Feb. 25, 2018
ATHENS, Ga. – With one last chance to turn in NCAA qualifying times, a total of 12 Yellow Jacket swimmers competed at the Bulldog Invitational Last Chance Meet on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 24-25, at the Gabrielsen Natatorium in Athens, Ga.
A number of Yellow Jacket swimmers will return to the pool this week to compete in the TYR Pro Swim Series event held at the McAuley Aquatic Center from March 1-4, while others will head to Austin, Texas to take part in the American Short Course Championships on March 1-3.
Tech will also send a handful of divers to the NCAA Zone Diving Championships held on March 5-7 in Knoxville, Tenn.
Women’s Highlights
The women’s team, which had a total of five swimmers compete over the weekend, was led by two NCAA B times and a handful of career best marks at the last chance event.
Freshman Julia Shuford touched the wall in an NCAA B qualifying time of 2:14.91 in the women’s 200 breast, while fellow first-year Jacket Grace Mauldin turned in an NCAA B time of 54.71 in the 100 back.
Junior Megan Hansen recorded a career-best mark of 23.66 in the 50 free prelims before turning in a finals time of 23.86, while Shuford posted a new career-best time of 2:05.07 in the women’s 200 IM prelims and a time of 2:05.53 in the finals on day one.
Shuford also touched the wall in a new career-best time of 1:03.94 in the women’s 100 breast finals after posting a time of 1:04.32 in the prelims, while fellow freshman Alexandra Nilsson recorded a new personal-best time of 1:03.93 in the 100 breast prelims on Saturday.
Mauldin, an Athens, Ga. native, turned in a time of 2:00.61 in the women’s 200 back prelims and then beat that mark with a time of 2:00.18 in the finals, a new personal best mark.
Sophomore Emily Dykstra competed in the 500 free, recording a prelims time of 5:14.67 and a finals time of 5:15.03, and also in the 200 free where she posted times of 1:58.51 in the prelims and 1:58.80 in the finals on Saturday.
On day two of the two-day meet, Shuford turned in a career-best NCAA B time of 2:19.06 in the 200 breast finals (2:16.14 – prelims), while Mauldin recorded an NCAA B standard time of 54.71 in the 100 back (55.92 – prelims).
Hansen turned in a finals time of 51.13 in the 100 free after posting a time of 51.53 in the prelims and then went on to record a season-best time of 58.39 in the 100 back prelims on Sunday.
Tech’s Dykstra competed in the 200 fly event, posting times of 2:17.66 in the prelims and 2:15.09 in the finals, while Nilsson recorded a career-best time of 2:19.06 in the 200 breast finals after touching the wall in a time of 2:20.99 in the prelims on the final day of the meet.
Men’s Highlights
A total of seven male swimmers took part in the Bulldog Invitational Last Chance Meet this weekend, with six of the seven setting a number of new personal best times across multiple events.
On Saturday, Aidan Pastel, Austin Daniel and Jonathan Vater all registered new personal best times in the 50 free. Pastel recorded a then-career-best time of 20.40 in the prelims and then topped that with a time of 20.38 in the finals. Both Daniel (20.65) and Vater (20.80) posted new personal records in the 50 free prelims.
Pastel also set a new career-best time of 1:40.08 in the men’s 200 free prelims, while Vater went on to set another personal record in the men’s 200 free finals with a time of 1:40.23. Daniel recorded a time of 49.82 in the 100 back time trial on Saturday.
Sophomore Austin Whalen turned in a new career-best mark of 1:38.48 in the men’s 200 free prelims and also touched the wall in a time of 1:53.88 in the 200 fly time trial on day one of competition.
Aidan Brook recorded times of 4:45.47 (prelims) and 4:45.96 (finals) in the 500 free and also turned in a time of 1:47.46 in the 200 free prelims on Saturday.
Freshman Leon Warnakulasuriya recorded times of 1:50.45 (prelims) and 1:50.70 (finals) in the 200 back, while fellow first-year Jacket Jeffrey Murray turned in new career-best times of 1:40.45 in the 200 free finals and a time of 20.87 in the 50 free prelims.
On Sunday, Pastel (44.95), Vater (45.07) and Whalen (45.70) all set new personal best marks in the 100 free finals, while Daniel (45.61) and Murray (45.86) also competed in the event.
Daniel turned in a time of 54.09 in the 100 back prelims, while Warnakulasuriya backed up his prelims time of 51.06 with a finals time of 50.90 in the evening session. Tech’s Brook recorded a time of 16:34.87 in the men’s 1650 free event.
In the time trials, Whalen touched the wall in a time of 1:53.88 in the 100 fly, while Daniel posted a mark of 49.82 in the 100 back.
Both Whalen (21.66) and Daniel (21.17) joined Murray (21.16) in the men’s 50 free time trial in the evening session.
Tech Tidbits
* Emily Dykstra recorded a season-best time of 5:14.67 in the prelims of the women’s 500 free.
* Julia Shuford turned in a career-best time of 2:05.07 in the women’s 200 IM prelims.
* Shuford also recorded a new personal-best mark of 1:03.94 in the finals of the 100 breast.
* Shuford registered an NCAA B qualifying time of 2:14.91 in the 200 breast finals, also a persona best mark.
* Megan Hansen posted a new personal-best time of 23.66 in the women’s 50 free prelims.
* Grace Mauldin set a new personal-best time of 2:00.18 in the women’s 200 back finals.
* Mauldin also turned in a new career-best and NCAA B time of 54.71 in the 100 back finals.
* Alexandra Nilsson recorded a new career-best mark of 1:03.93 in the 100 breast prelims.
* Nilsson also posted a new personal-best time of 2:19.06 in the 200 breast finals.
* Aidan Pastel picked up a new career-best time of 20.40 in the men’s 50 free prelims and then bested that time with a mark of 20.38 in the finals.
* Pastel also recorded a new personal-best time of 1:40.08 in the men’s 200 free prelims.
* Pastel turned in a new career-best mark of 44.95 in the 100 free finals.
* Austin Daniel registered a personal-best mark of 20.65 in the men’s 50 free prelims.
* Jonathan Vater turned in a career-best time of 20.80 in the men’s 50 free prelims.
* Vater touched the wall in a new career-best time of 45.07 in the men’s 100 free finals.
* Vater also recorded a new personal-best mark of 1:40.23 in the men’s 200 free finals.
* Austin Whalen picked up a new career-best mark of 1:38.48 in the men’s 200 free prelims.
* Whalen also recorded a new personal-best time of 45.70 in the men’s 100 free finals.
* Jeffrey Murray posted a new personal-best time of 1:40.45 in the men’s 200 free finals.
+ career-best marks represent times/scores while competing for Georgia Tech
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