COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Alabama swimming and diving came away from day one of the Southeastern Conference Championships with a pair of school records.
The Crimson Tide men earned a podium finish in the 200 medley relay, taking third with a season-best 1:23.58 from senior Luke Kaliszak, junior Laurent Bams, sophomore Zane Waddell and junior Robert Howard.
Alabama took fourth in the women’s 200 medley relay when juniors Katie Kelsoe and Justine Macfarlane combined with freshman Flora Molnar and senior Bailey Scott to stop the clock with a new school record of 1:36.81. The Tide’s new mark shaved a quarter of a second off the previous record set last season.
Both medley relays bettered the automatic NCAA standard and will advance to the national championships.
Freshman Leonie Kullmann led off the Tide’s 800 freestyle relay with a new school 200 freestyle record of 1:45.31, bettering the standard she set in the fall by half a second. Kullmann, freshmen Lydia Jackson and Julia Kukla, along with senior Mia Nonnenberg combined to post a 7:12.73, taking ninth place.
The men’s 800 freestyle relay of seniors Matthew Adams, Christopher Reid and Will Freeman and junior Christian Arseneau combined for a 6:27.30 and ninth place.
Thursday marks the SEC Championships first full day of competition, with prelims getting started at 10 a.m. CT and finals starting at 6 p.m. Day two events include men’s and women’s 500 freestyle, 200 individual medley and 50 freestyle as well as the men’s 1-meter springboard diving event.
