Kaliszak Pops 45.85 100 Back On Day 2 Of Georgia Tech Invite

2017 GEORGIA TECH INVITATIONAL

• Thursday, November 16 – Saturday, November 18
• McAuley Aquatic Center
• Atlanta, GA
• Live Results
• Meet Schedule
• Live Stream on ACC Network Extra

Despite neither team collecting any wins on night two, the Auburn women and Florida State men extended their leads at the Georgia Tech Invite. Auburn (778.5) holds a sizeable lead over Alabama (703), while the FSU men (1073) have the meet all but wrapped up with #2 Alabama (843) well back.

Women

Alabama opened the session with a win in the 200 medley relay, touching in 1:37.55 over Auburn (1:38.61) and Georgia Tech (1:39.93). The Crimson Tide had key legs from Justine Macfarlane on breast (27.12) and Bailey Scott on free (21.74).

South Carolina’s Emma Barksdale finished off the IM sweep in the 400 after winning the 200 yesterday, touching in a quick time of 4:08.20. Alabama had women place 2nd, 3rd and 4th, led by freshman Alina Faunce (4:12.04).

Tayla Lovemore then picked up the first of three wins on the night for the Lady Seminoles in the 100 fly, going 1-2 with teammate Elise Olsen in times of 52.03 and 52.19 respectively. They also earned wins in the 100 breast from Natalie Pierce (59.25) and the 100 back from Madeline Cohen (52.65).

Georgia Tech’s Iris Wang, who tied her school record in the 50 free yesterday, lowered her 200 free record in 1:45.67 to win the event. She had knocked the previous record down from 1:46.94 to 1:46.79 in the prelims. Last night’s 500 free winner Leonie Kullmann broke her second school record of the meet for 2nd in 1:45.88.

Kullmann then led off the Alabama 800 free relay to the win in 7:12.05 over Georgia Tech (7:13.63) and South Carolina (7:14.13). She had the fastest split in the field, leading off in 1:46.51.

Women’s Scores After Day 2

1. Auburn, 778.5
2. Alabama, 703
3. Georgia Tech, 616
4. Florida State, 596.5
5. South Carolina, 423
6. East Carolina, 308.5
7. Campbell, 163.5
8. Georgia Southern, 56

Men

Despite sitting 2nd in the standings, the Alabama men really impressed on day 2. They won five of the seven events, with the other two going to South Carolina.

The Crimson Tide opened the session with an impressive showing in the 200 medley relay, popping an NCAA ‘A’ time of 1:24.60 to take out FSU (1:25.95) and South Carolina (1:27.80). They had particularly impressive splits from Luke Kaliszak (20.90) on back and Robert Howard (18.86) on free.

Alabama went on to collect wins from Howard in the 200 free, Kaliszak in the 100 back and Zane Waddell in the 100 fly. Howard won the 200 in 1:33.75, establishing a new personal best. Kaliszak went 45.85, which was tops in the NCAA at the time, but has since been surpassed by Grand Canyon’s Mark Nikolaev who went 44.99 at the Northwestern Invite (Andreas Vazaios also tied Kaliszak’s swim at the Ohio State Invite). Waddell was a close 2nd in 46.01, and also went 46.34 to claim the 100 fly over teammate Laurent Bams (46.78). Swimming out of the 100 back ‘C’ final, Alabama’s Chris Staka knocked 6.62 seconds off his prelim swim to touch in a blazing 46.11.

Tom Peribonio (3:45.25) and Cody Bekemeyer (3:48.69) went 1-2 for South Carolina in the 400 IM, while Nils Wich-Glasen added another win for the Gamecocks in the 100 breast. Wich-Glasen touched in 53.01 to edge out Georgia Tech’s Moises Loschi (53.10) and Alabama’s Bams (53.14). Bams had set the pace in the prelims at 52.73.

The session finished with an exciting race in the men’s 800 free relay, as Alabama and Georgia Tech went head-to-head the entire race. Howard (1:35.46) got the Crimson Tide out ahead on the lead-off, but Rodrigo Correia‘s 1:35.34 leg for GT gave them the lead heading into the back half. The two anchor swimmers dove in just a tenth apart, with Alabama’s Christopher Reid (1:35.79) ultimately getting the better of Colton Williamson (1:36.29) to give the Crimson Tide the win in 6:25.19. The Yellow Jackets touched in 6:25.58, with South Carolina back in 3rd in 6:28.99.

Men’s Scores After Day 2

1. Florida State, 1073
2. Alabama, 843
3. South Carolina, 536
4. Georgia Tech, 532
5. East Carolina, 185
6. Auburn, 130