2024 Georgia Invitational: Day 2 Prelims Live Recap

2024 Georgia Invitational

• November 20-22, 2024
• Gabrielsen Rec Center – Athens, GA
• Prelims: 9:30 am ET/Finals: 5:30 pm ET
• Watch: SECN+ Network (Day 2 Prelims Livestream)
• Diving Livestream: Prelims/Finals
• Live Results: “UGA Fall Invitational 2024” on MeetMobile

Women’s 400 IM

• NCAA Record: 3:54.60 – Ella Eastin, Stanford (2018)
• SEC Record: 3:58.23 – Sydney Pickrem, Texas A&M (2019)
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 4:03.68
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut: 4:16.78

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Emma Weyant (FLOR) — 4:05.76
2. Mabel Zavaros (FLOR) — 4:07.08
3. Bella Sims (FLOR) — 4:07.87
4. Zoe Dixon (FLOR) — 4:08.75
5. Julie Brousseau (FLOR) — 4:09.76
6. Sofia Plaza (FLOR) — 4:12.42
7. Michaela Mattes (FLOR) — 4:12.58
8. Kate Christian (BAMA) — 4:15.93

The Florida Gators could not have asked for a better start to their session. They took up the top seven spots, led by the event’s reigning NCAA runner-up and Olympic finalist Emma Weyant. Weyant turned in a 4:05.76, which is over three seconds faster than what she went three weeks ago against Georgia. About a second behind Weyant was her senior team mate Mabel Zavaros, turning in 4:07.08

Last night’s respective 500 and 400 IM champions Bella Sims and Zoe Dixon touched in third and fourth, setting themselves up to vie for a second podium spot tonight. In her first-ever yards IM, freshman and Canadian national teamer Julie Brousseau dipped under the 4:10 barrier to place fifth.

Tonight’s only non-Florida A-finalist will be Alabama’s Kate Christian. Her 4:15.93 is within a second of her lifetime best and about the same time she went at her midseason meet last year.

Men’s 400 IM

• NCAA Record: 3:28.82 — Leon Marchand, Arizona State (2023)
• SEC Record: 3:33.42 — Chase Kalisz, Georgia (2017)
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 3:38.37
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut: 3:49.53

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Jake Magahey (UGA) — 3:44.14
2. Giovanni Linscheer (FLOR) — 3:45.77
3. Mason Laur (FLOR) —- 3:46.26
4. Tommy Hagar (BAMA) — 3:46.69
5. Eric Brown (FLOR) — 3:47.08
6. Drew Hitchcock (UGA) — 3:47.90
7. Joaquin Gonzalez Pinero (FLOR) — 3:47.94
8. Benjamin Cote (FLOR) — 3:49.02

Three 2024 NCAA A-finalists are set to battle it out again tonight in the middle three lanes. The center lane will go to Georgia’s Jake Magahey, who swam 3:44.14 to get the top time by over a second. On either side of him will be two Gators: Gio Linscheer and Mason Laur. 

Behind this trio were a foursome in the 3:46 high-3:47 range: Tommy Hagar, Eric Brown, Drew Hitchcock, and Joaquin Gonzalez Pinero. It nearly took a 3:48 to make the final, with Benjamin Cote rounding out the top eight in in 3:49.02.

Women’s 100 fly

• NCAA Record: 47.42 — Gretchen Walsh, UVA (2024)
• SEC Record: 48.51 — Maggie McNeil, LSU (2023)
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 50.52
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut: 53.34

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Olivia Peoples (FLOR) — 51.15
2. Victoria Raymond (BAMA) — 52.04
3. Addison Reese (FLOR) — 52.70
4. Zoe Carlos-Broc (LSU) — 52.80
5. Sofia Sartori (LSU) — 52.85
6. Emily Jones (BAMA) — 52.96
7. Kailyn Winter (BAMA) — 53.00
8. Paige Striley (UMIZ) — 53.02

Florida senior Olivia Peoples was on this morning. The 2024 SEC champion turned in a 51.15, which is only a couple tenths off what she went last night in the 400 medley relay with a flying start. The only swimmer within a second of her was Victoria Raymond, who was within three tenths of her lifetime best. 

