KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — LSU swimmers Julius Gloeckner, Ryan Ashby and Berit Aljand posted school all-time Top 10 times in finals’ finishes, while divers Niko Dalman and Nathan Schreiber reached the men’s platform final on Day 3 of the SEC Swimming and Diving Championships at the UT Student Aquatic Center.
The LSU men are in seventh place with a score of 271 heading into the final day of competition. The Tigers are 12 points behind Alabama and trail Kentucky by 20 for fifth place. No. 1 Auburn extended its lead and carries 722 points into Saturday.
The LSU women have tallied 201 points in three days and currently sit in eighth. The Lady Tigers are 19 points behind seventh place Alabama. The top three schools remained the same on the women’s leaderboard after Friday. Georgia holds a 36-point advantage over Auburn heading into Saturday.
The LSU men’s diving team capped a successful meet when Dalman and Schreiber reached the platform final with the best performances of their careers in the event.
Dalman, who was a finalist in the 3-meter on Wednesday, scored a sixth-place tally of 274.55 in the platform final. Schreiber used a mark of 249.15 in the prelims to earn a berth in the final in which he placed eighth (220.60).
“They did a great job, considering the lack of time we have focused on platform,” said diving coach Doug Shaffer. “It is a good accomplishment for Nathan to reach two finals as a freshman.”
Before the eighth-place finish in the platform, Schreiber placed seventh in the 1-meter springboard on Thursday.
Gloeckner reached a championship final for the second straight day, taking fifth-place in the 400 IM. Gloeckner nearly set a school record with the third-fastest time in school history in the prelims (3:51.70). The school record is held by Nate Thomson set in 1995 (3:51.34).
Gloeckner, who was a finalist in the 500 free on Thursday, touched the wall with another NCAA provisional clocking in the 400 IM final (3:51.83).
Ashby entered the LSU all-time Top 10 with the best championship outing of his career in the 100 butterfly. Ashby reached the consolation final with a time of 48.78 and then took third (ninth overall) in the final with the 10th-best mark in school history (48.75).
Sophomore Miko Malberg was 16th overall, swimming a time of 49.15 in the “C” final.
Sophomore Kevin Braud took second (eighth overall) in the consolation final of the 100 backstroke. Braud just missed a “B” cut but swam a season-fast time in the prelims (48.83) and finished with a mark of 49.07.
In the women’s 100 fly, Heather Brand reached the “C” final with her best time of the season (55.10). Brand was second (14th overall) in the final with another “B” cut of 55.13.
Aljand won the “C” final of the women’s 100 back with the fourth-best time in school history. (56.55). Aljand’s mark was good for 13th overall, and she was followed by Lady Tigers’ Monica McJunkin and Mallory Neltner who finished 17th and 18th, respectively.
The women’s 400 medley relay team placed seventh in the only relay of the day. Berit Aljand, Sarah Bedell, Heather Brand and Katherine Noland swam a final time of 3:49.09.
The LSU men were also seventh in its 400 medley final. Braud, Chris White, Ashby and Malberg notched a NCAA provisional clocking of 3:16.77.
Saturday’s schedule of events begins with the 200 backstroke at 10 a.m. Four other individual events follow as will women’s platform diving and the 400 free relay. Finals competition closes the meet at 6 p.m.
2006 SEC Swimming and Diving Championships
UT Student Aquatic Center
Knoxville, Tenn.
Men’s Scores (After Day 3)
1. Auburn 722
2. Florida 623
3. Georgia 520
4. Tennessee 513
5. Kentucky 291
6. Alabama 283
7. LSU 271
8. South Carolina 181
Women’s Scores (After Day 3)
1. Georgia 729
2. Auburn 693
3. Florida 466
4. Kentucky 412
5. Tennessee 379
6. South Carolina 301
7. Alabama 220
8. LSU 201
9. Arkansas 101
Saturday’s Schedule of Events
Preliminary Competition
10 a.m. 200 Backstroke
100 Freestyle
200 Breaststroke
200 Butterfly
400 Freestyle Relay (Time Trial)
1650 Freestyle Timed Finals, fastest seeded heat at night
1 p.m. Women’s Platform Diving Prelims
Finals Competition
6 p.m. 1650 Freestyle Final (fastest seeded heat)
200 Backstroke Final
100 Freestyle Final
200 Breaststroke Final
200 Butterfly Final
Women’s Platform Diving Finals
400 Freestyle Relay (Timed Final)