It was a busy and winning week for the SEC in and out of the pool, as the conference saw 23 verbal commitments (based on our count) and meet wins for teams who saw action, including the Gators, Mizzou and the lady Fighting Tigers.
Highlighting the SEC competition was the University of Florida’s fifth consecutive win at the school’s Pinch-A-Penny All-Florida Invitational, which featured a prelim/final format over three days and a visit by the high-profile Lady Golden Bears.
GATORS WILL SHOOT FOR SIX CONSECUTIVE All-FLORIDA INVITATIONAL WINS IN 2015
The Gators won both the men and women competitions at the “O’Dome” in Gainesville, Fla. They both defeated Nova Southeastern and Florida State in their meets, and the women also conquered the University of Miami, North Florida, Florida Gulf Coast and the University of California, Berkeley (Cal), whose women’s team made the cross-country trip to be the only out-of-state team to challenge the hosts.
The Gator men handled their competition easily, defeating the Seminoles 1395-923. The Lady Gators faced a Sunday charge from Cal, but held their ground to win 956-861. The Gator men won 13 individual races and all five relays going up against the Seminoles, while the women captured six individual wins and two relays.
Florida recorded 16 NCAA ‘B’ standard times throughout the weekend, including one by Gator freshman Caeleb Dressel, who is the class of 2014’s top recruit and claimed his first collegiate victory with a win in the 100-yard fly (47.74). Dressel also posted a second place finish in the 100-yard freestyle (44.38) and a third place finish in the 50-yard free (20.53).
Half of the Gators 16 NCAA ‘B’ cuts came from two athletes, Matt Elliott and Natalie Hinds. Elliot’s came in the 200-yard individual medley (1:47.95), 400-yard individual medley (3:51.04), 100-yard breast (54.72), and 200-yard breast (1:58.05). For Hinds, it was in the 50-yard free (22.44), 100-yard free (48.95), 100-yard fly (53.44), and 100-yard back (54.67).
The Lady Gators won the meet, but they were outdone in individual wins by Cal’s women, who won eight events. Two double wins came from sophomores Missy Franklin (200-yard free, 100-yard back) and Celina Li (200 fly, 200 IM). Three single event wins came from Kelly Naze (400-yard IM), Spaniard and sophomore Marina Garcia (200-yard breast), and junior Elizabeth Pelton, who posted an impressive, early-season 1:54.23 in the 200-yard back.
The west coast contingent also claimed the 800-yard free relay, an event that saw freshman Cierra Runge, from Cochranville, Pa, team up with seniors Caroline Piehl, Catherine Breed, and Camille Chang.
Out of the pool, the Gators secured a verbal commitment from Kentucky backstroker Sydney Sell, who swims for the Lakeside Seahawks, and local girl, Hannah Burns. Click each of their names to see SwimSwam’s full report on their commitments.
Full meet results can be found here.
LSU THUMPS TULANE BEFORE FACING GATORS
It was a good news week for Louisiana State University as the team received four verbal commitments and the women’s crew thumped Tulane 220-80 on Friday in New Orleans at the Reilly Natatorium. The Lady Fighting Tigers will have a tougher time this Friday (Oct. 10), when they and the LSU men meet up to face the Gators in Gainesville, Fla.
LSU won 12 of 14 individual events and both relays at the Tulane dual meet. Freshman Jane MacDougall won her first collegiate contest in the 1000-yard free (10:19.68). She later added a second place to her young collegiate career in the 500-yard free (5:05.60), where she was only bested by teammate Stacey Stanfield, who touched the wall 2.60 seconds earlier.
The exclamation mark in LSU’s win over the Green Waves came in the form of four events where the Lady Fighting Tigers swept the top three places. The 200-yard free, the 500-yard free, the 1,000-yard free and 100-yard fly were all Purple and Gold.
The men were out of competition after last week’s annual Purple/Gold Intra-squad scrimmage, where Purple beat Gold at the LSU Natatorium, but there was no rest for the women, which LSU head coach, Dave Geyer, recognized.
“We had a heavy week of training this week, and this is a great gauge of how challenges in our cycles affect us,” said Geyer in a story posted on LSU’s website. “Our upperclassmen are really embracing the start of the season and guiding our freshmen into this time of the year.”
On the recruiting front, Geyer and his staff received verbal commitments from Haylee Knight, Lauren Thompson, Tyler Haper and Alex Carson. Click each of their names to see SwimSwam’s full report on their commitments.
Next up is a trip the University of Florida this Friday (Oct. 10), when the full team will test themselves against the SEC powerhouse. Last year, the Lady Gators finished third at the SEC Championships and sixth at the NCAA Championships. The Gator men won the SECChampionship and placed third at the NCAA’s top meet.
Read SwimSwam’s full recap of the LSU/Tulane dual meet here.
Full meet results of the LSU/Tulane dual meet can be found here.
MISSOURI’S TIGERS SEIZE THE SHOW-ME SHOWDOWN
Mizzou handily won both the men’s (684-366.5) and women’s (696-429) meets over Drury on Friday at the Mizzou Aquatic Center in Columbia, Mo, capping a week where the Tigers received three verbal commitments for next year.
