AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn had six swimmers invited to compete at the NCAA Men's Championships on Wednesday, twice as many as the men had a year ago and tied for third-most among SEC teams this year.
With the addition of diver Conner Pruitt, who clinched his spot at the Zones meet Monday, the Tigers will have a total of seven individual qualifiers.
The swimmers include juniors Lleyton Smith (200 Back) and Aidan Stoffle (100 Back), sophomores Michael Bonson (500 and 1650 Free) and Reid Mikuta (100 and 200 Breast) and freshmen Jacques Rathle (400 IM) and Nate Stoffle (100 and 200 Back).
This will be the first NCAA Championships for all six swimmers. Smith qualified in 2020, but the meet was canceled due to COVID-19. The junior currently holds the 18th-fastest time in the country in the 200 backstroke at 1:40.29.
Mikuta and Bonson led the way at last month's SEC Championships where the Auburn men finished sixth, their highest finish since 2018.
Mikuta made podium twice, finishing second in the 200 breaststroke and third in the 100 breaststroke. The sophomore set the Auburn record in the 200 breast with a time of 1:52.09, and he already holds the program mark in the 100 breast – a record he broke earlier this season. His times are among the top 15 nationally in both events.
Bonson made the A Final in the 200, 500 and 1650 freestyle events at SECs. His best finish came in the 1650 free where he touched the wall fourth with a time of 14:44.63 – the second-fastest time in Auburn history and 16th-fastest time in the country this season.
The Stoffle brothers, Nate and Aidan, both qualified in the 100 backstroke where nationally their times rank No. 19 and No. 25 respectively. Nate Stoffle also made the cut in the 200 backstroke.
Rathle qualified in the 400 IM where he set a new personal best at the Bulldog Invitational Last Chance Meet, finishing in 3:43.07.
Auburn will also send seniors Christian Sztolcman and Matthew Yish and sophomores Mikkel Gadgaard and Logan Tirheimer as relay alternates for NCAAs. All five of the team's relays are qualified. Sztolcman and Gadgaard were two of the team's three representatives at last year's NCAA meet.
The 2022 NCAA Men's Championships is set for March 23-26 and will take place from the McCauley Aquatic Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
INDIVIDUAL QUALIFIERS
Michael Bonson, Sophomore
Reid Mikuta, Sophomore
Conner Pruitt, Senior (Diving)
Jacques Rathle, Freshman
Lleyton Smith, Junior
Aidan Stoffle, Junior
Nate Stoffle, Freshman
RELAY ALTERNATES
Mikkel Gadgaard, Sophomore
Christian Sztolcman, Senior
Logan Tirheimer, Sophomore
Matthew Yish, Senior
Six swimmers earn invites to NCAA Men’s Championships
