Texas men's swim team beats A&M

  • By DAVID HARRIS

  • Posted: Saturday, February 4, 2012 7:00 a.m.
  • Text size: A A A


Though Senior Night, a tornado warning, an hour delay and an appearance from the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band made Friday night's men's swimming and diving meet between Texas A&M and No. 2 Texas a near spectacle, nothing in the pool changed from the norm.


Texas' dominance over A&M in the Big 12 ended with another victory as the Longhorns won 133.5-102.5 at the Student Rec Center Natatorium.


"It's a bitter pill in so many ways because Texas took it to us in so many places," A&M head coach Jay Holmes said. "And that's what I'm never going to be happy with."


Though the Aggies took a tough defeat, Holmes said he thought the team actually registered a solid performance. Texas was just too much.


"Texas just swam great," he said. "I thought our guys stepped up and raced really well. The scores don't indicate it though."


Boris Loncaric, in his final home meet, won the Aggies' first race of the night in the 200-yard butterfly. Loncaric got out to the lead from the get-go and finished with a 1:46:95, a season-best for the team, beating the mark of 1:50:70 he set at the Texas Invitational.


"I thought that was a lot of fun for him," Holmes said. "Senior Day, him stepping up in his final meet at home. That was a great swim by him. I'm proud for him."


Senior Amini Fonua won the team's second race when he put together a 2:02:50 in the 200-yard breaststroke. Holmes took pride in the fact that, though the meet had already been decided, he swam like everything was on the line.


"How fun was that?" he said. "Last individual race of his career in this building. The meet was already decided by then but Amini is a racer at heart."


The brightest spot for the Aggies was senior diver Grant Nel, who won the 3-meter with a school record of 476.48.


"He's the best," Holmes said. "Grant's going to be tough to replace."


Nel scored his first nine of the night on his third dive on the 3-meter. But he saved his best for last. On his final dive, a front 4 1/2 somersault tuck, he notched his highest score of the night that clinched the victory, the record and elicited an outburst from his giddy teammates on the side of the pool.


"I always leave it to the end," Nel said. "It's the hardest dive I do. I like to do it with a little bit of pressure. It always seems to pay off."


The Aggies now move forward to its final Big 12 Championships, set for Feb. 22 in Colombia, Mo.

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