SEC Weekly Recap: Georgia Swims to Stunning Sweep of Florida

during the Bulldogs' swim meet against Florida at Gabrielsen Natatorium in Athens, Ga., on October 28, 2016. (Photo by Cory A. Cole)

Georgia's Jay Litherland. Photo Courtesy: Cory A. Cole

By Dan D’Addona.

The defending national champion Georgia women’s swim team opened up SEC action on Friday with rival Florida — and the Bulldogs responded with a strong showing, sweeping the Gators.

The No. 8 Georgia women won 164-125 over No. 18 Florida, while the No. 7 Bulldog men won 178-122 over No. 8 Florida on Friday.

The men’s meet got off to an unprecedented start as Georgia and Florida tied to win the 200-yard medley relay.

Georgia’s Taylor Dale, Chase Kalisz, Pace Clark and Javier Acevedo and Florida’s Caeleb Dressel, Stanley Wu, Jan Switkowski and Mark Szaranek finished in 1:27.97.

The Georgia women started strong as Olympian Olivia Smoliga teamed with Emily Cameron, Megan Kingsley and Chantal Van Landeghem to win the 200-yard medley relay (1:39.81). The Bulldogs went 1-2 in that opening relay to set the tone as Chelsea Britt, Caitlin Casazza, Kylie Stewart and Veronica Burchill took second (1:42.82) ahead of Florida (1:43.32).

Smoliga won the 100 backstroke (54.22). Kingsley won the 200 butterfly (1:54.97) and Van Lendeghem won the 50 freestyle (22.67). Van Landeghem (49.56), Burchill (50.77) and Smoliga (50.96) went 1-2-3 in the 100 freestyle.

Georgia’s Stephanie Peters won the 1,000 freestyle (9:52.96). Meaghan Raab won the 200 freestyle (1:46.23) and the 100 breaststroke (2:14.27). Meryn McCann won the 200 backstroke (1:55.57). Shauna Lee won the 500 freestyle (4:52.73).

McKensi Austin (320.1) and Madison Duvall (292.95) went 1-2 in 3-meter diving.

Florida’s Savanna Faulconer won the 100 breaststroke (1:04.63). Alyssa Yambor-Maul won the 100 butterfly (56.06).

In the men’s meet, Kalisz won the 100 breaststroke in 53.88 and the 200 breaststroke (1:54.62). Acevedo won the 100 backstroke (47.35) and Clark won the 200 butterfly (1:44.52) and the 100 butterfly (47.63), edging Olympians Dressel (47.65) and Gunnar Bentz (47.65), who tied for second.

Jay Litherland (1:45.53) and Acevedo (1:45.66) went 1-2 in the 200 backstroke.

Georgia’s Kevin Litherland won the 1,000 freestyle (9:10.88). Jay Litherland won the 200 freestyle (1:36.27). Taylor Dale won the 100 freestyle (44.55). Walker Higgins won the 500 freestyle (4:24.98).

Bentz, Dale, Acevedo and Clark won the 400 freestyle relay (2:57.21).

Dressel won the 50 freestyle (19.56). Sam Smith won 1-meter diving (336.68) and 3-meter diving (377.03). Switkowski won the 200 IM (1:47.20).

Tennessee, Kentucky beat by No. 1 Indiana

The Hoosiers crushed No. 13 Tennessee 200-100 and No. 18 Kentucky 195-105 on Friday.

Meanwhile, the No. 12 Indiana women edged No. 11 Tennessee 152-148 and beat No. 21 Kentucky 169-131.

Tennessee’s Kira Toussaint, Colleen Callahan, Maddy Banic and Alex Cleveland won the 200 medley relay (1:40.87). Toussaint won the 100 backstroke (53.56) and 100 freestyle (49.44).

Heather Lundstrom won the 200 butterfly (1:59.36). Banic won the 50 freestyle (23.45), leading a 1-2-3 finish with Cleveland (23.49) and Erika Brown (23.67). Banic won the 100 butterfly (54.26) ahead of Lundstrom (54.63).

Micah Bohon, Brown, Toussaint and Emily Allen won the 400 freestyle relay (3:22.82).

