GEORGIA VS. ARKANSAS
- Results
- Hosted by University of Georgia
- Thursday, January 5th
- 25 yards
- Dual meet format
FINAL TEAM SCORES:
- Georgia- 180.5
- Arkansas- 113.5
The defending NCAA champion Georgia women have extended their home dual meet to 103, picking up a victory over Arkansas to stay undefeated this season. The Bulldogs won every race of the meet, with Olivia Smoliga, Stephanie Peters, Emily Cameron, and Megan Kingsley each winning multiple events.
Smoliga started off individually with the 100 back, racing to a 55.61 ahead of freshman teammate Katherine Parker (56.85). She then went on to dominate the 100 free, an event in which she’s the reigning NCAA champ. Her 50.86 in that race was over a second and a half faster than anyone else.
Peters, Cameron, and Kingsley swept the doubles of their respective specialties. Peters took on the distance races, clocking a 9:50.12 victory in the 1000 free and winning the 500 free in 4:47.59. Breaststroker Cameron turned in winning times in the 100 breast (1:03.55) and 200 breast (2:15.81), while butterflier Kingsley followed suit in the 100 fly (53.99) and 200 fly (1:57.88).
PRESS RELEASE – GEORGIA:
ATHENS, Ga. — The Georgia women’s swimming and diving team began the 2017 portion of its schedule by defeating Arkansas’ women 180.5-113.5 on Thursday afternoon in Gabrielsen Natatorium.
“This was an important meet for us coming out of Christmas training,” Georgia head coach Jack Bauerle said. “I was pleased with the focus and intensity that I saw today. We’ve got some really important meets coming up and we need to carry this momentum into those.”
Led by Olivia Smoliga, Stephanie Peters, Emily Cameron and Megan Kingsley, the No. 3 Lady Bulldogs (5-0, 3-0 SEC) won every single race.
Smoliga posted wins in the 100-yard backstroke (55.61) and the 100-yard freestyle (50.86), while Cameron won both the breaststroke events, taking the 100- in 1:03.55 and the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:15.81.
Peters was also a double winner, finishing the 500- freestyle in 4:47.59 and the 1,000-yard freestyle in 9:50.12. Megan Kingsley took the top spot in both butterfly events, stopping the clock in 53.99 in the 100- and 1:57.88 in the 200-yard butterfly.
Behind Smoliga and Peters, Georgia’s women swept the freestyle events with Veronica Burchill winning the 50 in 23.53 and Meryn McCann claiming the 200 in 1:50.06.
Kylie Stewart took the top spot in the 200-yard backstroke in 1:56.61 and Meaghan Raab touched the wall first in the 200-yard individual medley (2:02.05).
Smoliga, Cameron, Stewart and Burchill won the 200-yard medley relay in 1:42.07, while Kimberlee John-Williams, Jordan Stout, Sandra Scott and Meg Finnon combined for the fastest time in the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:29.26)
In other results from Thursday, Kelly Thatcher placed 10th on the women’s platform with a score of 219.30 at the Tennessee Diving Invitational in Knoxville, Tenn.
The Lady Bulldogs added to their NCAA swimming and diving record 103 consecutive dual or tri meets at Gabrielsen Natatorium dating back to the 1995 season. The Lady Bulldogs also are undefeated in their last 39 dual meets overall (38-0-1) and in their last 20 SEC meets (19-0-1) dating back to 2013.
Georgia’s teams return to action on Saturday, Jan. 14, against Texas at 11 a.m. in Gabrielsen Natatorium. Admission is free and the meet will air on the SEC Network+.
PRESS RELEASE – ARKANSAS:
ATHENS, Ga. — To start the 2017 portion of the schedule, the Arkansas women’s swimming and diving team (1-3, 0-3 SEC) fell to the No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs (5-0, 3-0 SEC) on Thursday afternoon 180.5-113.5 at Gabrielsen Natatorium.
In the 200 butterfly, junior Jessie Garrison recorded the fourth fastest time (2:01.55) by an Arkansas swimmer this season, finishing second in the event. Mary Margaret Soderberg clocked a lifetime best in the 200 freestyle, finishing third with a time of 1:51.68.
Madison Strathman came out with two top-three finishes in the breaststroke events, touching second in the 100 breast (1:03.72) and placing third in the 200 breast (2:16.68).
The quartet of Caitlin Tootill, Erin Kelly, Natalie Burnett and Annah Carney won the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 3:31.97, the second quickest time by Arkansas this year. Kiera Michailoff-Russell, Sarah Chambliss, Chelsea Tatlow and Aiden Lister came in second in the event, touching in the fourth fastest time (3:33.13) by Arkansas this season.
In the 200 medley relay, Natalie Burnett, Madison Strathman, Olivia Weekley and Sarah Chambliss recorded a second place finish with a time of 1:43.30, the third fastest time this season by Arkansas.
Freshman Ayumi Macias swam the fourth fastest time (10:08.97) by an Arkansas swimmer this year in the 1000 freestyle with a fifth place finish.
Five other Arkansas swimmers recorded top-three individual finishes. Natalie Burnett touched second in the 50 freestyle (23.96), while Aiden Lister (500 freestyle – 4:57.16), Sarah Easterling (200 IM – 2:08.31), Erin Kelly (100 freestyle – 52.61) and Chelsea Tatlow (100 backstroke – 57.29) all recorded third place finishes.
With both teams’ divers being in Knoxville, Tennessee for the Tennessee Diving Invite, the scores from the invite counted towards the dual meet score. In the one-meter and three-meter dives, the Razorbacks swept the top three positions with Nicole Gillis claiming first, Molly Harvie taking second and Marissa Green placing third in both events.
UP NEXT
Arkansas will get back in the pool on Saturday morning as the Razorbacks travel to Champaign, Illinois, to face the Illinois Fighting Illini at 10 a.m.at the ARC pool.
For more information on Arkansas Swimming and Diving, follow @RazorbackSD on Twitter.
