School Record and a Quartet of Wins Highlight Alabama Swimming and Diving’s Opening Day at the Georgia Tech Invite
11/16/2017 7:20:00 PM | Swimming & Diving
Freshman Leonie Kullmann broke the school 500 freestyle mark while the Crimson Tide men won both relays on the invitational’s first day
ATLANTA, Ga. – A school record, along with two relay and two individual wins, highlighted Alabama swimming and diving's first day at the Georgia Tech Invitational at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta, Ga. Thursday.
Freshman Leonie Kullmann opened the individual events in Thursday's finals by setting a new school record in the 500 freestyle, going 4:41.95 to pick up the record and the win. She finished more than three seconds ahead of the field on the way to the new mark. Kullmann's time ranks in the top-10 nationally this season and first among freshmen.
Junior Robert Howard, who dropped his career-best time in the 50 freestyle to 19.32 in prelims, bettered it again in finals, winning the event with a 19.11. His time in finals ranks him second all-time for the Tide.
The Crimson Tide men opened the finals by winning the 200 freestyle relay when sophomore Zane Waddell, Howard, senior Luke Kaliszak and junior Laurent Bams clocked a 1:16.68 to earn the win. The Tide had the second fastest relay time this season coming into the weekend before dropping more than two seconds off its previous best today to take the top spot.
Already the nation's top-ranked 400 medley relay squad, the Alabama men lowered their season-best time by nearly three seconds, with a 3:07.04 from Kaliszak, Bams, Waddell and Howard, for the win.
In other day-one action, Alabama went 2-3 in the women's 50 freestyle with senior Bailey Scott taking second with a 22.36 while freshman Flora Molnar, who went a season-best 22.33 in prelims, went 22.46 for third. Senior Lindsay Morrow dropped a career-best 22.43 to win the consolation final of the 50 freestyle. Her time ranks her third all-time at Alabama.
Sophomore Alexis Preski went a career-best 1:59.82 in the 200 individual medley, good for third place and seventh all-time at Alabama. Sophomore Daniel Kober touched the wall at 4:23.03 in the 500 freestyle to take third overall. Senior Christopher Reid also turned in a third-place finish, picking up the bronze in the 200 individual medley with a 1:46.39.
The Crimson Tide returns to action on Friday with the 400 individual medley, 100 butterfly, 200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke and 100 backstroke as well as men's 1-meter and women's 3-meter diving.
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