Tide's Vlad Polyakov Wins SEC Breaststroke Title
2/18/2005 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
Sophomore Vlad Polyakov brought Alabama its first title of the 2005 Southeastern Conference Championships in Gainesville, Fla. at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center Natatorium, shattering his own school record in the 100 breaststroke.
Polyakov was a runaway winner, finishing nearly a second ahead of his nearest competitor with a natatorium record 53.58. It was Alabama's first SEC 100 breaststroke title since Travis Myers in 1992. Polyakov leads the nation in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke. Sophomore Hunor Mate' was eighth in the 100 breaststroke with a 55.73.
The Tide broke another school record when Apostolis Tsagkarakis, Darren Erasmus, Mike Jones and Spiros Bitsakis combined to finish fourth in the 200 freestyle relay with a 1:19.56. Tsagkarakis posted a career best 19.84 in the leadoff spot.
Senior Franck Southon posted a 3:54.20 in the 400 individual medley, to take 10th place while sophomore Tim Hansen was 11th with a a 3:56.63 Junior Chris Flamion was 15th in the 100 butterfly with a 49.00 followed by classmate J.T. Jones in 16th with a 49.34.
Senior Anne Poleska was fifth in the 100 breaststroke with a 1:01.89 while freshman Erin Sparks was 13th at 1:04.97. Junior Kathryn Hallquist was 14th in the 100 backstroke with a 56.72.
Senior Arlene Semeco (22.80), junior Alison Lafevers, sophomore Melina Bassino and freshman Erin Sparks combined to take eighth in the 200 freestyle relay with a 1:33.29. Semeco's leadoff split of 22.80 was a career best and just two one hundredths of a second off the school record.
Polyakov and Poleska are both in the hunt for 200 breaststroke titles on Saturday, the meet's final day.
