The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Auburn
No. 11 Auburn edges No. 5 Women's Swimming and Diving, 153-145
01.10.2013 | Women's Swimming and Diving
Jan. 10, 2013
AUBURN, Ala. - Texas senior swimmer Laura Sogar and UT junior diver Maren Taylor posted two wins apiece, but No. 11 Auburn (5-0) emerged with a narrow 153-145 victory over the fifth-ranked Longhorns (3-2) Thursday at Auburn's James E. Martin Aquatics Center.
The women's three-meter diving event preceded the start of the swimming events, and it was Texas' Taylor who came away with the victory with 324.60 points. Senior Shelby Cullinan placed third with 291.38 points. Auburn opened the swimming events with a win in the 200-yard medley relay in 1 minute, 39.07 seconds. UT's quartet of Sarah Denninghoff, Sogar, Kelsey Amundsen and Ellen Lobb took second in 1:40.62.
The 1000 freestyle shaped up as a tight race between Auburn's Katie Gardocki and Texas' Kaitlin Pawlowicz. Gardocki rallied in the final 100 yards to take the win in 9:45.06, while Pawlowicz took second in 9:45.66. Gardocki added a win in the next event, the 200 freestyle in 1:48.06. UT junior Samantha Tucker took second in 1:48.71, while senior Bethany Adams placed third in 1:49.19.
Another of many tight races on the day was on display in the 100 backstroke, where Auburn's Aubrey Peacock edged Texas' Denninghoff. Peacock took first in 54.68, and Denninghoff took second in 54.76. Sogar scored UT's first individual win of the day in the 100 breaststroke and prevailed in 1:00.99. Sogar smashed her school record in the event last month at the AT&T Winter National Championships. Sophomore Gretchen Jaques solidified a one-two Texas finish in 1:01.21.
Auburn took another close win in the 200 butterfly where the Tigers' Sarah Peterson's effort of 1:59.63 was just enough to edge the 1:59.76 produced by Pawlowicz. AU won by a mere one-hundredth of a second in the 50 freestyle, as Hannah Riordan edged Texas' Lobb in 22.85. Texas' Amundsen took third in 23.29.
Taylor cemented her second win of the afternoon and claimed the one-meter diving event with 293.18 points. Amundsen paced Texas in the 100 freestyle with a fourth-place time of 50.36. Denninghoff added a second-place mark of 1:58.87 in the 200 backstroke. Auburn's Caitlyn Forman won the event in 1:58.77.
Going head-to-head against Olympian Micah Lawrence, Sogar nailed down her second win of the day, as she captured the 200 breaststroke in 2:10.34. Gardocki secured her third win of the day in the 500 freestyle, and Pawlowicz finished less than a second behind in 4:50.12. Sophomore Kelsey LeNeave took third in 4:50.89.
Auburn's Olivia Scott claimed the 100 butterfly in 53.35 while UT's Jaques took second in 53.77. Texas' Lobb placed third in 53.92 to round out a particularly fast 100 butterfly field.
Texas sophomore Skylar Smith posted an easy win in the 200 individual medley in 2:01.42 after setting a personal best in the event at the recent AT&T Winter National Championships. UT sophomore Shelby Webber took second in 2:03.25, and Sogar rounded out a one-two-three Texas showing in 2:04.33.
Texas capped the meet with a win in the 200 freestyle relay, where Amundsen, Jaques, Lobb and Adams finished in 1:30.79.
Texas completes its road swing on Saturday when it takes on Georgia at UGA's Gabrielsen Natatorium.
