Courtesy: Florida Athletics
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The University of Florida men’s and women’s swimming & diving teams take to the road for the Fresh From Florida Sunshine Showdown against in-state rival Florida State on Friday, Nov. 2, at 2 p.m.
On the women’s side, the Gators knocked off the Seminoles 184-116 last season. The Florida women have won the last five meetings and have a 17-3 record in the last 20 seasons.
Last season, the Florida men’s team defeated Florida State, 200-91. The Gators have won seven-straight matchups. Over the last 20 meetings, Florida holds an 18-2 record against the Seminoles.
Earlier this week, Vanessa Pearl was named the SEC Freshman of the Week, this was her third honor in four weeks. Kacper Stokowski collected the SEC Freshman of the Week on the men’s side. This was Stokowski’s first weekly honor.
The No. 10 ranked women feature eight athletes with a combined 16 Top-20 times on the season. The Gators hold four of the Top-20 times in the 400 IM in the NCAA this season, which is the most by any program. Kelly Fertel leads the group with the fifth-best time, followed closely by Hannah Burns in sixth and Pearl in seventh. Mabel Zavaros ranks 11th, giving Florida four swimmers inside the Top-15. Fertel and Pearl come in with Top-20 times in the 200 IM as well. Fertel has the eighth-best time, while Pearl sits in the No. 10 spot.
Taylor Ault and Leah Braswell are providing depth in the long-distance races. In the 500 free, Ault ranks 10th and Braswell ranks 15th. Ault holds the 10th-best time in the 1,000 Free, while Braswell ranks inside the Top-15 once again with the 14th-best swim.
Pearl has Top-20 times in both the 100 Breast and the 200 Breast. She sits at No. 8 in the 200 Breast and No. 18 in the 100 Breast. Mabel Zavaros has the eighth-fastest time in the 200 Back and the 16th-best swim in the 100 Fly. Emma Ball and Sherridon Dressel rank eighth and 16th, respectively, in the 100 Back.
The No. 3 ranked men are led by 13 athletes who have posted a total of 29 Top-20 times this season. Kieran Smith finds himself inside the Top-20 in six different events. He has the second-best swim in the 400 IM, fourth-fastest time in the 200 Free, and ranks ninth in the 200 IM. Smith ranks inside the Top-15 in the 1,000 Free (11th), 500 Free (14th), and 200 Back (15th).
Khader Baqlah and Grant Sanders have four Top-20 times each. Baqlah has the fastest time in the 200 Free, fifth-best swim in the 100 Free, eighth-best mark in the 1,000 Free, and the 12th-best time in the 500 Free. Sanders holds the second- and third-best swims in the 200 IM and 400 IM, respectively. Sanders adds the 15th-best time in the 200 Breast and the 20th-fastest mark in the 200 Fly.
Trey Freeman has Top-15 times in three different events, the 1,000 Free (7th), 200 Free (15th), and 500 Free (15th). Santiago Corredor holds the fifth-best time in the 500 Free, sixth-fastest swim in the 400 IM, and the 11th-best mark in the 200 Fly.
Maxime Rooney has the 13th-best swim in the 100 Fly and the 20th-fastest mark in the 100 Free. Stokowski (second, 100 Back), Clark Beach (11th, 200 Back), Bayley Main (12th, 100 Back), Robert Finke (15th, 1,000 Free), Marco Guarente (19th, 200 Breast), Alex Lebed (20th, 200 IM), and Stanley Wu (T-20th, 100 Breast) round out the Gators with Top-20 times this season.
My money is on UF