University of Florida Gators Lead All-Florida Invitational After Day One

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

The Florida Gators are on top for both the men and the women after the first day of action at the season’s first collegiate invitational, the Nova Southeastern All-Florida Invite in Ft. Lauderdale.

But the meet did not start off on the right foot as the Gators failed to win either of the 200 free relays. Florida Gulf Coast’s Fanny Latham, Gracie Redding, Fanny Teijonsalo and Barbara Carabello took first in the women’s relay by more than a second in 1:34.44, and then Nova Southeastern edged the Gators in the men’s event. Thiago Sickert, Till Barthel, Victor Tarin and Malique Elder came in at 1:23.09, just ahead of Florida’s 1:23.39.

Caeleb Dressel did not compete as coach Gregg Troy typically holds his returning Olympians out of early-season competition, but highly-touted freshman Maxime Rooney made his collegiate debut as he swam the third leg for Florida, joining Bayley Main, Enzo Martinez Scarpe and Mark Szarenek.

Florida freshman Mckayla Sargent won her first college race in the women’s 500 free, edging senior teammate Autumn Finke, 4:56.99 to 4:57.38. Nova Southeastern’s Franco Lupoli touched out Florida’s Blake Manganiello to win the men’s race, 4:32.38 to 4:32.43, while Rooney was third in 4:34.56.

Sargent was back in the pool for the women’s 200 IM, and she took first yet again, clocking 2:04.49 to edge Carabello (2:04.70) and fellow Gator freshman Kelly Fertel (2:04.90). Szaranek then dominated the men’s 200 IM and posted a swift 1:49.94 to win by more than two seconds.

Florida’s Sherridon Dressel (Caeleb’s younger sister) won her first individual college race when she posted a 23.62 in the women’s 50 free. Sickert then edged out Barthel for the win on the men’s side, 20.96 to 21.12, as the hosting Sharks went 1-2.

Florida capped off the swimming with two medley relay wins. Emma Ball, Danielle Keymont, Alyssa Yambor-Maul and Sherridon Dressel won the women’s by almost three seconds in 3:51.25 before Florida’s “B” team edged out the “A” team to win the men’s relay. Main, Marco Guarente, Benjamin Kennedy and Ben Lawless won in 3:24.24, followed by Szaranek, Chandler Bray, Rooney and Martinez Scarpe in 3:24.62. Nova Southeastern’s Marco Aldabe, Anton Lobanov, Sickert and Lupoli finished a close third in 3:24.83.

Florida swept the one-meter and three-meter diving events (the only diving on the program this weekend). On the women’s side, Teya Syskakis posted a winning scores of 259.43 in the one-meter, while teammate Miranda Goss took first in the three-meter. On the men’s side, Samuel Smith dominated, scoring 350.18 on the one-meter and 338.03 on the three-meter.

Click here to view full results from day one.

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