COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The No. 2-ranked Texas A&M women’s swimming and diving team won its third straight conference title after a dominating, wire-to-wire performance in its home pool at the 2018 Southeastern Conference Championships on Saturday.
Head Coach Steve Bultman said:
(About winning the team’s third straight SEC title) “I’m very pleased. We had some great swims especially without everybody being totally rested and shaved. We picked up some new (NCAA qualifying) cuts and we got a couple more on the bubble – we’ll see. But it’s awesome – especially doing it at home. It makes it special.”
(On team responding to having a target on its back) “We had a little bit of a target, for sure, but at least we’re in the discussion. That’s different from when we first started when we weren’t even considered a threat. So it’s nice to be considered a threat now.”
Notables …
· In just its sixth year in the elite conference, Texas A&M becomes the fourth team to win at least three straight SEC women’s team titles – joining Auburn, Florida and Georgia.
· The 2018 victory marked the Aggies’ seventh conference title of the Steve Bultman era (2000-present). In addition to the last three SEC crowns, Bultman’s Aggies also won Big 12 titles in 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2012.
· The 2016-18 conference title string marked the first time the Aggies have ever won three straight conference titles in program history.
· The winning point total of 1,319 points was the most ever scored by the Aggies at the SEC Championships and the fourth-most ever by a winning women’s team at the Championships.
· The eight relay or individual conference championships matched the most by the Aggies since joining the SEC.
· The seven individual wins were the most by the Aggies since joining the SEC.
· Junior Alais Kalonji’s victory in the platform dive marked the first time an Aggie has won a SEC women’s diving title.
In the Team Standings…
1. Texas A&M 1,319
2. Georgia 1,030
3. Tennessee 950.5
4. Kentucky 877.5
5. Auburn 770
6. Missouri 739
7. Florida 619
8. South Carolina 591
9. Alabama 539
10. Arkansas 461
11. LSU 374
12. Vanderbilt 182
Texas A&M’s 2018 SEC Championships (8):
· 800 freestyle relay (Katie Portz, Claire Rasmus, Kristin Malone, Sydney Pickrem) – 6:55.60
· 200 IM (Sydney Pickrem) – 1:52.69
· 400 IM (Sydney Pickrem) – 3:59.30
· 200 freestyle (Claire Rasmus) – 1:43.62
· 200 butterfly (Jing Quah) – 1:53.05
· 100 breaststroke (Anna Belousova) – 58.86
· 200 breaststroke (Sydney Pickrem) – 2:04.62
· Platform dive (Alaïs Kalonji) – 308.70 points
Final Day Action recaps
Freshman trio contribute points in the 1,650 free
The Aggies received valuable points from the next generation of swimming standouts as a trio of freshmen added to the team point total in the 1,650 freestyle. Haley Yelle was the Aggies’ top finisher in ninth place with a lifetime best time of 16:15.44 that moved her to No. 4 in school history. Joy Field was close behind in 12th with a time of 16:24.86, and Taylor Pike was 23rd in 16:41.84.
Bratton becomes first Aggie under 1:50 in 200 backstroke
Senior Lisa Bratton became the first Aggie to break the 1:50 barrier in the 200 backstroke as she lowered her own school record to 1:49.83. Bratton’s record-setting effort produced a runner-up effort in the race behind Kentucky’s Asia Seidt (1:49.65).
Four Aggies score in the 100 free
Four Aggies contributed points in the 100 freestyle. Senior Kristin Malone placed fourth in 48.31 and junior Claire Rasmus was eighth in 48.56 in the A final. Sophomore Katie Portz was fourth in the B final (12th overall) in 48.99, while junior McKenna DeBever was sixth in the C final (22nd overall) in 49.27.
Aggies clinch crown with breaststroke dominance
Texas A&M removed all doubt in the team race with a dominating 142-point outburst in the 200 breaststroke. The Aggies swept the top four spots with junior Sydney Pickrem leading the way in a SEC meet record time of 2:04.62. Trailing Pickrem in 2-3-4 were sophomore Anna Belousova (2:05.08), senior Bethany Galat (2:06.77) and senior Esther Gonzalez (2:07.15). Senior Jorie Caneta was seventh (2:09.16) and junior Monika Gonzalez-Hermosillo was 19th (2:12.53).
Kalonji wins platform dive
Junior Alais Kalonji was victorious in the final individual event of the meet as she cruised to her first SEC title with a score of 308.70.
Fourth in the 400 free relay
The Aggies closed out the meet with a fourth-place finish in the 400 free relay as the foursome of Malone, Portz, Pickrem and Rasmus touched in 3:14.76.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The No. 11 Texas A&M men’s swimming and diving team broke through for its highest conference finish since joining Southeastern Conference with a runner-up finish in its home pool at the 2018 SEC Championships on Sunday.
In the Team Standings…
1. Florida 1,237
2. Texas A&M 994
3. Georgia 975.5
4. Tennessee 899
5. Missouri 794.5
6. Auburn 791.5
7. South Carolina 765
8. Alabama 661.5
9. Kentucky 575.5
10. LSU 430.5
Head Coach Jay Holmes said:
(On being in the hunt for the SEC title) “It was exciting for our team. It was exciting for our alums and our fans up in the stands. It was very exciting for me too to be that relevant in a meet like the SEC Championships. This is the best conference meet in America. For our team to hop up there and be in the hunt was fun, and it was also frustrating seeing all these points slip through our fingers. For us to make a run at Florida, we knew what we had to do but we just couldn’t catch them.”
Day 5 event recaps
1,650 freestyle
Freshman Felipe Rizzo scratched a point for the Aggies with a 24th place finish in the 1,650 freestyle with a time of 15:21.07.
200 backstroke
Sophomore Anthony Kim, who had a lifetime best of 1:41.49 in the prelims, placed seventh in the 200 backstroke with a time of 1:41.87. Senior Brock Bonetti placed 14th with a time of 1:43.29.
100 free
Sophomore Adam Koster placed 10th in the 100 free with a lifetime best time of 43.08, which put him No. 4 on the Aggies’ all-time list in the race.
200 breaststroke point outburst puts Aggies into second place
The Aggies used a 115-point scoring outburst in the 200 breaststroke move into second place with only the 400 free relay remaining. The Aggies put four swimmers into the Championship final and received a runner-up effort from Mauro Castillo in a time of 1:52.15. Castillo was trailed by teammates Jonathan Tybur (4th, 1:53.55), Tanner Olson (6th, 1:54.29) and junior Austin Van Overdam (7th, 1:54.81). Sophomore Ben Walker also chipped in a 13th place finish in 1:55.50.
400 free relay
With second place virtually assured, the Aggies placed eighth in the 400 free relay with the foursome of Koster, sophomore Mike Thibert, junior Steven Richardson and junior Connor Long touching in 2:54.73.
