The Emory University swimming & diving programs sent a small squad to Auburn University this weekend to compete in the Auburn Invitational and First-Chance meets. The Eagles saw numerous season-best times fall and compiled eight NCAA B Cuts across the two days of competition while sharing the pool with members of Auburn, Alabama, Georgia Tech, Florida State.
Freshmen Katherine Swan and Hayden Tupper highlighted the Eagles on Friday as the duo posted two of the eight NCAA qualifying marks. Swan dropped a 5:00.25 in the 500 Freestyle with Tupper posting a 1:38.79 in the 200 Freestyle. Both Eagles added additional season-best swims on the day with Swan recording a 1:50.38 in the 200 Freestyle and Tupper going for 20.70 in the 50 Freestyle.
Junior Maddie Palatt led the Eagles in a pair of events as well on Friday, touching with the top Emory time in the 200 IM (2:09.33) and 400 IM (4:33.71).
Saturday morning saw the conclusion of the Auburn Invitational, with Emory swimmers turning in five NCAA B Cuts, before the day ended with the First-Chance meets where Eagles had one final opportunity to improve their times.
In the invitational portion of the day, freshmen Lou Elayi and Pooja Hemige had NCAA B Cuts for the women with Elayi touching at 2:20.45 in the 200 Breaststroke and Hemige coming in at 2:05.49 in the 200 Fly. For the men, junior Anderson Holcomb and senior Chris Dieffenthaller had NCAA cuts in the 200 Breaststroke with Holcomb going for 2:00.59 and Dieffenthaller finishing right behind him at 2:00.71.
Tupper followed his solid Friday showing with another NCAA B Cut performance in the 100 Freestyle on Saturday, finishing with a time of 45.07. Sophomore Jeff George rounded out the top Emory men performers with a season-best mark in the 200 Back at 1:49.47.
Palatt registered another season-best time on Saturday as well, this time touching with a time of 2:05.21 in the 200 Backstroke while freshman Cece York also came through with a season-best mark as she led the Eagles in the 100 Freestyle with a time of 52.04.
Holcomb headlined the Eagles in the First-Chance meet, recording the lone NCAA B Cut across 10 combined events. Holcomb was second in the 100 Breaststroke, clocking in at 54.93.
The Eagles continue their final stretch of the season later this week when the UAA Championships get underway on Wednesday in Chicago, Illinois.