Aaron Fleshner Posts Another Top-2 SEC Championship Finish

2/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ?? The Alabama Swimming and Diving sophomore Aaron Fleshner led the Crimson Tide again on day two of the Southeastern Conference Championships being held in the Alabama Aquatic Center this week.

A day after winning the SEC 3-meter crown, Fleshner took second off the 1-meter board after scoring 342.50 points. Sophomore Chris McCormick and freshman Adam Booher also scored off the 1-meter, taking 12th with 289.40 points and 15th with 287.35 points respectively.

The Tide men are in seventh place after scoring 140 points while the women are ninth with 98 points. Auburn’s men and Florida’s women are leading the meet.

“We had career bests across the board this morning,” head coach Eric McIlquham said. “This meet is incredibly fast this year. Records are falling and it’s not just the top two or three places, but up and down the line.”

Freshman Catalin Cosma took seventh in the men’s 500 freestyle, touching the wall at 4:21.67. He posted a 4:19.88 in prelims, which makes him the fifth fastest 500 freestyler in Alabama history. Sophomore Drew Finelli took 15th in the 500 with a 4:27.68.

The 200 freestyle relay of junior Kevin Greer, senior Mike Jones, sophomore Clint McClendon and junior Chris Perry combined to take seventh place with a time of 1:21.21.

Freshman Lauren Dunn took eighth off the 3-meter board after scoring 288.45 points. Sophomore Elizabeth Hughes scored 286.90 points to take 10th place while freshman Baylee Ellson scored 265.25 points to take 14th place.

The lone disappointment on the day came when the women’s 200 freestyle relay, one of the top seeds coming into the week, was disqualified on an early take off. 

“It’s one of those things,” McIlquham said. “It’s unfortunate, but we’ll pick ourselves up and move forward.”

Sophomore Agustina de Giovanni finaled in the 200 individual medley, taking eighth place with a 2:02.02. She posted a 2:01.00 in prelims, which puts her second all-time for the Tide. Senior Erin Sparks scored in the 200 IM, taking 15th with a 2:02.08. Freshman Ida Persson scored in the 50 freestyle, taking 16th with a time of 23.32.