ACC Meet Of The Week: Gators Hold Off Feisty Seminoles In Tallahassee

Photo Courtesy: Ross Obley

The Florida Gators made the trek northwest to Tallahassee Thursday to face their in-state rivals, the Florida State Seminoles. Florida finished on top in both the women’s and men’s dual meets, but each was more tightly-contested than expected.

The Noles opened up with statement wins in the women’s 200 medley relay as Ariel Barber, Natalie Pierce, Lydia Ware and Lexi Smith combined to post a 1:40.56. The Gator men got the win in the men’s medley relay but only after trailing for much of the race.

Stefan Stojmenovich and Jason Coombs staked FSU to a lead of six tenths of a second over Jack Blyzinskyj and Mark Szaranek at the halfway point. But Jan Switkowski touched just ahead of Kanoa Kaleoaloha at the 150, Caeleb Dressel pulled away from Chad Mylin. Dressel, making his season debut and competing for the first time since the Rio Olympics, split 19.15 on the way home and touched in 1:29.17, and the Noles came in at 1:29.69.

Florida swept the 1000 free events with Summer Finke (10:00.74) and Blake Mangimello (9:17.97). FSU’s Michelle Turek then took the women’s 200 free in 1:49.61, and Mitch D’Arrigo, also making his season debut after a post-Olympics layoff, won the men’s event in 1:38.93.

Florida again swept the 100 back with Emma Ball winning the women’s race in 55.61 and Dressel edging Connor Kalisz in his first individual race of the season, 48.64 to 49.00. Pierce won the women’s 100 breast in 1:02.65 before Florida’s Stanley Wu won an extremely tight men’s 100 breast in 56.00, just edging Coombs (56.01) and Florida freshman Chandler Bray (56.05).

Alyssa Yambor-Maul (1:59.70) and Maxime Rooney (1:49.49) won the 200 fly for the Gators before the Noles wrecked havoc in the sprints. Nika Blank led a Florida State 1-2-3 in the women’s 50 free, touching in 23.34, just edging teammates Smith (23.49) and Ware (23.44). Mylin (19.88) and Jason McCormick (20.13) finished 1-2 in the men’s 50 free as the Seminoles captured their first win in a men’s event.

Minutes later, after the first diving break, Brenna Ruth led anther Florida State 1-2-3 in the women’s 100 free, touching in 51.43, ahead of Blank (51.51) and Turek (51.59). McCormick (44.37), Emir Muratovic (44.87) and Kaleoaloha (45.33) then picked up each of the top three spots in the men’s 100 free.

The Gators then restored order in the women’s 200 back as Yambor-Maul touched in 2:00.07. FSU’s Kalisz won the men’s 200 back in 1:47.57, and then teammate Christina Loh won the women’s 200 breast in 2:16.93. UF’s Ross Palazzo touched first in the men’s 200 breast in 2:01.00.

Florida State’s Georgia Darwent won the women’s 500 free in 4:54.74 before Florida’s Andrew Brady edged teammate Mangimello by just one one-hundredth for the win in the men’s 500, 4:29.97 to 4:29.98. The 100 fly went to two repeat winners as Yambor-Maul won her third event of the day in 55.10, and Dressel took first in the men’s event in 47.32.

The Gators swept the 200 IM as freshman Savanna Faulconer finished first in 2:03.72, holding off teammates Kelly Fertel (2:04.18) and Hannah Burns (2:04.67). Mark Szaranek then won the men’s 200 IM in 1:49.69.

The Seminoles won the 400 free relay with Ruth, Turek, Blank and Ware in 3:23.44. Rooney, Dressel, Switkowski and Szaranek grabbed the meet-ending win in the men’s race in 2:57.20.

Florida’s Tera Syskakis won the women’s one-meter diving (276.60), and Florida State’s Ayla Bonniwell won the three-meter (296.40). FSU’s Tyler Roberge swept the men’s one-meter (344.18) and three-meter (383.40).

The Noles gave a spirited effort, but it was not quite enough as Florida held on to win both the women’s and men’s meets. The Gator women outscored FSU 157-143, and the men won 170-130.

Click here to view full meet results.

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