Tennessee’s Peter Stevens won the 100 breaststroke (55.01). Matthew Dunphy won the 200 breaststroke (2:02.12). Sam McHugh won the 200 IM (1:49.2).

Kentucky’s Drew Aviotti won the 1,000 freestyle (9:07.71). Kyle Higgins won the 200 butterfly (1:45.5). Walker Thaning won the 200 backstroke (1:46.97).

Danielle Galyer won the 200 backstroke (1:57.52). Rebecca Hamperian won 1-meter diving (299.1). Asia Seidt won the 200 IM (2:00.21).

Read more on the meet in the Big Ten recap.

Tennessee swept by Louisville

Six Tennessee swimmers won multiple events, but the Tennessee Volunteers lost to Louisville 164.5-135.5 in the men’s meet and 167-133 in the women’s meet Thursday.

The Vols won eight of 16 men’s events, headlined by three-win meet for McHugh (200-yard butterfly, 500 freestyle, 200 individual medley). Stone (1-meter, 3-meter diving) and DeCoursey (50 freestyle, 100 freestyle) won two events apiece.

Toussaint recorded the fastest 100 backstroke time in the country so far this year in 51.79 seconds as the Tennessee women took first in seven of 16 events.

Auburn sweeps LSU

Another dual meet, another sweep. For the third time in three tries, Auburn’s men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs both posted dual meet wins on Friday, traveling to Baton Rouge and defeating conference foe LSU. The 10th-ranked women’s team won 162-138 while the No. 10 men’s team won 153-147.

Luis Martinez (100 and 200 fly) and Joe Patching (200 back, 200 IM) each won two events for the men while Peter Holoda and Zach Apple went 1-2 in both the 50 and 100 freestyles.

In the women’s races Erin Falconer (200 free, 200 back) and Zoe Thatcher (100 back, 500 free) were multiple event winners. Falconer’s 200 free win was part of a 1-2-3 sweep in the event with Aly Tetzloff, who won the 100 fly and Julie Meynen, who won the 100 free, touched behind her.

LSU jumped out to an early lead in the first event, as the 200 medley relay team of Kate Zimmer, Colleen O’Neil, Kara Kopsco and Leah Troskot took first with a time of 1:40.67.

O’Neil took first place in the 100 breast with a time of 1:01.92. In the 200 fly, Kopcso finished first with a time of 1:58.01.

On the men’s team, freshman Sven Saemundsson took first in the 1000 free, completing the event at 9:13.74. Freshman Lewis Clough took first in the 200 free at 1:38.75, and senior Logan Rysemus (47.90) in the 100 back.

Texas A&M tops South Carolina

The Texas A&M men’s swimming and diving team defeated South Carolina 176-118 in its home opene.

Leading the way for the Aggies with multiple individual victories were junior Brock Bonnetti, junior Mauro Castillo and senior Jacob Gonzales.

Bonetti won the 100-yard backstroke (47.67) and the 200 back (1:45.38). Castillo won the 100 breaststroke (54.31) and the 200 breast (1:58.37). Gonzales swept the 50 free (20.34) and the 100 free (44.65).

The Texas A&M women won 157-132.

Sarah Gibson, Lisa Bratton, Kristin Malone and Laura Norman each won multiple events for the Aggies.

Gibson won the 1,000-yard freestyle (10:00.51), and posted top times in the 100 butterfly (54.06) and 200 fly (2:00.33). She also swam the leadoff leg on the Aggies’ winning 400-yard freestyle relay.

Bratton earned victories in the 500 free (4:57.47) and 100 back (55.00). The Aggies went 1-2-3 in the 100 back with sophomore Sydney Pickrem (55.87) and freshman Sara Metzch (56.45) following close behind Bratton.

Malone anchored the winning 200 medley relay and claiming another win in the 50 free (23.19).

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JDIII

7 years ago

Go Dawgs #speedo

superfan

7 years ago

UF women are bad and to think they won NCAA”s just 6 years ago. now not even top 20?!

Scott Eddy

7 years ago

That men’s 100 Fly must have been a great race!