Alabama
SEC Championships
Alabama Swimming and Diving Breaks another School Record on Day 3 at SEC Championships
2/16/2018 8:47:00 PM | Swimming & Diving
Leonie Kullmann lowered her school record to win the B final of the 200 freestyle
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Alabama swimming and diving team broke another school record on day three of the Southeastern Conference Championships being held on the Texas A&M campus this weekend.
Freshman Leonie Kullmann capped the night for Alabama with a school record in the women's 200 freestyle. Kullmann won the B final, and finished 9th overall after stopping the clock at 1:45.09, surpassing her previous school best of 1:45.88 set earlier this season.
"Leonie (Kullmann) did a great job tonight," Alabama head coach Dennis Pursley said. "She lowered her school record and that was a decisive win for her in the B final. We think she's well-positioned for an invitation to the NCAA Championships and hopefully can find a little more improvement when she gets there. She's having a good meet."
Senior Luke Kaliszak got things started for the Crimson Tide men with a win in the B final of the men's 100 butterfly in a UA-season best 45.94, taking ninth overall. Freshman Tyler Sesvold finished fifth in the B final and 13th overall with a personal best 46.72. Senior Braxton Young (48.12) and sophomore Chris Staka (51.44) finished seventh and eighth, respectively, in the C final and were 23rd and 24th overall.
In the final men's event of the day, senior Christopher Reid finished seventh in the men's 200 freestyle, touching the wall at 1:34.54. Junior Robert Howard won the B final, and finished 9th overall, in a time of 1:34.61.
Senior Mia Nonnenberg opened the night for the Tide women with a season-best 4:08.28 for a second-place finish in the B final of the women's 400 IM, taking 10th overall. Freshman Alina Faunce finished seventh in the B final and 15th overall with a 4:12.46 while sophomore Alexis Preski finished third in the C final and 19th overall with a personal best 4:11.26.
Freshman Flora Molnar touched the wall in a career- and UA season-best 52.23 to finish second in the women's 100 butterfly B final and 10th overall. Molnar's shaved a tenth of a second off her previous best set earlier this year. Senior Hannah Musser finished fourth in the C final 20th overall with a 53.75.
"We had some good swims tonight," Pursley added. "Alexis Preski and Mia Nonnenberg dropped three seconds under their morning swims in the 400 IM and that was a really good job by them. Luke Kaliszak finishing under 40 seconds and winning the 100 fly B final. That gets him back into that NCAA range. So we had a good night but again, we're not getting enough swimmers into the finals. But we're going to have our strongest events in front of us. We'll finish strong and see where that puts us."
Saturday's events include men's and women's 200 butterfly, 100 backstroke, 100 breaststroke and 400 medley relay as well as the men's platform diving event, with prelims getting started at 10 a.m. CT and finals starting at 6 p.m.
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