AUBURN, Ala. – – Led by divers Jamie Watkins and Ashley Culpepper, the LSU women’s swimming and diving team leads the SEC Championships after day one of the competition here Wednesday.
The Lady Tigers accumulated 100 points on the first day of the meet, four points ahead of second-place Tennessee. The LSU men’s team stands in fifth place with 75 points, trailing first-place Tennessee, which has 111.
“This is a great way to start,” said LSU head coach Rick Meador. “Jamie and Ashley performed outstanding today and I was pleased with the way our relay teams finished. I’m excited and encouraged about our chances here this weekend.”
In the women’s 1-meter springboard competition, Watkins recorded a score of 419.15, trailing only Florida’s Robyn Grimes. Culpepper finished in fourth place with a score of 394.10.
In other women’s action Wednesday evening, the LSU 200-yard medley relay team of Carly Farrell, Cissy Schepens, Candice Nethercott, and Julie Hughes recorded a season-best time of 1:44.93, finishing in fifth place.
The Lady Tigers’ 200-yard freestyle relay team of Mandy Leach, Hughes, Ashley Marxen, and Kelli Klein also swam in a season-best time of 1:34.25 to finish fifth.
On the men’s side, diver Corey Fox was the Tigers’ top finisher in the 3-meter springboard competition, finishing in seventh place with a score of 536.55.
The Tigers’ 200-yard medley relay team of Neal Satterly, Steve Gluck, Tommy Starkweather, and Ken “Buzz” Kuhn finished in fourth place with a season-best time of 1:20.45. The time was nearly twelve seconds faster than the team’s previous top time of 1:32.02.
The SEC Championships continue on Thursday here at the James E. Martin Aquatics Center. Competitions will be held in the men’s and women’s 500 freestyle, men’s and women’s 200 individual medley, men’s and women’s 50 freestyle, women’s 3-meter diving, men’s 1-meter diving, and the men’s and women’s 400-yard medley relay finals.
WOMEN’S RESULTS (AFTER DAY ONE)
1. LSU (100); 2. Tennessee (96); 3. Florida (84); 4. Georgia (80); 5. Kentucky (76); 6. Alabama (70); 7. Auburn (68); 8. Arkansas (46); 9. South Carolina (43).
MEN’S RESULTS (AFTER DAY ONE)
1. Tennessee (111); 2. Florida (82); 3. Kentucky (76); 4. South Carolina (76); 5. LSU (75); 6. Auburn (74); 7. Georgia (60); 8. Alabama (51).