2022 UGA FALL INVITATIONAL
- November 17-19, 2022
- UGA Gabrielsen Natatorium, Athens, GA
- SCY (25 yards)
- Results on Meet Mobile: “UGA Fall Invitational 2022”
- 2022 NCAA Qualifying Times
- Live Results
- Live Stream
- Day 1 Prelims Recap
The first finals session of the 2022 Georgia Fall Invitational takes place tonight in Athens. We’ve already seen some swift times today, especially on the men’s side. Florida freshman Josh Liendo cranked out a 18.83 in the prelims of the 50 free, while Georgia’s Jake Magahey posted the fastest time in the nation with a 4:12.91 in the 500 free. With several other big meets happening today, we’ll have to see what those two can do tonight and how the times will compare to other sites.
We’ll also see finals of the 200 IM, along with timed finals of the 200 free relay and the 400 medley relay. The Florida men seem particularly dangerous in the 200 free relay, especially after Macguire McDuff went 19.15 in the prelims of the 50 free. On the women’s side, Georgia swept the top prelims in times in all three individual events, but the Auburn women hold the top seeds in both of the relays.
While the SEC schools will likely dominate the headlines, there’s also an interesting meet within a meet battle happening between ACC rivals Florida State and Georgia Tech. The Seminoles seem poised to lead that contest after garnering a total of four A-finalists this morning, while the Yellow Jackets earned one.
Women 200 Free Relay – Timed Finals
- NCAA A Standard – 1:28.43
Top 3:
- Florida – 1:27.75
- Auburn – 1:29.15
- Georgia – 1:29.30
The first event of the night proved to be a barnburner, as the top three teams all touched within 0.18s of each other. Florida had three tight splits from Katie Mack (22.03), Ekaterina Nikonova (22.05) and Talia Bates (21.95), while Micayla Cronk anchored in 21.72 for a 1:27.75 win. Auburn touched 2nd in 1:29.15, with Claudia Thamm‘s 22.00 split on the 3rd leg the fastest for the Tigers. Georgia got a 21.63 anchor leg from Eboni McCarty to take 3rd in 1:29.30.
Men 200 Free Relay – Timed Finals
- NCAA A Standard – 1:16.80
Top 3:
- Florida – 1:15.98
- Auburn ‘A’ – 1:16.43
- Auburn ‘B’ – 1:17.44
Josh Liendo has been a sprint sensation since he arrived in Gainesville a few months ago, and tonight the Canadian native propelled Florida to the win with a lightning-fast 18.29 on the Gators’ second leg. Adam Chaney led off for Florida in 19.30, Macguire McDuff split 18.88 on the 3rd leg, and Eric Friese, who has been under well 19 in the past, anchored in 19.50 as Florida won in 1:15.98.
Auburn took the next two spots. The ‘A’ relay featured Logan Tirheimer‘s 18.93 split, as well as two 19.0 splits, to take 2nd in 1:16.43. The B relay touched in 1:17.44, just 0.04s ahead of Georgia’s 1:17.48,
Women 500 Free – Finals
- NCAA A Standard – 4:35.76
- 2022 Invite Time – 4:43.08
Top 3:
- Mabel Zavaros (Florida) – 4:39.28
- Tylor Mathieu (Florida) – 4:40.23
- Deniz Ertan (Georgia Tech) – 4:40.89
The Gator women went 1-2 in the A-final, as Mabel Zavaros got the win in 4:39.28 and Tylor Mathieu took 2nd in 4:40.23. Deniz Ertan, the Yellow Jackets’ only A-finalist of the evening, took 3rd in 4:40.89. No one was under the NCAA ‘A’ cut, but a total of seven women finished under last year’s NCAA invite time of 4:43.08.
Men 500 Free – Finals
- NCAA A Standard – 4:11.40
- 2022 Invite Time – 4:14.96
Top 3:
- Jake Magahey (Georgia) – 4:09.83
- Michael Bonson (Auburn) – 4:13.30
- Oskar Lindholm (Florida) – 4:14.97
This morning, Bulldog Jake Magahey posted the fastest time in the nation this season with a 4:12.91.
Tonight, Gator Alfonso Mestre surpassed that mark with a 4:11.03 to win the B-final, leading a three-man race that also included Georgia Tech’s Batu Unlu (4:12.51) and Florida’s Jake Mitchell (4:13.00).
Magahey, however, had saved a little for finals as well, and he easily took the win as he dipped under 4:10 to touch in 4:09.83. That appears to be the fastest time in the nation this season, although results are still rolling in from across the country. The top three men in the B-final actually finished ahead of anyone other than Magahey in the A-final. Officially, though Auburn’s Michael Bonson finished 2nd with a 4:13.30, followed by yet another Gator, Oskar Lindholm, at 4:14.97.
Women 200 IM – Finals
- NCAA A Standard – 1:53.66
- 2022 Invite Time – 1:56.85
Top 3:
- Zoie Hartman (Georgia) – 1:54.26
- Zoe Dixon (Florida) – 1:57.20
- Kathleen Golding (Florida) – 1:57.26
Georgia’s Zoie Hartman cleared her prelims time by over a second to easily win tonight with a 1:54.26. Hartman took control on the second leg, where she cranked out a 28.04 breast split, the fastest in the field. Hartman was the only swimmer to get under last year’s NCAA invite time. A pair of Florida Gators battled each for the next two spots. Zoe Dixon led her teammate Kathleen Golding by nearly a second at the halfway point, but Golding made up most the gap on the back half, with Dixon hanging on to win 1:57.20 to 1:57.26.
