LEXINGTON, Ky. — Sophomore Julius Gloeckner shattered an 11-year-old school record in the 200 butterfly, and the 23rd-ranked LSU men’s swimming and diving team earned its highest Southeastern Conference Championships’ finish since 2001 with sixth place here Saturday night at the Lancaster Aquatic Center.
The LSU women’s team also took sixth place, which is the Lady Tigers’ highest placing since finishing fifth in 2002. LSU accumulated 254.5 points on the women’s side. After losing the title to Georgia last season, Auburn reclaimed its dominance as the league champion in a runaway 899-671 victory over the second-place Bulldogs.
Auburn captured its 11th straight men’s title with 934 points. LSU racked up 276 points, which was six points shy of fifth-place Alabama.
“When it was all said and done, I was proud of how this group stood strong against the toughest competition in the country,” said LSU head coach Adam Schmitt. “The women jumped two spots from last season and the men moved up one spot. People talked about the good things we did up here, and you can see that when we are on the heels of Tennessee, a top-20 team.”
Gloeckner, who medaled in the 400 individual medley on Friday, finished fifth in the championship final of the 200 fly with a new school record clocking of 1:46.56. The sophomore shaved nearly two seconds off of his previous best time and one second off of his preliminary mark.
“Julius broke another school record,” said Schmitt. “That was just another solid swim for him.”
The time of 1:46.56 broke Maurico Cunha’s old mark by .21 seconds (1:46.75) set in 1996. For Gloeckner, it was his second career school record and his seventh time in LSU’s all-time top-five swims in all events, which is the most in school history.
Sean LeNeave qualified for the consolation final of the 200 fly, and the freshman took 16th overall in a season-high time of 1:51.36. LeNeave improved by nearly two seconds from his preliminary swim.
Fellow freshman Will Rivers finished eighth in the men’s 1650-yard freestyle (15:31.48), and junior Clare Schepens was the Lady Tigers’ highest scorer in the women’s portion of the event with a 14th-place time of 16:57.09. Schepens’ clocking was a career-high and the seventh-best mark in school history.
Junior Kevin Braud won the consolation final of the 200 backstroke and finished ninth overall in the event with a time of 1:45.96. Braud also improved on his prelim time of 1:47.33.
Junior Miko Malberg qualified and finished seventh in the championship final of the 100 free (44.59). Malberg earned a berth in the final with a clocking of 44.34. Sophomore Katie Gilmore was LSU’s highest finisher on the women’s side in 13th (50.48), and sophomore Katherine Noland was 16th (50.83).
Gilmore recorded a career-high and the fifth-fastest time in school history in the prelims (50.45).
Sophomores Sarah Bedell and Victoria Givens finished 15th and 16th, respectively in the women’s 200 breaststroke. Givens posted the ninth-best time in school history in the prelims (2:19.92), while Bedell swam the 10th-fastest mark with a career-high time of 2:20.17.
The Tigers closed the meet with a seventh-place finish in the men’s 400 free relay. Malberg, Christoph Lubenau, Connor Farber and Gloeckner swam a time of 2:59.52.
Several LSU swimmers look to solidify their NCAA Championships’ berth at the Last Chance Meet next weekend in Athens, Ga.
“Hopefully this is a sign of good things to come,” said Schmitt. “We now have to refocus for next week and qualify as many as we can for NCAA’s.”
2007 SEC Swimming and Diving Championship
Lancaster Aquatic Center
Lexington Ky.
Women’s Final Team Standings
1. Auburn — 899
2. Georgia — 671
3. Florida — 580
4. Kentucky — 384
5. Tennessee — 349.5
6. LSU — 254.5
7. Alabama — 214
8. South Carolina — 190
9. Arkansas — 143
10. Vanderbilt — 82
Men’s Final Team Standings
1. Auburn — 934
2. Florida — 819.5
3. Georgia — 395
4. Tennessee — 349.5
5. Alabama — 282
6. LSU — 276
7. South Carolina — 261.5
8. Kentucky — 240.5