Tennessee vs. Georgia Women

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee, January 24. IN a meet that came down to the final event, No. 1 Georgia was able to escape the Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center with a 158-142 victory over the 10th-ranked Tennessee women's swimming and diving team on Saturday.

Trailing by nine points heading into the final race, the 400 free relay, UT needed a 1-2 finish to win the meet. The Lady Vols nearly did just that as both their A and B relays led Georgia's top quartet for almost the entire race. A strong final leg by Morgan Scroggy was able to put the Bulldogs ahead at the finish and clinch the exciting meet.

Geogia's A relay finished the race in 3:19.35. The UT relay of senior Katie Gehring, sophomore Morgan Farrell and freshmen Abbie Alton and Caitlin Perks placed second in 3:19.86, while the Lady Vol team of junior Michele King, freshman Jennifer Connolly and seniors Brittany Nauta and Carly Mathes touched the wall in 3:19.99. All three relay performances were NCAA ‘B' cuts.

"We needed a 1-2 finish in the last relay and for 325 meters we were in position," Lady Vol head coach Matt Kredich said. "Georgia is No. 1 for a reason. They sensed that we had them on the ropes and they responded. We were just one swim or one dive away. Our seniors did a great job being leaders out there today, and some we had some incredible performances."

Today was the final home dual meet for UT, and the seven seniors, Gehring, Mathes, Nauta, Maria Jugan, Sarah McCall, Staley McCartney and Ashley Quinn, were all honored before the meet.

And while each senior had great performances, it was the swims by junior Jamie Saffer and Connolly that set the tone for the close meet.

The pair teamed up with sophomore Tricia Weaner and King to kick off the meet by winning the 200y medley relay in a season-best time of 1:39.65. Their performance is an NCAA ‘B' cut as well as the fifth-best time ever recorded by the Lady Vols in the event.

A few events later, Saffer had the performance of the meet in the 100y breast, smashing the school record and automatically qualifying for the 2009 NCAA Championships by obtaining the Lady Vols' first ‘A' cut of the season. She won the race by over two seconds and her time of 59.42 broke the old record of 1:00.46 set by King at the SEC Championships last season.

Saffer also snagged victories, career-bests and NCAA ‘B' cuts in the 200y breast (2:12.68) and the 200y IM (1:59.27).

"Jamie Saffer was unbelievable today," Kredich said. "She put us in the position to win the meet."

Connolly led wire-to-wire to win the 100y back and lowered her season-best and NCAA ‘B' qualifying time to 53.92. The West Lafayette, Ind. native, also won the 100y fly in a season-best and NCAA ‘B' qualifying time of 53.89.

"Jenny Connolly, though only a freshman, swam like a senior for us today," Kredich said.

Among the seniors, Gehring, McCall, Quinn and Jugan all nabbed personal bests.

Gehring tied King for first in the 50y free as both swam 22.85. McCall was runner-up in the 200y breast in a career-best and NCAA ‘B' time of 2:15.25. She also took fourth in the 200y IM in a career-best 2:03.13.

Quinn nabbed a personal-best in the 50y free (23.07), while Jugan's 200y back time of 2:06.11 was her best ever.

In diving, freshman Jodie McGroarty battled with Georgia All-American Hannah Moore on the 1-meter and 3-meter boards. McGroarty took first on the 1-meter with a season-best score of 287.85, while Moore bested her on the 3-meter as McGroarty took second with a score of 297.53.

"Today there were two excellent divers going at it," UT head diving coach Dave Parrington said. "I'm really pleased with Jodie's competitiveness as she went head-to-head with an All-American today. We will build on today and prepare for Florida next week before SEC's in February."

After McGroarty's win in the eighth event, the 1-meter board, UT led 76-74. However, the Bulldogs roared back by taking first in the next two events, the 200y back and 100y free to take a 101-87 lead they would not relinquish.

Sophomore Aleksa Akerfelds finished second in the 1000y free (9:45.98) and third in the 500y free (4:49.24).

In the 100y free, King finished second in a season-best 49.81, while Farrell was also runner-up in the 200y back in a season-best 1:58.05.

Mathes was fourth in the 500y free in 4:53.79 and third in the 200y free with a time of 1:49.69.

Freshman Tori Richmond had a pair of outstanding performances as well, placing third in the 200y IM (2:01.31) and fourth in the 200y fly (2:01.30). Both times were season-bests.

The Lady Vols return to action this Friday, Jan. 30, in Gainesville, Fla., as they wrap up the regular season against No. 6 Florida.

Special thanks to Tennessee for contributing this report.

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