Gator Swimming and Diving: Both sides enter top half of SEC standings heading into Day 2

Edgar Chavero February 20, 2019 Gators Sports, Gators Swimming and Diving 332 Views

Florida’s swimming and diving teams began the SEC Championships in good fashion — especially on the women’s side.

The Gators’ women’s team finished Day 1 action in Athens, Georgia at the top of the leaderboard. Meanwhile, the 800 Free Relay team on the men’s side collected the first SEC championship for the Gators. Head coach Anthony Nesty’s group currently sits in sixth place in the standings.

Action resumed today at 10 a.m. ET. Swimming preliminaries for the 500 Free, 200 IM and 50 Free will be held for both sides.

Women’s side sends two swimmers to 3-meter finals

Junior Brooke Madden, freshman Elizabeth Perez and the four swimmers on the 200 Medley Relay were the women’s team’s best performers on Day 1. Madden qualified for the 3-meter finals by posting a score 334.15, good enough for a fourth-place finish.

Perez also reached the finals for that event. She earned a score of 310.45 which saw her enter the finals in seventh place. Both would post an even better score in the finals. Madden finished third in the finals, while the latter finished seventh again.

Juniors Emma Ball and Bella Garafalo and freshmen, Vannessa Pearl and Sherridon Dressel, recorded the second-fastest time in the program’s history in the 200 Medley Relay. A combined time of 1:35.64 was good enough to earn the Gators a third-place finish in that event.

This is how the top half of the women’s standings look after Day 1.

Women’s Team Standings

1. Florida – 165
2. Texas A&M – 162
3. Arkansas – 139
4. Georgia – 132
5. Auburn – 126
6. Tennessee – 123

Men’s side earns seventh-straight 800 Free Relay first-place finish

Two freshmen and two juniors once again combined to provide the Gators with important points. Maxime Rooney, Khader Baqlah, Trey Freeman and Kieran Smith swam an SEC-record time of 6:10.50 in the event.

The men’s side was also able to finish third in the 200 Medley Relay.

However, all three of the Gators’ swimmers in the 1-Meter preliminary finished no higher than 22nd place.

This is how the top half of the men’s draw stacks up heading into Day 2.

Team Standings
1. Tennessee – 187
2. Texas A&M – 158
3. Missouri – 146
4. Kentucky – 142
5. Alabama – 135
6. Florida – 123

The SEC Championships will continue in Athens until Saturday, February 23.

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About Edgar Chavero

Sports media and management student at the University of Florida. Content creator for ESPN 98.1 FM/ 850 AM WRUF.

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