Joining Raymond will be two of her Bama team mates, the most for any Alabama in the meet thus far. LSU also had a strong showing in this event, with freshman Zoe Carlos-Broc and junior Sofia Satori getting under 53 seconds.

Men’s 100 fly

• NCAA Record: 42.80 — Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
• SEC Record: 42.80 — Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 44.51
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut: 46.80

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Josh Liendo (FLOR) — 45.23
2. Scotty Buff (FLOR) — 45.82
3. Jan Zubik (UMIZ) — 46.04
4. Bernardo de Almeida (BAMA) — 46.36
5. Wesley Ng (UGA) — 46.42
6. Tim Korstanje (BAMA) — 46.53
7. Thomas Askew (UGA) — 46.58
8. Roman Valdez (UGA) — 46.77

After a triple win last night (including relays), Florida sprint star Josh Liendo will be in the center lane tonight favored to make it four. His 45.23 is not as quick as he was in the preliminaries of this meet last year, but it was still good enough for the top spot by over half a second. Spots 2-7 were all within a second of each other, led by Scotty Buff. Buff’s 45.82 was over two seconds faster than he was three weeks ago.

Women’s 200 free

• NCAA Record: 1:39.10 — Missy Franklin, Cal (2015)
• SEC Record: 1:41.21 — Megan Romano, Georgia (2012)
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:42.60
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut: 1:46.85

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Marie Landreneau (UGA) — 1:43.67
2. Ieva Maluka (UGA) — 1:44.63
3. Dune Coetzee (UGA) — 1:45.30
4. Julie Brousseau (FLOR) — 1:45.52
5. Shea Furse (UGA) — 1:45.68
6. Rachel Stege (UGA) — 1:45.78
7. Sloane Rammstein (UGA) — 1:45.93
8. Helena Jones (UGA) —- 1:46.38

Georgia responded to Florida’s 400 IM performance by matching their seven finalists out of eight. Leading the Bulldog charge was freshman Marie Landreneau, who is having a stellar season. Her 1:43.67 is a lifetime best by nearly a second. Her previous best time was set only two weeks ago at a dual meet. Tonight she’ll be gunning for another best time in between two teammates, Ieva Maluka and Dune Coetzee.

Blocking Georgia from a clean sweep of the top 8 was Florida’s Julie Brousseau. After placing in the top 8 in the IM earlier, Brosseau was back at it, once again placing 5th.

Men’s 200 free

• NCAA Record: 1:28.81 — Luke Hobson, Texas (2024)
• SEC Record: 1:29.48 — Kieran Smith, Florida (2021)
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:31.21
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut: 1:35.35

Top 8 Qualifiers

1. Charlie Hawke (BAMA) — 1:31.74
2. Kaique Alves (BAMA) — 1:32.23
3. Tomas Koski (UGA) — 1:33.13
4. Jake Mitchell (FLOR) — 1:34.47
5. Toni Dragoja (BAMA) — 1:34.70
6. Jovan Lekic (LSU) — 1:34.91
7. Jere Hribar (LSU) — 1:34.96
8. Philipp Peschke (UMIZ) — 1:35.07

Alabama teammates Charlie Hawke and Kaique Alves turned in the top times of the morning, swimming 1:31.74 and 1:32.23. After placing second in last night’s 500 and nearly splitting an 18 on the Tide’s 200 free relay (19.05), Hawke will get a chance to show his mid-distance prowess tonight. His best time currently sits at 1:30.55 from last year’s NCAAs.

Alves had the biggest drop of the top 8 from their season-best seed times, dropping from 1:34.73. 3rd place finisher from last night’s 500, Tomas Koski, rounds out the top three.

Women’s 100 breaststroke

• NCAA Record: 55.73 — Lilly King, Indiana (2019)
• SEC Record: 56.64 — Mona McSherry, Tennessee (2024)
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 58.01
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut: 1:01.22

Top 8 Qualifiers

1. Anita Bottazzo (FLOR) — 59.42
2. Avery Wiseman (BAMA) — 59.75
3. Diana Petkova (BAMA) — 59.85
4. Molly Mayne (FLOR) — 59.88
5. Lina Bank (UMIZ) — 1:00.16
6. Kasia Norman (BAMA) — 1:00.18
7. Grace Palmer (LSU) — 1:00.89
8. Anna Moore (FLOR) — 1:01.05

Anita Bottazzo is starting her yards career off on the right foot. The Italian native hasn’t swam at any of Florida’s dual meets, making this meet the freshman’s first ever in yards. She took the top time this morning in 59.42. Based on her 57.75 split from last night’s medley relay, there might be more in the tank.

