Junior-to-be Alec Morris has signed to join the Auburn Tigers in the fall of 2015, as he will transfer from NCAA Division II powerhouse Drury into Division I beginning next fall. At Auburn, he will join his younger brother Hugo Morris, who will be a sophomore next year and is the Tigers’ top butterflier.
The Australian Alec is primarily a distance freestyler, as compared to his brother who prefers the sprintier events, but both earned All-America honors last year.
In total, through two seasons, Alec has earned 6 individual All-America honors by scoring in the 500, 1000, and 1650 yard freestyles at the NCAA Division II Championships in each of his two years at Drury. His best times:
- 500 free – 4:28.02
- 1000 free – 9:10.11
- 1650 free – 15:20.70
And in meters:
- 200 free – 1:54.99
- 400 free – 4:01.38
- 800 free – 8:30.86
- 1500 free – 15:56.58
While the times aren’t yet good enough to make Alec an NCAA qualifier at the Division I level like his brother, the genetic background is there. Hugo placed 31st at the NCAA Championships last season in the 200 yard free, swam 1:35.77 to lead off Auburn’s 10th-place 800 free relay, was 35th in the 200 yard IM, and split an impressive 46.09 on the fly leg of Auburn’s 400 medley relay that was 5th for his lone First Team All-America award.
His most significant accomplishment as a freshman, though, was when he broke a legendary Auburn school record in the 200 yard free at the SEC Championships. There, Hugo swam a 1:33.39 to break the 1981 record of one Rowdy Gaines, who was one of the top few freestylers in the world at the time.
Proud to know both these aussie boys.
Fresh meat