ATHENS, Ga. — One day after setting a SEC and school record time in the 100-yard backstroke, Evan Martinec nearly missed shattering another school mark in the 100-yard butterfly to highlight day two of the SEC Swimming and Diving Championships at Georgia’s Gabrielson Natatorium.
Martinec set a personal-best, NCAA “B” cut mark in the 100-yard butterfly, swimming to a fourth-place finish with a time 47.32. The senior’s time leaped him into second place all-time in the 100-fly, just behind former Tiger Mattias Ohlin (47.17 in 1999).
“Evan is on fire,” said LSU head coach Jeff Cavana. “He continues to progress after every day and this will keep us in a battle with points with the other teams.”
While Martinec took fourth, Neil Lowe swam the 10th-fastest time in school history in the event to place 14th (49.10). Ryan Cochran placed 19th (49.76) and Jared Strecker was 23rd out of 49 swimmers (50.52).
Following Thursday’s night session the Tigers sit in eighth place with 115 points, while the Lady Tigers currently stand in eighth, as well, with 109 points. Auburn holds steady as the leader in both results.
Thursday morning’s preliminary session was canceled due to the winter weather that swept through the Athens area. Freezing rain, ice and snow forced the cancellation as officials agreed to record all times as finals under the modified system.
Swimming events finally got underway at 4 p.m. with the men’s 500-yard freestyle. Jan Minartz was the Tigers highest finisher, placing 22nd (4:32.69), while Myles Jaynes touched the wall right behind Minartz to finish 23rd (4:32.71). Auburn’s B.J. Jones won the event with the conference’s fastest time of the season, 4:17.35.
Stephanie Smith followed in the women’s 500-yard freestyle and had the most impressive swim of her senior year. The Metairie, La. native took nearly seven seconds off of her previous season-best mark with a time of 4:49.49. Smith finished ninth, earning a NCAA “B” cut time, while Florida’s Sara McLarty won the event (4:41.73).
Margaret Beadle, also swimming the 500-free, achieved the fastest time of her career in the event, 5:01.04, while finishing 24th out of 39 swimmers.
Heather Brand and Colleen Bertirotti, placed 23rd and 24th, respectively, in the women’s 100-yard butterfly. Brand touched the wall at 56.96, while Bertirotti followed at 57.06. Georgia’s Mary DeScenza set a SEC record, winning the event with a time of 51.70.
Christian Clausen, coming off of a strong second half of the season, recorded the sixth-best swim by a Tiger in the 100-yard breaststroke. Clausen, in his first SEC Championships, collected his first NCAA “B” cut time while finishing sixth with a mark of 54.77. The “B” cut was the fourth-fastest time of the season by any SEC swimmer. Auburn’s Mark Gangloff took first place (53.21).
“Christian had a great swim,” said Cavana. “He has really come a long way and worked hard to get where he is.”
Senior Robbie Moon and sophomore Matt Coenen also set personal-best times in the event. Moon finished 18th (57.36), while Coenen was 20th (58.02).
In the women’s 100-yard breaststroke, Lauren Harvey sprinted out for another successful swim. Harvey qualified for her first NCAA Championships with a “B” cut and personal-best time of 1:03.83. The junior’s time was the fourth-best mark in school history, leaping over Cissy Schepens’ time in 2003. Georgia’s Sara Poewe won the event with a time of 1:00.07.
The men’s and women’s 400-yard freestyle relays commenced the day’s final swimming events. The Auburn men and women won both events with SEC records. The LSU men collected another NCAA “B” cut time when Evan Martinec, Chris Stanczyk, Jan Minartz and Neil Lowe took sixth place (2:58.75).
Divers had little time to rest following a quick preliminary session that was postponed due to the weather.
Jessica Wantz carried yesterday’s momentum into Thursday. Wantz qualified and then finished fifth in the women’s 3-meter finals (471.45). Hali Saucier placed 21st with a score of 387.00, while Alabama’s Lane Bassham won her second-consecutive event (526.55).
“Jessica did a great job, considering it was her first big competition of the year,” said Shaffer. “It was certainly a long day with the prelims being pushed back. We had very little rest in between the prelims and finals.”
Andy Crum and Andrew Keane finished 21st and 22nd, respectively in the men’s 1-meter to close the day’s events.
Friday’s schedule of events begins at 10:30 a.m. with the men’s and women’s 200-yard butterfly. Three more events will follow, while platform diving gets underway at 12:30 p.m.
MEN’S TEAM STANDINGS (AFTER DAY TWO)
1. Auburn 389
2. Georgia 346
3. Florida 293
4. South Carolina 146
5. Alabama 125
6. Arkansas 118
7. Tennessee 118
8. LSU 115
9. Kentucky 98
WOMEN’S TEAM STANDINGS (AFTER DAY TWO)
1. Auburn 469
2. Florida 311
3. Georgia 208
4. Tennessee 201
5. Kentucky 145
6. South Carolina 130
7. Alabama 117
8. LSU 109
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS — FRIDAY, FEB. 27
10:30 a.m. Preliminary Swimming Competition
200-yard butterfly
200-yard freestyle
200-yard breaststroke
200-yard backstroke
30-minute break time trials
12:30 p.m. Preliminary Diving Competition
Men’s platform diving
6:30 p.m. Finals Swimming Competition
200-yard medley relay
200-yard butterfly
200-yard freestyle
200-yard breaststroke
200-yard backstroke
Men’s platform diving
200-yard freestyle relay