Alabama
Auburn
Swimming and Diving Falls Short at Auburn
11/12/2009 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
Nov. 12, 2009
AUBURN, Ala. - The Alabama Swimming and Diving teams lost for the first time this season, coming up short against in-state rival Auburn in a rare mid-week dual meet. The Crimson Tide men fell 142-101 while the women lost 134-107.
"It was as good meet and I felt like we competed well," Alabama head coach Eric McIlquham. "On the men's side Mark Randall and Aaron Fleshner both won two events and we ended up going 1-2-3 in the 200 freestyle.
"For the women Agustina (de Giovanni) continues to put together impressive races. She won two events and her time in the 200 is one of the best in the nation this year. And down in the deep end we swept the diving events for the fourth time this season."
Alabama's men go to 4-1 overall and 1-1 in Southeastern Conference competition on the season while the Tide women are now 7-1 and 2-1 in the SEC. Auburn's men and women are both 2-0 overall and in the conference.
Diver Aaron Fleshner continues to dazzle in his senior season. He won the one-meter board by more than 40 points to open the meet, scoring a 381.67. He then came back and won the three-meter board with a 416.32, a total that included a perfect 10 from the judging panel on his fifth of six dives.
"That was his first dive for 10s across the board," McIlquham said. "He got a 10 from one judge at NCAAs with the rest going 9s and 9.5s, but this was the first consensus 10. It was an impressive effort."
Senior Mark Randall dominated the distance events as he has all season. The nation's No. 1 ranked miler finished more than 30 seconds ahead of the field in the 1650 freestyle, touching the wall at 15:34.27. In the 500 freestyle he was 10 seconds ahead of his nearest competitor, coming in at 4:27.84.
In the 200 freestyle, sophomore Joe Ziegler finished first with a 1:40.27 followed by freshman Brandon Lowe and junior Denes Zubcsek, who took second and third with times of 1:40.37 and 1:42.45 respectively.
Sophomore Carrie Dragland started the Tide women off with a win, taking first off the one-meter board with a score 291.75. Junior Lauren Dunn made it a clean sweep of the diving events when she won the three-meter board later in the meet with a score of 318.98.
De Giovanni won the 200 IM with a 2:01.48 and the 200 breaststroke with a 2:12.45. Her time in the 200 breaststroke is the second fastest in the country this year.
The Tide returns to action at the Tennessee Invitational in Knoxville, Tenn. starting next Thursday.
Players Mentioned
