Georgia Men, Women Defeat Georgia Tech as Olympians Return to Competition

ATLANTA, Georgia, October 17. OLYMPIANS representing the University of Georgia helped the Bulldogs open their fall dual meet season today with a decisive victory over in-state rivals Georgia Tech.

The Lady Bulldogs pulled off a 176-115 victory over Georgia Tech, while the men at Georgia beat the Yellow Jackets with a score of 161-133. The Georgia women swam exhibition in the final two events and did not take scoring points in 3-meter diving, while the Georgia men scored points in all events.

Five-time 2012 medalist Allison Schmitt returned to collegiate competition today after taking last year off to train with North Baltimore Aquatic Club with two wins in individual events. Her first race of the day came in the 100 free, which she won in 50.85, a time that would barely rank in the top 15 nationwide in the early goings of the season. She returned to post a winning time of 56.79 in the 100 butterfly, an event she began to swim regularly last year during her time training in Baltimore with butterfly legend Michael Phelps.

Schmitt was the only Olympian to win an event in the pool today, but not the only double winner in the women's meet. Kelsey Gaid, a senior at Georgia, won the 200 free in 1:49.96 and the 500 free with a 4:55.93.

Shannon Vreeland, a gold medalist with Schmitt on the 800 free relay, managed a fourth-place finish in the 100 fly (57.43) and was third in the 100 back behind teammates Amber McDermott (57.43) and Megan Romano (58.08). Vreeland did notch a win in the 200 medley relay, as the Georgia foursome of Chantal van Landeghem, Jana Mangimelli, Vreeland and Romano posted a 1:45.93.

Georgia freshman Annie Zhu posted the only NCAA B cut in the women's meet in winning the 200 breast with a 2:15.20, under the B qualifying time of 2:15.99. Other winners for the Georgia women were:

Nicole Vernon, 1000 free (10:10.23);

Megan Molnar, 100 breast (1:04.52);

Courtney Peters, 200 fly (2:04.47);

Chantal van Landeghem, 50 free (23.30);

Melanie Margalis, 200 back (2:01.82).

With Georgia swimming exhibition in the 200 IM and 400 free relay, Georgia Tech was able to secure two wins today. Danelle Cowley won the 200 IM in 2:09.79, though Georgia's Meghan Faulkner had the top time of the race with a 2:06.07. And the Yellow Jackets got the first-place points in the 400 free relay with the squad of Lexi Weber, Erika Staskevicius, Hailey White and Kate Riley swimming a 3:28.80. Georgia put up the fastest time of the race with a 3:26.36 using Vreeland, Jessica Graber, Hali Flickinger and Schmitt.

On the men's side, four swimmers were able to notch double victories. Will Freeman, the former independent national high school record holder in the 500 freestyle, won that event with a 4:31.07 as well as the 1000 free in 9:19.36. He beat Olympian Andrew Gemmell in the 1000, with Gemmell swimming a 9:29.21. Freeman almost had a triple win today, but could not get to the finish first in the 200 fly ahead of Georgia Tech's Nico van Duijn, who won with a 1:48.94 over Freeman's 1:51.10. Van Duijn also collected a win in the 100 fly with a 48.45.

Georgia Tech's Andrew Kosic, a runner-up in the 2011 Swimming World Magazine male high school swimmer of the year rankings, posted an impressive double in the 50 free with a 20.63 and 100 free with a 45.15. His win in the 100 was a close battle with Georgia's Matt Ellis, who finished second in 45.17.

Nicolas Fink of Georgia earned an NCAA championship B cut time in the 100 breast with a55.22, under the qualifying standard of 55.39. He also doubled in the 200 breast with a time of 2:03.93.

Georgia Tech managed another win today from Bo Hatchett in the 100 back, when the senior hit the pad in 51.77. The Georgia Tech foursome of Eric Chiu, van Duijn, Andrew Chetcuti and Kosic nearly beat the Bulldogs in the 400 free relay, posting a 3:02.44. It wasn't enough to beat the Georgia squad of Jameson Hill, Matias Koski, Doug Reynolds and Matt Ellis, who combined for a 3:02.27.

Hill earned an individual victory today as well, taking the 200 free with a 1:39.91. Jared Markham also collected a win in the 200 backstroke with a 1:51.11, just barely ahead of freshman Tynan Stewart's 1:51.37. Stewart was able to get his first collegiate win in the 200 IM with a 1:50.44.

In diving, Ashley Hardy of Georgia Tech won the 1-meter event with 293.18 points, while teammate Brand Makison won the men's event with 375.23. Makison would return to win the 3-meter competition with 422.55 points, with Georgia Tech's Shannon Lumbra earning 302.85 points to win the women's event.

The Georgia men managed the win without one of the top members of this season's freshman class. As first reported by Swimming World, Chase Kalisz is deferring his enrollment at Georgia to take care of issues regarding a high school class rejected by the NCAA Clearinghouse for enrollment at Georgia. Kalisz is currently fulfilling his needed credits for admission this fall and is expected to be on campus at Georgia in January.

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