Auburn Women and Men Take Down Alabama in Rivalry Dual Meet
The conclusion of the college swimming regular season brings a flurry of regional rivalry meets, and this week saw the Auburn Tigers swim and dive teams host their traditional adversary, the Alabama Crimson Tide. Auburn secured two victories, with the women squeaking out a 162-138 triumph while the men won 177.5-122.5.
The Auburn women got their first win from Polina Nevmovenko in the 200 freestyle (1:45.93), followed by Lora Komoroczy taking first in the 100 backstroke (51.37). Carissa Rinard was the come-from-behind winner in the 200 fly (1:57.46) before Nevmovenko took her second top finish in the 100 free (48.55).
In diving, Kyleigh Kidd placed first on 1-meter (289.80) while Kayla Walsh won 3-meter (310.43), and Lawson Ficken led a 1-2-3-4 finish for Auburn in the 100 fly, clocking 52.43 to beat Komoroczy by one hundredth. The team of Nevmovenko, Kate Murray, Lisa Klevanovich and Lexie Mulvihill secured the win as they clocked 3:14.00 to win the 400 free relay. The Tigers trailed by more than a second at the halfway point before Klevanovich split 48.16 and Mulvihill 47.72 to take over.
The Crimson Tide team of Emily Jones, Kasia Norman, Jada Scott and Cadence Vincent held off the Tigers to win the 200 medley relay in 1:35.20. Liberty Williams claimed first in the 1000 free (9:44.66) and 500 free (4:44.57), and Avery Wiseman grabbed first in the 100 breast (59.14) and 200 breast (2:09.66). Vincent won the 50 free (22.05), followed by Jones coming out on top in a tight 200 back (1:55.23). Diana Petkova claimed the 200 IM top spot (1:58.77).
The Auburn men started out with a 200 medley relay win from Nate Stoffle, Henry Bethel, Kalle Makinen and Logan Tirheimer in 1:23.72. Stoffle was the winner of the 100 back (45.88), and Makinen hit the wall first in the 50 free in 19.56, leading a 1-2-3 finish for Auburn. Stoffle returned for a first-place finish in the 200 back (1:40.00)
Mason Mathias pulled ahead of Bama’s Leonardo Alcantara in the final 200 yards to take the win in the 1000 free, with Mathias clocking 8:52.41. Mathias returned to capture the 500 free (4:16.81), and Danny Schmidt led the way in the 200 fly (1:42.64) and 200 IM (1:44.30). Bradford Johnson took first in the 100 fly (46.59). In diving, Auburn’s Talan Blackmon won 3-meter (380.48), and Ethan Swart won on 1-meter (383.18).
The Crimson Tide’s Charlie Hawke ranks No. 2 in the country in the 200 free, and he comfortably won his signature event in 1:33.08. Kaique Alves took first in the 100 breast (52.69) and 100 free (42.71), and Lance Johnson topped the 200 breast (1:55.08). The team of Adam Varga, Hawke, Alves and Toni Dragoja captured first in the 400 free relay by almost two seconds, clocking 2:49.00 as Hawke and Alves split identical marks of 41.58.
