ATHENS, Ga. — LSU’s 400-yard medley relay team of Evan Martinec, Christian Clausen, Neil Lowe and Chris Stanczyk broke another school record on Saturday night and in the process qualified for the NCAA Championships, while earning second-team All-SEC honors as the SEC Championships concluded at Georgia’s Gabrielsen Natatorium.
The Tigers finished behind SEC champion Auburn with a second-place time of 3:12.35, earning a NCAA “A” cut time. The team shattered the old mark set by the 2003 group of Martinec, Matthew Rucker, Mike Jotautas and Francisco Paez (3:13.58.)
“The swim was awesome,” said Christian Clausen. “I’ve been injured for four years and this was my first race back. This is awesome, it helps our whole team’s confidence as we look towards NCAAs.”
LSU’s group became the first relay team in school history to receive All-SEC honors since Keith Anderson, Scott Elkman, William Keever and Todd Torres won the conference championship in the 200-yard medley relay in 1991.
The LSU men accumulated 242 points during the four-day event to place seventh. LSU’s women finished ninth with 212 points. Forty-nine of the men’s final tally came at the hands of Evan Martinec, who closed out his final SEC Championships as the seventh-highest point individual. Auburn’s men and women swept both team titles. Auburn’s men’s team racked up 1008 points, while the Tiger women won with 846 points.
Stephanie Smith competed in the final SEC Championship race of her career in the 1650-yard freestyle, an event the senior has dominated throughout her career. Smith placed seventh out of 30 swimmers with a “B” cut time of 16:25.14, solidifying her third NCAA Championship appearance.
Myles Jaynes was LSU’s highest finisher in the men’s 1650 freestyle, placing 13th with a time of 15:43.76, a personal-best and the sixth- fastest time in school history.
Kentucky’s Kari Retrum captured the women’s platform diving competition with a final score of 428.00. Hali Saucier, LSU’s lone representative placed 15th with a mark of 292.90.
The Lady Tigers finished sixth in the women’s 400-yard medley relay (3:48.72), the final event of the evening.
LSU will remain in Athens for the Bulldog Invitational set for Sunday.