02/21 at 01:27 AM

Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace didn’t have a problem multi-tasking Friday night.

The only setback was losing her voice. It was the only thing the freshman was willing to lose all night.

Vanderpool-Wallace, after going hoarse from cheering on her team during Day 3 of the SEC Swimming and Diving Championships at the James E. Martin Aquatics Center, turned in another gut-check performance in the last stroke of the last event of the evening.

The freshman from Nassau, Bahamas, came from behind in the freestyle portion of the women’s 400-yard medley relay to lead the Tigers to a first-place, SEC-record finish with a time of 3:31.28. Vanderpool-Wallace blazed her 100 yards in 47.30 seconds.

The relay win put the Auburn women in second place and well within striking distance to claim its sixth SEC title in the last seven years. The Tigers are just 8 points behind first place Florida, 534-526.

Auburn’s men are sitting pretty in first heading into the final day of competition 183.5 points ahead of Florida, 588.5-405.

The women started Friday in third place, 58 points behind the Gators.

“We haven’t truly been a team all year,” Auburn women’s co-head coach Dorsey Tierney-Walker said. “We haven’t been put in a situation, or if we have ever remotely been put in a situation where we’ve had to fight, we’ve succumbed to fatigue or whatever it may be. And that ended tonight.”

With Auburn trailing in the 400-medley relay after three strokes, Vanderpool-Wallace did something she wasn’t supposed to before diving in for the anchor leg.

“Honestly, I’ve been told time and time again, ‘Look in our lane, don’t look at anybody else,’” the freshman said. “Before I dove in, I looked and saw where they were. After that, I didn’t pay attention. I dove in, I saw the girl next to me and I knew I had to beat her. The last 50 (yards), I just closed my eyes and got my hand on the wall.”

And it was enough to give the Tigers the momentum heading into today.

“We came out as a team and showed everyone who Auburn was,” Vanderpool-Wallace said. “We showed them this was our pool. Just tonight was a great day for us and we’re coming back stronger tomorrow.”

Caitlin Geary was also instrumental in AU women’s charge Friday, winning the 200 free with a time of 1:43.17.

Ava Ohlgren, too.

The junior won the night’s first event for the women — the 400 IM — with a time of 4:03.70. The swim not only set an SEC record, but it also continued the AU women’s dominance in that event, as the Tigers haven’t lost the 400 IM in the SEC Championships in 10 years.

And now, they’re looking for their sixth conference title.

“We’re always known for the last day being our best,” Geary said. “Last year, we were behind so many more points than we are now. We know we can do it. We just got to close it and finish it up.”

The women also received some help from the diving team, as freshman Anna Aguero finished third in the platform with a score of 285.55.

The Tiger men got there by another strong performance by Matt Targett and a surprise performance from Pascal Wollach.

A day after winning the 50 free, Targett, a two-time Olympic medalist from Australia, blistered the field in the 100 fly, winning the event with a time of 45.02 seconds, setting another SEC record.

It was another 1-2-3 finish for the Tigers, as Jordan Anderson finished second (45.70) and Tyler McGill took third (46.00). Auburn’s Logan Madson finished fifth in the event (46.10), while Jakob Andkjaer – tied with McGill for the top seed heading into the finals — took seventh (46.49).

Wollach then won the 100 backstroke with a 46.04 — a pool record.

“It was a tough day today,” said Wollach, who swam three events Friday night, including a relay. “I had to make sure I was mentally prepared for each one.

“I got into the block (for the 100 back) and just thought to myself, ‘You know what, I might as well just go after it.’ I feel great about that race.”

Targett and Wollach then teamed up with Adam Klein and Logan Madson to win the 400-medley relay with an SEC-record 3:04.58.

It was the icing on an already sweet night for the AU men.

“They keep bringing it,” said AU men’s co-head coach Brett Hawke. “The guys are swimming out of their minds right now. It all started on that first night and sort of snowballed for us.

“They’re so confident, they’re so hungry and just committed. We’ve got a great team right now, and I’m real happy with where we’re at.”

Today’s prelims begin at 10 a.m., with the finals starting at 6 p.m.

The final night of the SEC Championships will include the 1,650 free, 200 back, 100 free, 200 breaststroke, 200 fly, men’s platform diving and the 400-freestyle relay.

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