Alabama Men Throw Down 1:25.5 200 Medley Relay, Howard Splits 18.8

ALABAMA V. FLORIDA STATE V. MIAMI (FL)

• January 12th, 2019
• Hosts: Alabama
• Results
• Scores
  • Women: FSU 159, Alabama 141 | FSU 239, Miami (FL) 59 | Alabama 225, Miami (FL) 71
  • Men: Alabama 183, FSU 117

WOMEN’S MEET

FSU and Alabama both defeated the Miami Hurricanes, and the fight between FSU and ‘Bama came down to the wire, with the Seminoles able to pull off the win by just 18 points.

Freshmen did very well in this meet. For Florida State, Kertu Alnek and their breaststrokers Ida Hulkko and Nina Kucheran led the way. Alnek was 1:50.41 to take the 200 free and 50.55 in the 100 free, and then she took 2nd in the 100 fly (55.08) behind ‘Bama’s Flora Molnar (54.92). Kucheran was 1:02.00 in the 100 breast, edging Hulkko (1:02.05), and then the Canadian Kucheran was 2:14.24 for the 200 breast win. Hulkko, though, had a strong 27.57 breast split.

‘Bama freshman Kensey McMahon swam a combined 2,550 yards, and she won all three of her events. She was 16:46.71 in the mile, the only finisher under 17 minutes, then 4:54.76 in the 500 free and 4:21.65 in the 400 IM. Rhyan White, another ‘Bama rookie, swept the backstrokes in 55.23/1:58.84.

MEN’S MEET

The big swim came right off the bat in the 200 medley relay, as Alabama’s men combined for a stellar 1:25.57. Looking back to last semester, the fastest time before mid-season invite meets was a 1:26.20, done by Cal in early October. Cal leads the country right now with their 1:23.42 from the Georgia Invitational, while Alabama’s 1:24.51 from the Georgia Tech Invitational has them 6th. They’d been as fast as 1:26.86 in a dual meet before that swim this weekend.

Zane Waddell was 21.39 leading off, then it was Laurent Bams (24.30) on breast, Knox Auerbach (21.00) on fly, and a mega 18.88 anchor from Robert Howard. FSU finished over three seconds back (1:29.39), with Kanoa Kaleoaloha splitting 20.98 on fly. Alabama had Sam Disette (19.78) and Jack Blake (19.74) also split under 20 on B and C relay anchors.

Howard went on to win the 200 free (1:36.72) and 50 free (19.83), and he was the only person under 20 seconds in the 50. Bams took the 100 breast (54.00) and 100 free (44.10), and Waddell won the 100 back (47.55).

Kaleoaloha denied Waddell the second individual win in the 100 fly. The Seminole was 47.75, with Waddell just behind a 47.89.

‘Bama was 1:18.71 in the 200 free relay, with Howard again delivering a heroic anchor leg (18.93). The Crimson Tide won the meet, 183 to 117.