Alabama
Virginia Tech Invitational
Swimming and Diving Finishes Strong at H2Okies Invitational
11/22/2014 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
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BLACKSBURG, W.Va. - For the second day in a row, Alabama swimming and diving's Emma Saunders picked up a pair of individual wins and broke a school record, closing out the final day of the H2Okies Invitational on a fast note.
"It was another good day for us," UA head coach Dennis Pursley said. "We certainly had some fast swims both individually and in the relays, as well as another school record from Emma Saunders. We still have room to grow and improve, but we made strides as a team this weekend."
Saunders won the 200 backstroke and 100 freestyle in back-to-back swims, bettering her own school mark in the backstroke event. The junior touched the wall with a 1:54.27, becoming the first UA woman under 1:55 in the 200 backstroke, and finishing nearly a second ahead of the field. Moments later she won the 100 freestyle with a 49.94, the only woman under 50 seconds in the meet.
Alabama closed out the three-day meet by winning both the women's and men's 400 freestyle relays as well as wins from sophomores Anton McKee (200 breaststroke) and Kristian Gkolomeev (100 freestyle).
Saunders added another "W" to her victory filled weekend when she joined with freshman Temarie Tomley, junior Justine Panian and sophomore Bailey Scott to win the women 400 freestyle relay with a 3:20.18. Saunders led off the relay with a season-best 49.83.
Sophomores Alex Gray and Gkolomeev combined with juniors Crews Wellford and Brett Walsh to win the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 2:54.45. Gray led the relay off with a career-best 43.82, which ranks him seventh all-time at UA.
McKee took top honors in the 200 breaststroke with a 1:55.76. Sophomore Pavel Romanov was third in the 200 breaststroke with a 1:58.02. Gkolomeev raced to a 43.28 to win the 100 freestyle. Walsh was second in the 100 freestyle with a 44.13.
Sophomore Connor Oslin was second in the 200 backstroke and 200 butterfly, posting times of 1:44.63 and 1:46.76, respectively, while senior Kaylin Burchell was second in the women's 200 breaststroke with a 2:12.38. Oslin's time in the 200 butterfly is a career-best and ranks him eighth all-time for the Tide.
Freshman Mia Nonnenberg was third in the 200 butterfly with a 2:00.91, which ranks her tenth all-time at Alabama.
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Players Mentioned
