The SMU swimming & diving team dropped its opening meet of the year Thursday night, 65-48, to Auburn at Perkins Natatorium.

Two first place showings by freshman Flavia Rigamonti were not enough for the Mustangs as NCAA record holder Maggie Bowen recorded first place times in two different events as well to lead the Tigers to victory. Auburn jumped out early, finishing first in the 200 medley relay to begin the night, but SMU bounced back as Rigamonti was just shy of setting a pool and school record in her first event as a Mustang, the 1,000 free.

Junior Lotta Wanberg followed with her first, first place showing of the 2001-02 season touching in with a time of 1:50.52 in the 200 free. Auburn then began a roll of three consecutive events where it finished first, including Bowen's first of two first places showings in the 200 IM, finishing just under two seconds ahead of SMU's sophomore Alenka Kejzar.

The Mustangs' diving trio of Lindsay Long, Liz Pike, and Carrie Dawson couldn't overtake Auburn's Ashley Rubenstein who won the one-meter diving competition.

2001 WAC Freshman of the Year Georgina Lee won the 200 butterfly, while Rigamonti and Kejzar each picked up victories following Lee in the 500 free and 200 backstoke, respectively. Rigamonti's 500 free win was her second of the night. Long bounced back in the three-meter competition finishing with a meet best score of 260.85. In the final two heats, though, Auburn pulled away with Bowen's second first place showing of the night, followed up by finishing first in the 200 free relay. With the loss, SMU falls to 0-1 on the year.

SMU will now host the SMU Swimming & Diving Classic beginning Friday night at 7:30 p.m. Along with Auburn, SMU will welcome UCLA, Miami, Pacific, and Rice as the six teams face off in one of the strongest early season meets in the nation. Auburn won last year's classic with 313 points.