Zavaros Triples as Florida Beats FSU in Rivalry Dual Meet

FLORIDA VS. FLORIDA STATE

• Results
• Friday, November 2nd
• Hosted by FSU
• 25 Yard Course
• Dual Meet Format

FINAL TEAM SCORES:

• WOMEN: Florida 177.5, FSU 122.5
• MEN: Florida 170, FSU 128

The Gators extended their winning streak over state rival FSU on Friday as the men and women beat the Noles in dual meet action. Freshman Mabel Zavaros had a strong showing for the women, winning 3 events. She got started with a 1:48.28 in the 200 free to top the field by over a second. Zavaros then had a huge margin of victory with her 1:56.85 in the 200 back, where FSU’s Shelly Drozda (1:59.32) was the only other swimmer under 2:00. In the 100 fly, teammate Georgia Marris picked up the early lead, but Zavaros chased her down on the back half to win 54.96 to 55.35.

The Gators’ Sherridon Dressel and Hannah Burns picked up 2 wins a piece. Dressel, a scorer at last season’s NCAAs, swept the sprint freestyles in 22.87 and 49.72. Burns led the 200 IM in 2:01.65 ahead of freshman teammate Vanessa Pearl (2:02.30). She also led a 1-2 finish with Marris, 2:00.06 to 2:00.52, in the 200 fly earlier in the session.

Stanley Wu swept the breaststrokes for the Florida men. He used his front-end speed in the 100 breast to take the edge over FSU freshman Izaak Bastian (55.28), winning in 54.92. They raced again in the 200 breast, with Wu taking it out in 57.83 to establish his lead. Wu continued to outsplit Bastian through the 150, and he was too far ahead to be closed on as he won in 2:01.03 to Bastian’s 2:02.24.

All-Americans Maxime Rooney and Khader Baqlah each picked up a win for the Gators. 2017 SEC champion Rooney swam a 1:36.89 to dominate his signature 200 free. Baqlah, also an SEC champion 200 freestyler from the 2018 meet, wasn’t in that event. His win came in the 1000 free as he clocked in at 9:12.59 for the win.

There was an interesting result in the women’s 100 back. It’s the only judges decision result made in recent memory at a D1 swim meet. The scoreboard showed Florida State’s Emma Terebo winning a close race in 54.84, but Florida’s Emma Ball‘s touch didn’t register with the timing system. The timers for both women had clocked them at 54.65, so the judges ruled the result a tie for 1st place.

FSU’s Ida Hulkko had a big swim for the Noles in the 100 breast. Hulkko was almost 2 seconds ahead of the field to win in 59.03, moving ahead of NCAA champion Lilly King as the top swimmer in the country so far this year. She also had a scorching 26.33 breast split on the 200 medley relay. Kanoa Kaleoaloha and Emir Muratovic secured a men’s sprint sweep for the Noles. Kaleoaloha posted a 19.95 in the 50 free for a 1-2 finish with Will Pisani (20.21). Shortly after, Kaleoaloha returned to win the 100 fly, taking the lead up front en route to a 47.74 win over Rooney (48.04). Muratovic was the only man under 45 in the 100 free, touching in 44.45 ahead of Baqlah (45.19).

PRESS RELEASE – UF MEN:

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Stanley Wu led the Gators with two individual event victories. The No. 3 ranked Florida men’s swimming & diving team defeated No. 21 Florida State for the eighth-straight meeting in the Fresh From Florida Sunshine Showdown at the Morcom Aquatic Center on Friday, 170–128.

Florida State jumped out to an early lead after it won the 200 Medley Relay. Bayley Main, Marco Guarente, Maxime Rooney, and Kacper Stokowski finished second with a mark of 1:28.63. Dakota Mahaffey, Chandler Bray, Isaac Davis, and Kieran Smith placed third with a time of 1:30.16.

Khader Baqlah won the 1,000 Free with a time of 9:12.59. Santiago Corredor placed second with a swim of 9:25.12. Drew Clark completed the sweep with a mark of 9:26.18 and placed third.

In the men’s 200 Free, Rooney posted a time of 1:36.89 and finished first. Grant Sanders placed second with a time of 1:39.07.

Main collected a first-place finish in the 100 Back with a swim of 48.59. Dakota Mahaffey posted a season-best time of 49.01 and finished second.

