win the 1-meter and a 334.88 to win the 3-meter. Erin Norton was just off a season-high score with a 234.45 to take third on the 1-meter and second on the 3-meter with a personal-best 283.13.

“The girls were rock solid,” Shaffer said. “Another personal best for Erin and another solid performance for Alison. She did some great dives, missed a couple of entries, but overall we are getting better. This is our third meet in a row with one more week to go. We get through that and maybe it will be time for some training to get better and focus on the mistakes that we made. I’m proud of what they did today.”

Aly Tetzloff, the reigning SEC Swimmer of the Week, remained undefeated in the 100 back this season, winning in a career-best 53.28. She just missed out on a second individual win, getting out-touched by .02 seconds in the 100 fly, finishing in 53.02, which is the fifth-fastest time in the country thus far.

Bailey Nero earned her first individual win of the season, winning the 200 fly in a NCAA B cut time of 1:59.16.

Julie Meynen, who had won every dual meet 100 free up until last weekend, returned to the top spot with a 49.92 to take top honors on Friday.

Auburn swept the podium in the 200 back behind Erin Falconer (1:56.79), Caroline Baddock (2:00.29) and Abi Wilder (2:00.88). Falconer’s time makes her 16th-fastest in the country.

Carly Cummings captured three second-place finishes, doing so in the 100 breast (1:02.24), the 200 breast (2:13.48) and the 400 IM (4:18.07).

“Carly was a gem of a find in recruiting last year,” associate head coach Lauren Hancock said. “We knew we were getting a tough one in her and she will swim whatever we ask of her. She stepped up in breaststroke for us but she’s also got a good 200 fly, 200 free, 500 free and 400 IM. We are very pleased with her progress so far.”

Auburn hits the road for the first time this season next weekend, competing at South Carolina on Saturday, Nov. 4. The dual meet is set to begin at 10 a.m. CT in Columbia, S.C.

PRESS RELEASE – ALABAMA:

AUBURN, Ala. – The Alabama women’s swimming and diving team won eight of 14 individual events and both relays to earn its first victory over Auburn since 1996 at Auburn on Friday afternoon by a score of 167-131.

“This was as much fun as I’ve had in a dual meet in a long time,” UA head coach Dennis Pursley said. “It was absolutely a total team effort. Everyone got into it and fed off one another and really got after it. This is a big confidence boost for our women and brings a lot of credibility to the women’s program.”

On the men’s side of the meet, despite winning both relays and five individual events, the Crimson Tide men fell 167.5-132.5 to the Tigers. Alabama’s women are now 2-1 overall and 1-1 in Southeastern Conference competition while the Tide men are 1-2, 0-2 in the SEC. Alabama’s women last upended the Tigers 75-65 on Jan. 27, 1996, in Auburn.

“I could not be more pleased with both teams and where we are heading into November,” Pursley said. “I am really pleased with the intensity and passion they’ve brought to the meets, as well as the spirit and the racing. They’ve given it everything they’ve got and I couldn’t ask any more of them.”

The freshman duo of Leonie Kullmann and Flora Molnar produced four individual wins between them, with Kullman taking top honors in the 200 (1:47.43) and 500 (4:50.91) freestyles while Molnar won the 50 freestyle (22.41) and 100 butterfly (53.00). Senior Mia Nonnenberg and junior Justine Macfarlane also picked up two individual titles, each. Macfarlane won the 100 (1:01.72) and 200 (2:13.48) breaststrokes, while Nonnenberg won the 1,000 freestyle (10:01.78) and 400 individual medley (4:13.23).

The Tide women also won the opening and closing relays by healthy margins. Junior Katie Kelsoe, Macfarlane, Molnar and senior Bailey Scott combined to win the 200 medley relay in a tie of 1:38.59 while Molnar, senior Temarie Tomley, Kullmann and Scott won the 400 freestyle relay with a 3:19.01.

On the men’s side of the meet, junior Robert Howard led the way with wins in the 200 (1:36.93) and 100 (43.36) freestyles. Senior Luke Kaliszak (100 backstroke/46.58), junior Laurent Bams (100 breaststroke/53.99) and sophomore Daniel Kober (500 freestyle/4:28.50) also picked up individual wins against the Tigers.

The men also swept the relays. Kaliszak, Bams, sophomore Christopher Staka and Howard combined for a 1:26.22 to win the 200 medley relay, while senior Christopher Reid, sophomore Zane Waddell, Howard and Bams won the 400 freestyle relay in a time of 2:53.61.

Alabama returns to action Nov. 16-18 at the Georgia Tech Invitational in Atlanta, Ga.

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