LEXINGTON, Ky. — The LSU men’s swimming and diving team moved up two spots to fifth place on Friday night at the Southeastern Conference Swimming Championships behind five finals’ appearances at the Lancaster Aquatic Center.
The men are four points ahead of Alabama, 203-199, for the fifth spot and trail Auburn (703), Florida (547.5), Georgia (308) and Tennessee (254.5).
The LSU women’s team sits firmly in sixth place with 240.5 points. Eighty points separates LSU and seventh-place Alabama. Auburn has all but secured a sweep of both titles with a commanding 622 points on the women’s side.
Sophomore Julius Gloeckner continued the momentum the team built by medaling in the 400 individual medley. Gloeckner took third in the championship final with a time of 3:50.45 as he improved on his mark of 3:51.59 in the prelims. He was only .37 seconds out of second place.
Sophomore Christoph Lubenau took seventh in the championship final of the 100 butterfly with a final clocking of 47.99. Lubenau qualified for the heat with the fourth-fastest time in school history in the prelims (47.57).
Junior Miko Malberg earned a berth in the consolation final of the 100 fly, and he placed seventh (15th overall) with a mark of 49.32.
Sophomore Connor Farber picked up where he left off on Thursday by recording another lifetime best swim. Farber finished third (11th overall) in the consolation final of the 200 freestyle with the seventh-best time in school history (1:38.41).
Junior Kevin Braud finished with a career-high time in the 100 backstroke. Braud, whose previous personal best was 48.49, touched the wall with the third-fastest mark in school history (48.41) to place sixth in the championship final.
Braud, Gloeckner, Lubenau and Malberg helped the Tigers to a fifth-place finish in the 400 medley relay (3:16.29).
Meanwhile, the LSU women’s 400 medley relay squad of sophomore Katie Gilmore, sophomore Victoria Givens, senior Colleen Bertirotti and sophomore Katherine Noland finished .11 seconds off of a school record in seventh place (3:45.90).
Two Lady Tiger freshmen reached consolation finals on Friday. Lauren Grandy delivered the fifth-best 200 free swim in school history in a 13th-place finish (1:49.59). Signe Larson took 16th in the 100 breaststroke in a time of 1:05.31.
LSU’s highest scorer in the 100 breaststroke came from Victoria Givens. Givens posted the sixth-fastest clocking in school history while placing 15th (1:04.55).
Gilmore clocked the second-fastest 100 backstroke time in LSU history in the prelims (56.01). She placed third in the consolation final (11th overall) in a mark of 56.09.
The final day of events begin at 9 a.m. CST followed by finals at 5 p.m. CST.
2007 SEC Swimming and Diving Championship
Lancaster Aquatic Center
Lexington Ky.
Women’s Team Standings (After Day 6)
1. Auburn — 622
2. Georgia — 456
3. Florida — 386
4. Kentucky — 307
5. Tennessee — 263.5
6. LSU — 240.5
7. Alabama — 159
8. South Carolina — 128
9. Arkansas — 112
10. Vanderbilt — 64
Men’s Team Standings (After Day 6)
1. Auburn — 703
2. Florida — 547.5
3. Georgia — 308
4. Tennessee — 254.5
5. LSU — 203
6. Alabama — 199
7. South Carolina — 197.5
8. Kentucky — 146.5