Wu set a new season-best swim with a time of 54.92 in the 100 Breast, which is the 19th-best mark in the NCAA. Guarente placed third with a time of 56.12.

Erge Gezmis notched a new season-best time with a swim of 1:48.92 and placed first in the 200 Fly. Clark Beach recorded a third-place finish with a 1:51.32.

Will Davis recorded a third-place finish in the 50 Free with a swim of 20.47, tying his personal-best time, and stopped the sweep by FSU.

With a time of 45.19, Baqlah finished second in the 100 Free. Christoph Margotti posted a third-place swim of 45.31.

The Gators collected another sweep in the 200 Back. Clark Beach posted a time of 1:46.49 and placed first. Mahaffey finished with a second-place time of 1:49.56. Ethan Beach placed third with a swim of 1:50.43.

With a season-best swim of 2:01.03, Wu won the 200 Breast. Ross Palazzo notched a season-best time of 2:02.52 and placed third.

Gezmis collected his second individual event win in the 500 Free with a swim of 4:30.33. Robert Finke clocked a personal-best swim of 4:30.42 and finished second. Grady Heath posted a season-best mark of 4:33.33 and placed third as Florida completed another sweep.

Rooney added a second-place finish in the 100 Fly with a swim of 48.08.

Nick Lydon stopped Florida State from sweeping the 3-meter, as he totaled a career-high 326.40 points and placed third. His score was an NCAA Zone score. Alex Farrow added a fourth-place score of 325.35, also an NCAA Zone score.

The Gators added another sweep in the 200 IM. Corredor notched a season-best time of 1:49.16 and placed first. Corredor’s time was the 17th-best swim in the country. Sanders added a second-place time of 1:49.32. Palazzo closed out the podium, with a mark of 1:53.65.

From the coaches – Head Coach Anthony Nesty

• “Today was a great win for the Gators. Both the men and women swam well against our in-state rival. We are very proud of both teams.”
• “It was a tremendous opportunity for the men to “test the waters” per se and swim in events that are not necessarily their “best” events.”
• “The weather posed a bit of a challenge, however we pushed through for a victory.”
• “We will return home to prepare for the Georgia Tech Invitational in the middle of the month.”
• “We will remain focused and continue to press forward. We have a lot of work to do.”

From the coaches – Diving Coach Bryan Gillooly

• “FSU has an excellent team. National team members from the US and Canada on both sides, along with a US Olympic coach in John Proctor.”
• “We are very happy that we were able to contribute to the team wins on both sides against such a strong team.”
• “I am really happy with our progress. Every meet has ups and downs, but overall this team is getting better each week.”
• “Alex Farrow continues to show great leadership and raise his levels every week.”
• “Freshman Nick Lydon is really starting to come into his own and had his personal best so far on the 3-meter (326.40).”

Up Next

• Florida (5-1) heads to Atlanta, Georgia, for the Georgia Tech Invitational.
• The invitational will begin on Thursday, Nov. 15 and conclude on Saturday, Nov. 17.

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PRESS RELEASE – UF WOMEN:

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The No. 10 ranked Gators women’s swimming & diving team defeated in-state rival Seminoles on Friday at the Morcom Aquatic Center. Mabel Zavaros collected three individual event wins, while Sherridon Dressel and Hannah Burns added two individual wins each, as UF knocked off No. 21 FSU 177.5–122.5. The Gators have won six-consecutive matchups against the Seminoles.

Emma Ball, Vanessa Pearl, Dressel, and Bella Garofalo placed second in the 200 Medley Relay with a combined time of 1:39.32. Sydney Sell, Kelly Fertel, Georgia Marris, and Kirschtine Balbuena placed third with a swim of 1:42.53.

Leah Braswell won the 1,000 Free with a time of 10:01.00. Nikki Miller finished second with a season-best swim of 10:06.04. Georgia Darwent placed third with a 10:08.96 and completed the sweep for Florida.

In the 200 Free, Mabel Zavaros posted a personal-best time of 1:48.28, which is the nation’s 18th-fastest time, and finished first. Tori Bindi recorded a season-best swim of 1:49.79 and notched a third-place finish.

With a time of 54.68, Ball won the 100 Back. Sell added a third-place finish with a swim of 55.50.

Pearl recorded a time of 1:02.28 in the 100 Breast and placed third.

Burns won the 200 Fly with a season-best time of 2:00.06. Marris placed second with a season-best swim of 2:00.52. Kelly Fertel completed the sweep with a third-place mark of 2:01.52, which set a new season-best.

