The Georgia women’s swimming team will entertain Arkansas on Thursday at 4 p.m. at Gabrielsen Natatorium. Admission is free.
The Lady Bulldogs (4-0, 2-0 SEC) ended the 2016 portion of the schedule ranked No. 3 in the CSCAA TYR Poll. Thursday’s meet will mark Georgia’s first dual meet since Nov. 10 and its first competition since Dec. 4.
“It’s been about a month, so our young ladies are anxious to swim another meet and compete against another team,” Georgia head coach Jack Bauerle said. “We had a great invitational (in December), but no one rested on their laurels. They were focused and they worked hard during Christmas training. We have some pretty lofty aspirations for 2017 and it all starts with the meet against Arkansas.”
The Lady Bulldogs have won an NCAA swimming and diving record 102 consecutive dual or tri meets at Gabrielsen Natatorium dating back to the 1995 season. The Lady Bulldogs also are undefeated in their last 38 dual meets overall (37-0-1) and in their last 19 SEC meets (18-0-1) dating back to 2013.
Georgia’s Olivia Smoliga holds the country’s fastest times in the 50 and 100 freestyle this season and she stands sixth in the 100 backstroke. Chantal Van Landeghem ranks fourth in the 50 freestyle and 10th in the 100 freestyle, while Stephanie Peters is No. 8 in the 500 freestyle and No. 9 in the 1,000 freestyle. Veronica Burchill (100 butterfly), Chelsea Britt (200 butterfly), Megan Kingsley (200 butterfly) and Emily Cameron (400 individual medley) also boast top-10 times.
The Lady Bulldogs own the nation’s top time in the 400 freestyle relay and are No. 2 in the 200 freestyle relay and No. 3 in the 200 medley relay.
Since Arkansas does not have a men’s program, the Bulldogs will be idle, though they will have an intrasquad meet between the women’s races. There also won’t be any diving as Georgia’s student-athletes are participating in the Tennessee Invitational in Knoxville.
News courtesy of Georgia Athletics.
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