The Lady Tigers won 13 events, including double wins from freshman Rachel Hayden, sophomore Katharine Ross and junior diver Lauren Reedy, who took the 1-meter scramble and 3 meter.
Hayden’s first win in the 200-yard free (1:52.19) was the first part of a sweep for the Mizzou. Fellow freshman Erin Metzger-Seymourplaced second (1:52.98) and sophomore Brittany Hammond took third in (1:54.33). Hayden’s second win came in the 100-yard free (51.23).
Sophomore Ross captured wins in the 200-yard individual medley (2:04.03) and the 100-yard breast (1:01.74) with a NCAA ‘B’ qualifying time.
The Mizzou men won eight events. Notable among them was, junior Matthew Margritier, who claimed the first win of his Missouri career by placing first in the 50-yard free (20.09). The win gave him an NCAA ‘B’ time. Margritier, who transferred to the Tigers from Northwestern, sat out the 2013-14 season. He also notched a second place finish in the 100-yard free (44.99), only bested by teammateMichael Chadwick (44.62).
Sophomore Andrew Sansoucie won by 0.01 seconds in a one-two Mizzou finish in the 100-yard fly (49.93) over senior Mack Darragh(49.94).
The Mizzou men ended the meet with a come-from-behind win in the 400-yard free relay (3:05.42) relay, when Igor Kozlovskij, senior Alex Glogoza, Groome and senior Stephen Sobczak trailed Missouri State at the half and kicked it in for an exciting win.
Kylie Dahlgren, Alex Watson, and Courtney Evensen gave verbal commitments to the Tigers, bolstering their roster for next year. Click each of their names to see SwimSwam’s full report on the commitments.
Mizzou’s women are out of competition until Oct. 24, when they will be in Fayetteville, Ark to face the Lady Razorbacks. The men do not race until Oct. 31, when they host the Missouri State Bears at the Mizzou Aquatic Center.
Read SwimSwam’s full recap here.
Full results can be found here.
Photo gallery can be found here.
TEAMS ON DECK
University of Kentucky (Wildcats): The Wildcats open their season on Oct. 10 (Friday ) at home against South Carolina, but they first warmed up their engines last Friday with their annual Blue/White Intra-squad scrimmage at the Lancaster Aquatics Center. Out of the pool, the Wildcats added to their roster with verbal commitments from Meredith Whisenhunt, Kristen Keifer, Allie Petersen, Erin Hart andMathew Beach. Click their names to see SwimSwam’s full reports on their commitments.
Texas A&M University (Aggies): The Aggie ladies don’t hit the competition lanes until Oct. 18, when they go to Fayetteville, Ark. The men open their season on Oct. 17 in Austin, TX with a dual meet against the Longhorns at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center.
University of Georgia (Bulldogs): Georgia hosts Alabama this Friday (Oct. 10). It will be the season opener for the men, and the second meet of the season for the women, who opened up with a win against Vanderbilt on Sept. 25. Caitlin Casazza gave her verbal commitment to the Bulldogs this past week. Click her name to see SwimSwam’s full report.
University of Tennessee (Volunteers): The Volunteers take a trip to Charlotte on Oct. 9 to take on Queens University of Charlotte and then to Chapel Hill the next day for a meet against the University of North Carolina. Tennessee received two verbal commitments this week fromMaddy Banic and Emily Allen. Click their names to see SwimSwam’s full reports on their commitments.
Vanderbilt University (Commodores): Vanderbilt hosts Campbell, San Diego State and University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) on Friday(Oct. 10). San Diego State and UALR will stick around for a tri-meet on the following day.
University of Arkansas (Razorbacks): After a loss to the Gators on Sept. 27, Arkansas prepares for conference rival Texas A&M on Oct. 18, when they host the Aggies.
University of Alabama (Crimson Tide): The Crimson Tide sees action on Friday (Oct. 10) against the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens, Ga. Alabama kicked off the 2014-15 collegiate season on Sept. 12 with a win over Delta State University in Tuscaloosa at the Don Gambril Olympic Pool. Out of the pool, Alabama did gain a verbal commitment from Katie Kelsoe, whose primary is backstroke and is a life-long Alabama fan. Click her name to read SwimSwam’s full report on her commitment.
University of South Carolina (Gamecocks): The Gamecocks full team starts their season on Friday (Oct. 10) at the University of Kentucky. The women won’t compete in their own pool until Oct. 31, when they host Florida Gulf Coast. The men continue their wait until Nov. 8, when they host the College of Charleston and East Carolina University. Out of the pool, the Gamecocks land distance specialist, Cody Bekemeyer, as he gave his verbal commitment to South Carolina last week. Click his name to see SwimSwam’s full report.
Auburn University (Tigers): Auburn gets their season going on Friday (Oct. 10), when the men and women will be in Bloomington, IN, for a dual meet against the University of Indiana. It is the season opener for the Hoosiers, too. You can watch this meet live on the Big Ten Network, starting at 1 p.m. ET. It is highly likely that Bailey Nero, Christian Selby, Shannon McKernan, Katie Money will be watching the meet, as they gavie Auburn their verbal commitments last week. Click their names to see SwimSwam’s full reports on their commitments.
Any chance that UT/A&M dual meet will be available online anywhere?