AUBURN MEN AND WOMEN WIN FIRST DOUBLE WIN SINCE 2019 BEATING ARCH-RIVALS ALABAMA
The Auburn Tigers have swept the Alabama Crimson Tide for the first time since 2019. This victory ended the women’s two-match losing streak and extended the men’s winning streak to four games. Since 2015, Auburn has defeated Alabama on the road in both the men’s and women’s competitions.
The game ended both teams’ dual meet seasons, but their rivalry is far from over as both teams prepare for the upcoming pre-conference Auburn Invite and the SEC Championships, which are also being hosted by Auburn in February.
The distance crew continues to work during the spring semester, but Auburn head coach Ryan Wochomurka has prioritized rebuilding the sprint program that the Eagles were known for in their heyday—including when he was a member of the team.
The 1000 free event was won by Leeds, Alabama junior Mason Mathias in 8:58.97, a stunning 29 seconds faster than the team’s previous dual meet against Georgia on January 6. Only the 8:51 he ran in this dual meet last season is better than that time in his career, though that may have been intentional. Mathias reached his peak at the SEC Championships the previous year and then added at the NCAAs. If this year’s intense winter training causes him to recover from it a little more slowly
In the 1000 free, he set the pace for a 1-2 finish, with teammate Grant Davis coming in second in 9:03.76. In a 1000 freestyle that wasn’t a split on the way to a mile, that was the best moment of his career.
However, Charlie Hawke of Alabama (4:18.62) defeated Mathias (4:19.88) to win the 500 free. Along with that, Hawke won the 200 free in 1:32.90, about three tenths faster than his meet record from the previous year.
Hawke’s 200-free swim broke the pool record for Alabama. Shaune Fraser, the 2008 NCAA Champion, set the previous record with a swim time of 1:34.23.
Gary Taylor, the former head coach at Auburn who is best known as a distance coach, recruited that group of junior distance runners. In the 200 medley relay, Auburn was also able to start the meet with a sprint victory. There, a 1:24.24 was achieved by the quartet of Nate Stoffle (21.29), Kalle Makinen (18.85), Henry Bethel (23.31), and Sohib Khaled (20.79). This season, the NC State medley relay against Arizona State, the Cal relay against Arizona on Friday, and three Arizona State relays rank higher than the 20th-best medley relay in the nation at any meet and dual meets, respectively.
Makinen (19.39) and Stoffle (19.63) went on to win the 100 free in 43.01 after Makinen went 1-2 in the 50 free.
But Alabama did land one last blow. Alabama defeated Auburn with a time of 2:51.33 in the meet-ending 400 free relay, thanks to the efforts of Zarek Wilson (43.70), Charlie Hawke (42.16), Kaique Alves (42.47), and Tim Korstanje (43.00). Makinen’s 42.46 put Auburn ahead, but Hawke’s long reach was the best split of the field.
In this intrastate rivalry, the Auburn Tigers defeated two pool records from Alabama to claim their first victory in over four years.
The 200 medley relay team from Alabama started the meet with a time of 1:35.81, more than two seconds faster than the previous record set in 2008. Gaby van Brunt (24.03), Avery Wiseman (26.60), Kailyn Winter (23.42), and Cadence Vincent (21.76) were among the participants in that relay.
It’s actually six tenths faster than the “A” relay that was disqualified at the Tennessee Invite mid-season, and a significant part of that improvement can be attributed to Van Brunt filling in for fellow freshman Jada Scott. Although Scott did not compete in the meet and has not done so yet this semester, Van Brunt’s 24.0 split could guarantee her a spot moving forward.
The Crimson Tide meet an NCAA “A” standard with that.
The Auburn women followed closely behind, setting a season-best time of 1:36.25, narrowly missing their own “A” standard.
Now, Auburn is ranked 11th this season, and Alabama is ranked 9th in the nation.
But after that first race, the tide swiftly shifted in the Tigers’ favor. A 1-2 Auburn finish was led by Averee Preble, who won the 1000 free in a new personal best of 9:39.53, and Polina Nevmovenko, who triumphed in the 200 free shortly after in 1:46.08.
Auburn won five straight events with a 1-2 in the 100 back (Kensley Merritt, 52.21, Ellie Waldrep, 52.46), a thrilling 59.72 victory in the 100 breast (Stasya Makarova), and a 1:56.34 victory in the 200 fly (Meghan Lee).
But then it was back to the sprints, where head coach Margo Geer, a former elite sprinter herself, is developing a young core of talent at Alabama. Despite Scott’s noticeable absence, Cadence Vincent, another freshman sprint standout from Alabama, won the 50 free in 22.42, besting Lexie Mulvihill of Auburn, who came in second (22.44).
