GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Sprint freestyle swimmers Miko Malberg, Heather Brand and Colleen Bertirotti posted LSU all-time top 10 marks in the 50 freestyle to pace the Tiger swimming team on day two of the SEC Championships at the O’Connell Center on Thursday.
Including diving scores from last week, the LSU women sit in seventh place with 112 points. The Georgia Lady Bulldogs leaped to the top spot with 314 points. On the men’s side, the Tigers moved up one spot to seventh as well, scoring a tally of 96.5. The back-to-back SEC champion Auburn men hold top honors with a score of 342.
Malberg, a native of Tallinn, Germany, recorded the men’s sixth-fastest time in school history, 20.06, in the prelims of the event to qualify for the consolation finals. In the evening session, the talented freshman took third in the consolation final (10th overall) with a time of 20.06. Both times qualified as NCAA “B” cut marks.
Brand and Bertirotti took seventh and eighth (15th and 16th overall) in the women’s 50 free consolation final on Thursday night. Bertirotti’s time of 23.32 in the prelims gave the sophomore the third-fastest recorded time in school history in the event. Brand’s time of 23.33 ranked right behind Bertirotti’s sprint and both were career highs. The two swam times of 23.40 and 23.41 in the consolation finals, good enough to qualify as NCAA “B” cuts.
Malberg helped the Tigers earn another NCAA “B” cut in the men’s 400 medley relay with Kevin Braud, Christian Clausen and Jared Strecker. The team placed seventh in the finals, touching the wall at 3:16.31.
The women’s team of Lindsay Staak, Lauren Harvey, Brand and Bertirotti finished sixth out of nine relay teams in the 400 medley relay with a season-high time of 3:46.39.
The 500 free also took centerstage on day two. Jan Minartz was the Tigers’ highest finisher, placing 27th (4:35.47). Clare Schepens, making her first SEC Championship appearance was 22nd out of 46 swimmers in the women’s 500 free (5:01.58).
Friday’s schedule features six events, including the 400 individual medley, 100 butterfly, 200 free, 100 breaststroke, 100 backstroke and the 200 free relay. Prelims get underway at 10 a.m. ET, followed by finals sessions beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET.