2018 AUBURN INVITATIONAL
- Live Results
- Hosted by Auburn
- Friday, February 2nd – Sunday, February 4th
- 25 Yards
- Invitational Format
The Auburn Tigers rank 14th in our latest men’s NCAA Power Rankings and freshman Hugo Gonzalez is a big reason why. The Spaniard kicked off his opening year at Auburn with a bang, earning 2 school records right off the bat back in December at the Georgia Invitational. His 200 IM time of 1:42.02 and 400 IM mark of 3:39.28 wrote Gonzalez into the Auburn record books, but also check him in among the NCAA’s fastest this season.
Gonzalez’s 200 IM effort from that meet still remains as the 3rd best effort nationwide in D1 this season, while his 400 IM ranks Gonzalez as number 1 with an A cut. The frosh also owns an A cut in the 200 backstroke, an event in which he notched a solid 1:39.05 to rank #2 in the nation heading into championship season.
Most recently while competing at the Auburn Invitational, the 18-year-old threw down a big personal best in an event he’s only contested one other time, the 200 breaststroke. In a sole swimmer time trial, Gonzalez registered a time of 1:53.98 to rank 8th in the nation in this ‘off’ event. Per Auburn Associate Head Coach Sergio Lopez’s Instagram, Gonzales only took 4 strokes per 25 for the first 150, ‘not bad for not being his main stroke and being unshaved’ Lopez remarked. Lopez, who like Gonzalez is a Spaniard, took a bronze medal in the 200 breaststroke at the 1988 Summer Olympics.
Gonzalez now ranks in the top 10 in the SEC in 6 different events this season:
- 200 free – 7th – 1:34.79
- 100 back – 5th – 46.24
- 200 back – 1st – 1:39.05
- 200 breast – 2nd – 1:53.98
- 200 IM – 2nd – 1:42.02
- 400 IM – 1st – 3:39.28
Although it’s unlikely Gonzalez would take on the 200 breast as an individual event come NCAAs, the fact he earned an unrested time that would have finished 8th in last year’s championship final speaks to the young star’s talent.
Wow. If I remember correctly he is a backstroker in LCM.
Well things got interested in the IM because I never heard of a swimmer who has his two best style in breast and back.
Backstroker/Imer exactly because he has a strong combination backstroke/breaststroke (also his free and fly are pretty good), a rare one, I agree (on the women’s side there is Alex Walsh), and a good endurance still not entirely expressed in the 4.14.65 swum at last World Junior Champs (golden medal in 400 im).
What it’s most astonishing in his freshman season is that SCY isn’t absolutely favourable to Gonzalez considering his weakness in turns and his relatively lack of speed (at last Junior World he won the 400 im but was out of the podium in the 200 im).
Great impact and much more to come.
Gonzalez got 2nd in the 50 back to MA, and won the 100 back at WJs. I’m not seeing this lack of speed you talk of.
I wrote relatively .
Oh man. He’s with Sergio. Good luck everyone in the NCAA for the next 4 years… maybe 3 after this one
Kind of hard not to justify putting him in the 200 breast at SEC’s or NCAA’s considering the toughness of backstroke if he really wasn’t shaved or tapered.
He has a really, really good chance to win the 200 back with the only big competition Mulcare and Katz
Can’t forget about Michael Taylor. Easily one of the most impressive swimmers in the SEC right now and even more impressive when he tapers.
Shebat?
Daniel Carr?
Hitting 52 from a push if I’m reading the description of the photo correctly.
In backstroke, just to be clear. But based on the set and the intervals, that’s extremely impressive.
Video?
Wow! Great swim. Congratulations Sergio and Hugo.
Nice communication by the Coach to share his workout sets over social media.