Florida Sweeps Florida Atlantic in First Meet for Jeff Poppell, Anthony Nesty

Photo Courtesy: Dan D'Addona

The Gators gave Jeff Poppell a victory in his first meet as head coach, as the University of Florida defeated Florida Atlantic at the FAU Aquatic Center on Thursday. The team as a whole, posted a first-place finish in 14 of the 16 events.

Brooke Madden, a returning All-American, opened the season with two diving victories in the 1-meter and 3-meter. In the 1-meter, she tallied a score of 344.10 and followed that performance with a 275.70. Abby Howell and Lauren Snider finished the 1-meter in second and third, respectively. Howell notched a score of 261.30, while Snider collected a score of 238.95. Elizabeth Perez and Teya Syskakis rounded out the top-3 in the 3-meter. Perez compiled a combined score of 249.52, while Syskakis finished with 239.92.

Kelly Fertel, Mabel Zavaros and Rosie Zavaros, all picked up two first-place finishes each. Fertel won the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:15.11 and the 200-yard individual medley with a swim of 2:02.24. Mabel Zavaros took first in the 1,000-yard freestyle, with a mark of 10:06.75, and the 500-yard freestyle, with a swim of 4:54.55. Rosie placed first in the 200-yard backstroke with a swim of 2:01.47 and the 100-yard backstroke in 57.32.

Emma Ball, Nikki Miller, Vanessa Pearl, Kirschtine Balbuena and Georgia Marris, each earned the top spot for the Gators. Miller posted a time of 1:51.32 in the 200-yard freestyle. Pearl swam a 2:01.88 in the 200-yard butterfly. Balbuena finished the 50-yard freestyle in 23.76. Marris notched a time of 52.75 in the 100-yard freestyle. Ball clocked a time of 55.95 in the 100-yard butterfly.

The Gators defeated the Owls, but the final results are under review.

How it Happened

The Gators placed first, second, and third, in nine different events.
Florida swept the 200-yard medley relay. Ball, Pearl, Sherridon Dressel, and Bella Garofalo claimed first, with a combined effort of 1:42.79.

From the coaches – Head Coach Jeff Poppell

“The first meet went the way we thought it was gonna go. We got better as the meet went on and as they raced more.”

From the coaches – Diving Coach Bryan Gillooly

“About what we expected for this time of year. Good, bad and everything in between.”
“Madden showed great veteran leadership and experience with some great early season diving making zone cuts in the first events.”

Up Next

The Gators travel to Coral Gables, Florida, for a matchup with Miami at 3 p.m., on Friday, Sept. 28.

MS&D: Gators Dominate in Opening Meet at FAU

The University of Florida men’s swimming and diving team defeated Florida Atlantic, in Anthony Nesty’s first meet as head coach, on Thursday, at the FAU Aquatic Center. Maxime Rooney led the Gators with two first place finishes.

Rooney, a returning All-American, brought home first in the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard butterfly. He clocked a time of 20.57 in the 50-yard freestyle and set a new personal-best time in the 100-yard butterfly, with a swim of 47.87.

Khader Baqlah, Kacper Stokowski, Bayley Main, Stanley Wu, Erge Gezmis, Christoph Margotti, Robert Finke, Marco Guarente, Trey Freeman, Grant Sanders and Alex Farrow, all brought home the top spot for UF.

Baqlah posted a swim of 9:18.81 in the 1,000-yard freestyle. Stokowski notched a mark of 1:38.55 in the 200-yard freestyle. Main took the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 48.87. Wu won the 100-yard breaststroke in 55.57. Gezmis’ swim of 1:50.87 topped the field in the 200-yard butterfly. Margotti swam a time of 45.18 in the 100-yard freestyle. Finke collected a time of 1:49.03, in the 200-yard backstroke. Guarente swam a 2:02.12 in the 200-yard breaststroke. Freeman posted a time of 4:28.77 in the 500-yard freestyle. Sanders recorded a time of 1:48.03 in the 200-yard individual medley. Farrow tallied 293.85 points to win the 3-meter diving.

The Gators defeated the Owls, but the final results are under review.

How it Happened

The Gators won 15 of the 16 events.
UF swept the 200-yard medley relay. Main, Rooney, Chandler Bray, and Will Davis combined for a 1:28.68, on their way to the top finish.
The team of Stokowski, Rooney, Margotti, and Isaac Davis won the 400-yard freestyle relay with a swim of 3:00.06. Florida claimed the top three spots.

From the coaches – Head Coach Anthony Nesty

“I thought the guys came in ready to go. We left this morning, had lunch up here, and came right to the pool and competed. Very good overall.”

From the coaches – Diving Coach Bryan Gillooly

“About what we expected for this time of year. Good, bad and everything in between.”
“Farrow showed great veteran leadership and experience with some great early season diving making zone cuts in the first events.”

Up Next

The diving team will compete against Miami at 3 p.m., on Friday, Sept. 28, in Coral Gables, Florida.

— The above press release was posted by Swimming World in conjunction with the University of Florida. For press releases and advertising inquiries please contact Advertising@SwimmingWorld.com.

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Thomas A. Small

5 years ago

Congratulations