TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Both the Tigers and Lady Tigers were victorious Friday afternoon against the Crimson Tide in Alabama for only the second time in 21 seasons.
The LSU men’s team improved their record to 2-0, 1-0, in the SEC by winning 154-84. The Lady Tigers (4-0, 2-0) added on to their early season winning streak by defeating the Tide 139.5-101.5.
“It was an extremely good meet for us today,” said head coach Rick Meador. “Alabama has a great squad, but everyone on our team stepped up their level of play like they needed to, and it looks as if all of the hard work from this preseason is starting to pay off.”
In men’s action, the Tigers were led by junior captain Ken Kuhn, backstroke specialist Matthias Ohlin, and senior Jason Goltz. Kuhn was the lone member of the team to win two events for LSU. He placed first in both the 50-yard (20.83) and 100-yard (45.51) freestyle events.
The LSU divers won all four of their events, and recorded eight of the top-twelve scores of the meet. Sophomore Jaime Watkins won the women’s 1-meter event by scoring 281.03, while the men’s divers swept the Tide in their 1-meter event. Corey Fox finished first (284.48), and Erik Petursson slightly outscored freshman Kyle VanArsdale for second-place 259.20-257.48.
At one point in the meet the Tigers won eight events in a row. Goltz increased the streak to four events when he won the 200-yard butterfly (1:53.04), while Ohlin recorded the last first-place finish of the streak in the 200-yard backstroke (1:50.81).
Mandy Leach, Ali Petersen, and freshman Suzie Flook all performed in the clutch for the Lady Tigers. Leach, the junior from Zimbabwe, finished in first-place in both the 100-yard (51.18) and 200-yard freestyle (1:49.93) events.
Flook diminated the 200-yard butterfly with a winning time of 2:01.65, while fellow Lady Tiger, Candice Nethercott, was the closest competitor by finishing second with a time of 2:07.01.
In the 200-yard backstroke, it was the sophomore Petersen who helped the Tigers gain some critical points. She won the event with a time of 2:03.83, which was good enough to defeat Alabama’s Emily Donahue.
With the losses, the Alabama Crimson Tide drop to 1-1, 0-1 on the season for the men, and a 2-1, 0-1 record for the women.