With a season-best time of 22.87, Sherridon Dressel won the 50 Free. Garofalo finished in second with a time of 23.18.

Brooke Madden collected a score of 310.58 and placed third on the 3-meter, which stopped the sweep. Madden added a first-place finish in the 1-meter with a score of 311.32. Both of her scores were NCAA Zone scores. Elizabeth Perez tallied 275.40 points and placed fourth in the 1-meter.

Dressel added another season-best time in the 100 Free with a swim of 49.72, which is the 17th-best time in the nation. Garofalo added a third-place finish with a time of 50.59.

With a swim of 1:56.85, Mabel Zavaros placed first in the 200 Back. Sell finished with a third-place time of 2:00.89.

Pearl claimed her first individual event victory when she won the 200 Breast with a time of 2:13.29.

With a season-best swim of 4:51.99, Fertel recorded a first-place finish in the 500 Free. Taylor Ault posted a second-place time of 4:54.34.

Mabel Zavaros picked up her second individual event win in the 100 Fly with a swim of 54.96. Marris notched a second-place finish with a season-best time of 55.35.

Burns posted another season-best time with a swim of 2:01.65 in the 200 IM and won her second individual event of the day. Pearl added a second-place time of 2:02.30. Savanna Faulconer swam a 2:05.39 and placed third to complete another event sweep for Florida.

Garofalo, Dressel, Ball, and Fertel finished the meet with a combined time of 1:32.63 in the 200 Free Relay and placed second.

From the coaches – Head Coach Jeff Poppell

• “I thought our women did a fantastic job racing outdoors today, in overcast and chilly conditions in Tallahassee.”
• “FSU has been strong this fall so we knew that we would get their best, especially in their home pool.”
• “Seniors Hannah Burns and Georgia Marris, junior Sherridon Dressel, along with freshman Mabel Zavaros had really strong showings for us today.”
• “After a tough one month stretch of away meets, it will be nice to have a weekend off in Gainesville next week as we prepare for the Georgia Tech Invitational.”

From the coaches – Diving Coach Bryan Gillooly

• “FSU has an excellent team. National team members from the US and Canada on both sides, along with a US Olympic coach in John Proctor.”
• “We are very happy that we were able to contribute to the team wins on both sides against such a strong team.”
• “I am really happy with our progress. Every meet has ups and downs, but overall this team is getting better each week.”
• “Brooke Madden continues to shoulder the load on the women’s side and is right on track for this point of the season. She is steady with flashes of greatness. She is set up great for our mid-season invite at Georgia Tech.”
• “Freshman Elizabeth Peres took another step in the right direction. Coming off of a severe ankle sprain earlier in the week, she posted a personal best in the 3-meter (296.55) and is starting to gain her confidence.”

Up Next

• The Gators (7-1) travel to Atlanta, Georgia, for the Georgia Tech Invitational.
• The Georgia Tech Invitational begins on Thursday, Nov. 15 and runs through Saturday, Nov. 17.

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Fresh From Florida Sunshine Showdown
“Agriculture is a $100 billion industry in Florida, and Floridians can support their neighbors and communities by buying locally-grown and harvested products. For more information about the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit FreshFromFlorida.com, or follow Fresh From Florida on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.”

PRESS RELEASE – FSU:

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. –  On a brisk day at the Morcom Aquatics Center, the nationally-ranked Florida State swimming and diving teams battled No.10/3 Florida on Friday in the Fresh from Florida Sunshine State Showdown.

The 21st-ranked women (4-1, 2-0 ACC) fell to the 10th-ranked Gators 122.50-177.50, while the No. 21 men (1-4, 1-1 ACC ) dropped their meet to No. 3 Florida, 128-170.

Florida State showed its strength in the relays, sweeping all four while posting times ranked within the top 10 nationally, in addition to winning three of the four diving events.

“We pride ourselves on winning the relays,” FSU head coach Neal Studd said. “Sweeping the relays was really fun. We had some spots where I thought we could be a little bit better but overall I’m pretty excited about the day.”

The women’s team opened up by holding off Florida in the 200 medley relay for the win, touching with a season best of 1:38.97 behind sophomore Madeline Cohen, freshman Ida Hulkko, senior Leila Johnston and junior Nika Blank.  The time is the fifth fastest in the country this season.

