Courtesy: Tennessee Athletics
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee swimming & diving is set to welcome two SEC opponents in their first home SEC contest, as the Vols and Lady Vols take on Florida and Kentucky on Friday afternoon at Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center during Alumni Weekend.
The meet will begin at 11 a.m. ET. Attendance is free for the public, however fans should be aware of UT’s clear bag policy as well as the use of metal detectors upon entry. The meet will be streamed on SEC Network+, and fans can also follow along with live scoring on MeetMobile.
The Vols and Lady Vols last competed on Oct. 27 against Texas A&M, where the No. 6 Vols fell to the 13th-ranked Aggies and the sixth-ranked Lady Vols were defeated by No. 25 Texas A&M. Tennessee was down several key athletes during the meet against the Aggies due to international events occurring last week.
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Order of Events
200 Medley Relay
1000 Free
Men’s 3M/Women’s 1M Begins
200 Free
100 Back
100 Breast
200 Fly
50 Free
Men’s 3M/Women’s 1M Est. End
100 Free
200 Back
Men’s 1M/Women’s 3M Est. Start
200 Breast
500 Free
100 Fly
200 IM
400 Free Relay
Men’s 1M/Women’s 3M Est. End
Scouting the Gators
The defending SEC Champions, Florida won their 11th consecutive men’s SEC Championship last year and won their first championship since 2009 on the women’s side. The Gators return lots of production from last season and are off to a hot start in 2023-24. The third-ranked UF men’s squad has defeated both No. 15 Virginia and No. 9 Georgia; the No. 7 Florida women’s team defeated 13th-ranked Georgia, but fell on the road to top-ranked Virginia.
Scouting the Wildcats
Kentucky brings a 19th-ranked women’s squad and 25th-ranked men’s squad to Knoxville. Under the direction of new head coach Bret Lundgaard, the Wildcats have competed in three dual meets. The women have competed in duals against Arkansas, where they fell, and Eastern Michigan, resulting in the first victory of the season. Both the men and women competed in a
dual meet on Oct. 4, falling to Indiana in Bloomington.
Competing Against the Best in Duals
UT’s schedule to this point has featured all dual meets against top-25 programs. UT split a dual to open the season against Louisville, where they defeated the No. 3 Cardinal women but fell to the 12th-ranked men. Down several key pieces due to international competition, the Vols fell to 13th-ranked Texas A&M and the Lady Vols fell to the No. 25 Aggies. Tennessee’s challenging slate continues as Kentucky’s men’s and women programs are ranked 19th and 25th, respectively. The Gators boast a men’s team that is ranked third, and a women’s team that ranks seventh.
Defending NCAA Champion Jordan Crooks
Tennessee will raise Jordan Crooks‘ NCAA Championship banner to the rafters of Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center during Friday’s meet. The SEC swimmer of the year took first place in the 50 free at the NCAA Championships last season, defeating Florida’s Josh Liendo by .08 seconds and the rest of the field by .27 seconds. Crooks also took the SEC Championship in the event, winning by almost a half of a second and becoming just the second collegiate swimmer to join the 17-second club in the 50 free.
Welcoming Alumni Home
Friday’s meet will serve as Tennessee swimming and diving alumni weekend, coinciding with the University’s homecoming weekend. UT will welcome alumni from the program home for a celebration of their accomplishments and the rich history of the program.
