Swimming and Diving Faces Auburn on the Plains Thursday Afternoon
11/11/2009 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
Nov. 11, 2009
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - After back-to-back home meets, the Alabama Swimming and Diving teams are back on the road Thursday for a rare mid-week meet when the Crimson Tide travels to Auburn to take on the Tigers starting at 5 p.m. Alabama comes into the meet following impressive wins over Southeastern Conference foe LSU last Friday.
"We had some great efforts against LSU," Alabama head coach Eric McIlquham said. "It was a real team win on both the men's and women's side of the meet. We need to keep that going and build on those performances. There are definitely some events where we match up well with Auburn and I think it's going to be a good meet."
Alabama's men are 4-0 overall and 1-0 in SEC competition while the women are 7-0, 2-0 SEC. Auburn (men - 1-0, 1-0 SEC; women - 1-0, 1-0 SEC) opened their season Oct. 23 at LSU, with both the men and women coming away with wins. Thursday's meet will be the Tigers' first competition since that opening weekend.
Some of the biggest events of the men's meet will come in the distance and diving events. Senior Mark Randall leads the way for the Tide off the blocks with a No. 1 national ranking in the mile coming into the meet. He's also ranked third in the 500 freestyle and fourth in the 1000. Senior Aaron Fleshner and junior Adam Booher give the Tide a formidable one-two punch off the boards. Fleshner is the current SEC Male Diver of the Week after a dominating performance against LSU last Friday. Denes Zubcsek should also make an impact for the Tide in the butterfly where the junior is ranked eighth nationally in the 200 butterfly.
On the women's side, the Tide is led by senior Agustina de Giovanni who is the reigning SEC Female Swimmer of the Week after winning three events against LSU. She is currently ranked in the top-25 nationally in the 100 and 200 breaststrokes as well as the 200 and 400 IMs. She is fourth in the 100 breaststroke and eighth in the 200 IM. Carrie Dragland will lead Alabama's women in the diving events. The sophomore also earned SEC Diver of the Week honors after winning the one and three-meter boards against LSU.
