The Auburn Tigers swimming and diving teams concluded their regular season at the Auburn Invitational, held at the James E. Martin Aquatics Center. Head coach Ryan Wochomurka said the team gained momentum from a series of strong performances over the weekend.
The women’s 200 free relay team, consisting of Elizaveta Klevanovich, Lora Komoroczy, Izzy Iwasyk, and Kate Murray, opened with a time of 1:27.81. In individual events, Sammie Hamilton posted a 4:47.05 in the 500 free while Lilly Gault Abdella achieved her season-best with a time of 4:49.73.
In the 50 free event, both Iwasyk (22.45) and Bell Ekk (22.74) delivered their best times for the season. On the men’s side, Luke Bedsole (19.63) and Jon VanZandt (19.87) each swam under 20 seconds in the event for the first time this season.
During Friday evening’s session, Komoroczy, Kiia Metsakonkola, Iwasyk and Klevanovich recorded a time of 1:35.30 in the 200 medley relay—marking it as the fifth-fastest performance in program history.
Daniel Krichevsky led in the 100 fly with a season-best time of 46.06 seconds; Sohib Khaled finished just behind at 46.09 seconds followed by Bradford Johnson at 46.48 seconds.
Senior swimmers Danny Schmidt (1:34.29) and Bedsole (1:34.52) showed improvement in form during their swims in the 200 free event.
Annika Finzen broke into sub-60 second territory for her first time in career competition for the women’s 100 breaststroke with a leading time of 59.98 seconds among Auburn competitors.
Uros Zivanovic posted a time of 51.98 seconds to move up to fifth on Auburn’s all-time performers list.
Three swimmers—Wyllo Hanson (49.12), Iwasyk (49.19), and Kate Murray (49.25)—completed sub-49:30 times during a women’s 100 free trial swim; Hanson led with her fastest mark this season.
Zoey Zeller became Auburn’s tenth-fastest performer ever in school history for women’s breaststroke after finishing her race in two minutes nine point eighty-five seconds.
Saturday morning saw Kyla Maloney post her best seasonal result at one minute fifty-six point forty-eight seconds in women’s backstroke competition.
On Saturday afternoon, Daniel Krichevsky (42.80) and Kalle Makinen (42.81) both finished under forty-three seconds during men’s freestyle races; senior Jon VanZandt added his own personal best at forty-three point twelve seconds.
The highlight on Saturday was when Klevanovich, Komoroczy, Iwasyk and Ekk earned an NCAA qualifying mark by finishing their women’s four hundred free relay race at three minutes thirteen point thirteen seconds.
In diving events overseen by coach John Fox’s staff:
– Emily Hallifax scored two hundred ninety-eight point forty-three points on Platform.
– Juliette Landi secured first place on three-meter springboard with three hundred forty-one point fifty-five points ahead of Kyleigh Kidd (329.10) and Chloe Borthers (320.48). Kidd also won one-meter springboard scoring three hundred nine point thirty.
– Freshman Tsvetomir Ereminov achieved his Zones qualification score after recording three hundred sixty-seven point seventy-three points on Platform; Talan Blackmon followed closely behind.
– Ereminov continued consistent results Saturday posting three hundred three point fifteen points on three-meter board as well.
Auburn will next compete from February sixteenth through twenty-first at this year’s SEC Championships hosted by Alan Jones Aquatics Center located in Knoxville Tennessee.