Men 200 IM – Finals
- NCAA A Standard – 1:41.22
- 2022 Invite Time – 1:43.36
Top 3:
- Zach Hills (Georgia) – 1:43.03
- Peter Varjasi (Florida State) – 1:43.17
- Julian Smith (Florida) – 1:43.47
Zach Hills earned the second straight win for the Bulldogs with a 1:43.03 victory in the 200 IM. Florida State’s Peter Varjasi, who tends to gravitate towards the sprint free, took 2nd in 1:43.17 thanks in part to the fastest anchor leg in the field. Each of the top two times were a bit under the 1:43.36 it took to make NCAAs in this event last season. Gator Julian Smith took 3rd in 1:43.47, the first of three Gators in the A-final.
Women 50 Free – Finals
- NCAA A Standard – 21.66
- 2022 Invite Time – 22.16
Top 3:
- Eboni McCarty (Georgia) – 21.89
- Katie Mack (Florida) – 22.18
- Talia Bates (Florida) – 22.30
Eboni McCarty followed up her swift anchor leg earlier in the evening with a 21.89 in the individual 50 free tonight, 0.02s than her prelims-leading time from his morning. Once again, the Gators took the next two spots, with Katie Mack taking 2nd in 22.18 and Talia Bates just touching out Auburn’s Lexi Mulvihill, 22.30 to 22.32.
Men 50 Free – Finals
- NCAA A Standard – 18.88
- 2022 Invite Time – 19.28
Top 3:
- Josh Liendo (Florida) – 18.84
- Macguire McDuff (Florida) – 19.11
- Adam Chaney (Florida) – 19.23
He may not have improved on his time from this morning (18.83), but Josh Liendo easily won the A-final tonight, leading a 1-3 Gator sweep. Macguire McDuff took 2nd in 19.11, setting a new personal best, while Adam Chaney rounded out the top three with a 19.23, just ahead of Georgia’s Dillon Downing (19.25). Eric Friese, who split a 18-low at NCAAs last year but only 19.5 on tonight’s relay, took 8th in 19.99, in line with his relay split earlier in the session.
Women 400 Medley Relay – Timed Finals
- NCAA A Standard – 3:31.38
Top 3:
- Georgia – 3:31.31
- Auburn – 3:32.47
- Florida State – 3:34.51
Georgia picked up a NCAA ‘A’ cut and the win tonight with a 3:31.31. Marie Schobel led off with a 52.88, then Zoie Hartman put the Bulldogs solidly into the lead with a 58.28 breast split. Callie Dickinson split 52.51 on fly before Eboni McCarty anchored in 47.64, the fastest anchor leg of the night.
Auburn put together four strong legs to take 2nd in 3:32.47, while Florida State touched 0.01s ahead of Florida, 3:34.51 to 3:34.52, for 3rd. Breaststroke proved to be the decisive leg in that battle, as the Seminoles got a 59.86 split from Maddy Huggins against a 1:01.15 split from Tylor Mathieu for the Gators.
Men 400 Medley Relay – Timed Finals
- NCAA A Standard – 3:04.96
Top 3:
- Auburn – 3:03.55
- Florida – 3:04.98
- Georgia – 3:07.41
The Auburn men may not have had many individual podium finishes tonight, but they brought the heat on the relays. Florida’s Adam Chaney jumped out to an early lead with a 21.74 opening 50 on the backstroke leg before Nathaniel Stoffle reeled him in on the back half, finishing the leg in 45.37 to Chaney’s 45.75. Reid Mikuta extended the lead with a strong 50.80 breast split, Aidan Stoffle split 45.55 on fly, and anchor Kalle Makinen held off Josh Liendo‘s anchor with a 41.83 to touch the wall in 3:03.55. Not only did that earn the win, but as of the moment, that appears to be the fastest time in the country so far this season.
Liendo split 41.48 in his anchoring efforts, but that wasn’t enough to close the gap, and Florida took 2nd in 3:04.98, followed by Georgia at 3:07.41.
Women’s Scores Through Day 1
1. Auburn University 327
2. University of Florida 294
3. Georgia, University of 265
4. Florida State University 188
5. Georgia Institute of Technolog 153
Men’s Scores Through Day 2
1. University of Florida 339.5
2. Auburn University 322
3. Georgia, University of 290
4. Florida State University 192.5
5. Georgia Institute of Technolog 96
Is putting your fastest swimmer second on a 200 free relay becoming a more popular strategy? Can’t really say there’s a huge demographic to gather data from, but in this case, both Florida (Liendo), and over at the other meet, Virginia (King), took this approach. Florida also put Dressel second on the 200 free relay at SECs in 3 of his 4 collegiate seasons.
Would be curious to hear the coach’s thoughts as to why they stray away from the typical shot gun or anchor approach.
It seems to be that putting them “middle” is becoming more popular. Even thinking to long course, Ledecky “middle” on the 800 free relay.
Using Dressel anything but leadoff should be a crime. His flat-start is his greatest weapon.
I agree with your Dressel comment. The one year he wasn’t second, he was third. If I recall correctly, Florida did let him lead off at NCAAs every year.
I also just realized LSU put Curry second on their 2 free relay 2 nights ago, another one to add to the data. Would be an interesting question to ask coaches in a press conference or on the podcast.
Yea, Hartman did not go 28.0 on the breast leg.
“The Auburn men may not have had any individual podium finishes tonight”
Bonson😑
Sorry, I didn’t taper and shave for the midseason invite writing. Lifted and doing doubles.
AUBURNS BACK BABY
Auburn swimming is back?
Third place in the B final goes 4:13.00, what lol.
The live results for the 200 FR show UF women went faster than 1:29
Thanks. Looks like Meet Mobile had a glitch earlier regarding both Cronk’s anchor leg and the overall time.
That split from freese was definitely a bit off. Is he doing alright