Florida answered with a sweep in the 1000 free.

Freshman Laura Jensen led the Noles in the 200 free, posting a season best of 1:49.75 for second place and her classmate Kertu Alnek showed her consistency in the event, posting a 1:50.09 for fourth place.

Sophomore Emma Terebo worked out of lane six, touching with a season best of 54.84, tying for the win based on a judge’s decision.

The Seminoles finished first and second in their strongest event as Hulkko touched with a time of 59.03 and Kucheran was second at 1:00.71 behind season best swims. Senior Natalie Purnell also contributed fourth place points, touching at 1:02.44.

Hulkko became the second woman in FSU history to break the 1-minute barrier and now ranks second in school history behind Natalie Pierce (58.25). Kucheran’s swim moves her up to fifth place all-time.  Her swim is also the fastest in the nation this year.

The Gators answered with a sweep of the 200 fly and posted a one-two finish of the 50 free.

Junior Ayla Bonniwell continued her dominance of 3-meter from last week, winning with a score of 344.33 ahead of freshman Grace Cable in second at 313.05.

After the first break, the Seminoles trailed 68.5-81.5.

Alnek came back and led the Noles in the 100 free with a second place finish with a time of 50.42 and Johnston was fourth (51.31).

Junior Shelly Drozda led the 200 back for FSU, touching with a time of 1:59.8 for second place, holding off a pair of UF swimmers.

The Seminoles posted a two-three-four 200 breast as Kucheran was second (2:13.43), Hulkko was third (2:13.85) and Purnell was fourth (2:16.43).

Hulkko’s time places her eighth all-time.

The Gators went first and second in the 500 free, but Jensen was third behind a season best of 4:54.63.

Florida put the meet away after sweeping the 100 fly and 200 IM.

Junior Molly Carlson and Cable added second and third place points on 1-meter with scores of 293.85 and 285.38 respectively.

The Seminoles fought until the end, coming from behind the final event, as Alnek split a 22.53 as the anchor for the win. Blank, Terebo and Johnston helped FSU touch at 1:32.48. The performance is currently the 10th fastest in the country this season.

“We had some really great swims in spots,” Studd said. “We just got out-touched. It’s one of those tough deals where you need those nine points. But we keep moving forward and we’re doing great things and we just need to keep focused.”

The Noles started the men’s meet by edging out Florida for the win, thanks to a strong back half. The team of senior Emir Muratovic, freshman Izaak Bastian along with seniors Kanoa Kaleoaloha and Will Pisani turned in a time of 1:28.38.

Florida answered with a sweep in the 1000 free and a one-two finish in the 200 free as freshman Max Mccukser led the Noles with a season best of 1:40.39.

Bastian swam a strong 100 breast, clocking 55.28 for second place. Later in the meet, Bastian closed out his 200 breast strong, surging into the wall to finish in second place with a time of 2:02.24.

Junior Max Polianksi swam a season best in the 200 fly, finishing in second place at 1:49.81.

Kaleoaloha went under the 20-second barrier for the third time this season, matching his 19.95 swim from last week for the victory.

The Seminoles swept 1-meter diving, led by sophomore Joshua Davidson, who was victorious by 45 points, scoring 360.00.   Junior Aidan Faminoff finished second (315.82) and his classmate Cam Thatcher (311.77) was third.

Following the break, Muratovic cut into the 63-87 UF lead and turned in a first place finish in the 100 free, leading wire-to-wire at 44.45.

Kaleoaloha added another win, touching at 47.74 in the 100 fly, leading from start to finish.

Thatcher and Faminoff provided a one-two showing on 3-meter as Thatcher won the event with a score of 361.72 ahead of Faminoff at 348.40.

“Our first event was lights out,” FSU head diving coach John Proctor said. “We ran out of gas a little bit on the second, but other than that we’re doing awesome. They just keep getting better. The chemistry is awesome and they’re driving and pushing each other.”

The Seminoles closed out the meet strong, touching with a time of 1:20.31 in the 200 free relay behind Pisani, Kaleoaloha, freshman Cooper DeRyk and Muratovic for the win.

The Seminoles will host a quad meet on Saturday at 1 p.m. featuring Florida Southern, West Florida and North Florida. Florida Southern will field both a men’s and women’s team, while UWF and UNF will compete in the women’s meet.

For more information, visit FSU Swimming and Diving on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.