Photo by: Texas A&M Athletics
Texas A&M men break two school records on SEC Day 1
Feb 19, 2019 | Men's Swimming and Diving
ATHENS, Ga. --- The Texas A&M men's swimming and diving team broke two school records and made two trips to the award podium to highlight its first day at the 2019 Southeastern Conference Championships on Tuesday at the University of Georgia.
Divers Sam Thornton and Kurtis Mathews got the Aggie men out to a fast start by placing second and fourth, respectively, in the 1-meter dive. Thornton took the silver medal with a lifetime best score of 421.40, while Mathews grabbed fourth with a 385.20 point total.
"I was able to put together six really good dives for a personal best, which I was really happy about," Thornton said. "(SEC 1m dive champion) Juan (Hernandez from LSU) is a really good competitor and we face him a lot. It's always good competition and good fun."
Highlighting the action in the pool was the third-place finish by the 800-yard freestyle relay, which was the Aggies' highest place in the race since joining the SEC. The foursome of freshman Clayton Bobo, sophomore transfer Mark Theall, senior Steven Richardson and freshman Shaine Casas took nearly four seconds off the old school standard set earlier this season. Tonight's race featured the two fastest 200-yard free splits in school history as Theall posted a time of 1:32.30 and Casas anchored in 1:33.61.
Texas A&M also took down the school record in the 200-yard medley relay with the foursome of Casas, junior Ben Walker, senior Angel Martinez and junior Adam Koster touching in 1:23.67, which took nearly a quarter of a second off the old record. Koster's anchor leg 50 free split of 18.54 was the fastest in school history.
After one day of action, the Aggies were in second place with 158 points. Tennessee led the way with 187 points. Looking up at the Volunteers and Aggies were Missouri (146), Kentucky (142), Alabama (135), Florida (123), Auburn (121), South Carolina (117), LSU (115) and Georgia (94).
Divers Sam Thornton and Kurtis Mathews got the Aggie men out to a fast start by placing second and fourth, respectively, in the 1-meter dive. Thornton took the silver medal with a lifetime best score of 421.40, while Mathews grabbed fourth with a 385.20 point total.
"I was able to put together six really good dives for a personal best, which I was really happy about," Thornton said. "(SEC 1m dive champion) Juan (Hernandez from LSU) is a really good competitor and we face him a lot. It's always good competition and good fun."
Highlighting the action in the pool was the third-place finish by the 800-yard freestyle relay, which was the Aggies' highest place in the race since joining the SEC. The foursome of freshman Clayton Bobo, sophomore transfer Mark Theall, senior Steven Richardson and freshman Shaine Casas took nearly four seconds off the old school standard set earlier this season. Tonight's race featured the two fastest 200-yard free splits in school history as Theall posted a time of 1:32.30 and Casas anchored in 1:33.61.
Texas A&M also took down the school record in the 200-yard medley relay with the foursome of Casas, junior Ben Walker, senior Angel Martinez and junior Adam Koster touching in 1:23.67, which took nearly a quarter of a second off the old record. Koster's anchor leg 50 free split of 18.54 was the fastest in school history.
After one day of action, the Aggies were in second place with 158 points. Tennessee led the way with 187 points. Looking up at the Volunteers and Aggies were Missouri (146), Kentucky (142), Alabama (135), Florida (123), Auburn (121), South Carolina (117), LSU (115) and Georgia (94).
Players Mentioned
Free/Fly
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Back/Fly/Free
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Free
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Fly/IM
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Diving
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Back/Free
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Free
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Diving
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