ATLANTA — Thirteen LSU swimmers qualified for championship finals on Sunday, and the LSU swimming and diving teams concluded the Georgia Tech Invitational with a pair of team runner-up finishes.
The 19th-ranked LSU men’s team was edged by No. 24 Florida State, 928-908, but the Tigers comfortably secured second place by a 213 point margin over third-place North Carolina State. The Wolfpack tallied 695 points, and Georgia Tech was fourth with 618 points.
The LSU women’s team also earned second place by a large margin. The Lady Tigers racked up 812 points. Florida State earned a sweep of the meet with 1,127 points on the women’s side. North Carolina State was third with 445 points, and Duke finished fourth with 422.5 points.
Leading the way was junior Katherine Noland and senior Miko Malberg on Sunday. Noland captured the championship heat of the women’s 100 freestyle with an NCAA provisional mark of 49.99. Following closely behind was fellow junior Katie Gilmore, who recorded an NCAA “B” cut of her own with second place (50.10).
Noland, Gilmore, freshman Jane Trepp and junior Monica McJunkin closed the meet with a win in the 400 free relay. The group recorded an NCAA provisional time of 3:22.88.
Malberg was one of three Tigers to earn berths to the men’s 100 free championship final. The senior sprinted to a first-place finish with an NCAA provisional clocking of 44.46. Freshman Hannes Heyl was fourth (45.93), and junior Connor Farber was seventh (47.21).
Malberg, Heyl, Farber and junior Julius Gloeckner made it an LSU sweep of relays with first place in the men’s 400 free (3:00.57).
Freshman Luis Gonzalez notched the fifth-fastest 1,650 free time in school history by recording a mark of 15:40.19 to finish fourth in the men’s portion. Freshman Clint Hallum posted a seventh-place time of 16:09.82.
Senior Clare Schepens was LSU’s highest finisher in the women’s 1,650 free (17:14.38), while freshman Brooke Barnett took 11th (17:17.24).
Junior Berit Aljand finished seventh in the women’s 200 backstroke (2:04.89). Senior Kevin Braud took fourth in the men’s 200 back (1:51.13).
LSU recorded 5-6-7-8 finishes in the women’s 200 breaststroke “A” final led by junior Victoria Givens (2:21.53). Junior Sarah Bedell was sixth (2:22.46) followed in seventh place by freshman Signe Larson (2:24.25). Freshman Kannon Betzen took eighth (2:25.66).
Sophomore Nate Telep was fifth in the men’s 200 breaststroke championship heat with a time of 2:05.22.
Gloeckner earned a runner-up finish in the championship final of the men’s 200 butterfly (1:50.66). Sophomore Sean LeNeave took third place (1:51.76).
In women’s platform diving, senior Paige Brown finished seventh (205.15). Freshman Michael Neubacher was the Tigers’ highest scorer in the men’s platform with third place (323.25). Junior Niko Dalman was sixth (267.35).
The LSU divers return to action when they host the LSU Diving Invitational, Dec. 1-2. The LSU swimmers head to Tuscaloosa, Ala., for the Alabama Invitational, Nov. 30-Dec. 2.
2007 Georgia Tech Invitational
Georgia Tech Aquatic Center
Atlanta, Ga.
Men’s Final Team Standings
1. Florida State — 928
2. LSU — 908
3. North Carolina State — 695
4. Georgia Tech — 618
5. Duke — 360
6. Florida Atlantic — 181
7. Miami — 98
Women’s Final Team Standings
1. Florida State — 1,127
2. LSU — 812
3. North Carolina State — 445
4. Duke — 422.5
5. Miami — 422
6. Georgia Tech — 408
7. Florida Atlantic — 330.5