She’ll be next to Alabama swimmers Avery Wiseman and Diana Petkova, who both got under the minute mark this morning. Bottazzo’s teammate Molly Mayne did as well, earning a season-best by nearly three seconds.

Men’s 100 breaststroke

• NCAA Record: 49.53 — Liam Bell, Cal (2024)
• SEC Record: 50.03 — Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 51.02
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut: 53.43

Top 8 Qualifiers

1. Aleksas Savickas (FLOR) — 51.43
2. Julian Smith (FLOR) — 51.69
3. Trey Sheils (BAMA) — 51.91
4. Mitch Mason (LSU) — 52.37
5. Connor Haigh (UGA) — 52.77
6. Logan Ottke (UMIZ) — 52.87
7. Arie Voloschin (UGA) — 53.05
8. Alex Ochsenbein (UMIZ) — 53.16

2024 NCAA B-finalist Aleksas Savickas was only a tenth behind his NCAA prelims swim to take the top spot in the 100 breast this morning. He was pushed by his teammate and NCAA A-finalist Julian Smith, who clocked a 51.69, touching just behind Savickas’ 51.43. 

The third 51 came from Alabama’s Trey Sheils, who rocked a 51.91 to knock a half a second off his lifetime best. These three are set to duke it out in the middle lanes this evening. 

For the first time at this meet, Mizzou will have multiple A-finalists in the same event thanks to Logan Ottke and Alex Ochsenbein.

Women’s 100 backstroke

• NCAA Record: 48.10 — Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (2024)
• SEC Record: 50.02 — Bella Sims, Florida (2024) / Rhyan White, Alabama (2020)
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 50.56
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut: 53.53

Top 8 Qualifiers

1. Catie Choate (FLOR) — 51.87
2. Eboni McCarty (UGA) — 52.08
3. Zoe Carlos-Broc (LSU) — 52.16
4. Emily Jones (BAMA) — 52.19
5. Valeriia Egorova (LSU) — 52.72
6. Cadence Vincent (BAMA) —- 52.79
7. Ella Menear (BAMA) — 52.89
8. Carly Meeting (FLOR) — 53.06

The Florida women grabbed their fourth of five top qualifying spots for the session thanks to Catie Choate’s 51.87. It is a personal best for the sophomore, beating out her 52.13 from last season’s SEC champs. 

Not far behind Choate were three women from three different schools – Eboni McCarty, who was an NCAA B-finalist in this event; Zoe Carlos-Broc, who is pulling a double-top-eight session with the 100 fly; and Emily Jones, whose 52.19 is a personal best.

SEC co-record holder Bella Sims was a DFS for this event after swimming the 400 IM earlier in the session.

Men’s 100 backstroke

• NCAA Record: 43.35 — Luca Urlando, Georgia (2022)
• SEC Record: 43.35 — Luca Urlando, Georgia (2022)
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 44.48
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut: 47.16

Top 8 Qualifiers

1. Jonny Marshall (FLOR) — 45.34
2. Stepan Goncharov (LSU) — 45.52
3. Wesley Ng (UGA) — 45.98
4. Grant Bochenski (UMIZ) — 46.18
5. T-5. Scotty Buff (FLOR) — 46.27
6. T-5. Sam Powe (UGA) — 46.27
7. Aiden Norman (FLOR) — 46.47
8. Brendan Conners (BAMA) — 46.68

The final top qualifier for this session went to Florida’s Jonny Marshall, winning in 45.34. He just edged out Stepan Goncharov, who came within a tenth of his own LSU team record. 

Georgia’s Wesley Ng and Florida’s Scotty Buff will both appear in two finals each tonight, successfully doubling with the 100 fly.

Tonight’s session will start at 5:30 PM ET. It will feature these events as well as the 200 medley relay, 800 free relay, women’s 3m springboard, and men’s 1m springboard.