The University of Florida swimming and diving teams had a huge third night of the 2013 SEC Championships after winning four individual titles in six events. The Gator men moved into first with a score of 748 points and the women are now second with 662 points. Florida saw numerous personal-records and several top times in the nation on Thursday.
“It was a great evening for the Gators,” said Head Coach Gregg Troy. “I thought we raced really well tonight. Marcin had a small set-back last night, but he bounced back well to get the win in the 100 fly. I thought the whole team did a great job and competed really well tonight.”
In one event the Gators took command of the leaderboard, scoring 144 points in the men’s 400 IM. Sophomore Dan Wallace (North Berwick, Scotland) placed second in the men’s 400 IM with a personal-best and NCAA “A” time of 3:41.95. It was the fourth fastest time in the nation and moves him into seventh in UF history.
The Gator trio of sophomore Carlos Omana (Miami, Fla.), junior Connor Signorin (East Windsor, N.J.) and sophomore Matt Elliott (Peoria, Ill.) finished 4-5-6 respectively. Omana and Elliott each swam personal-best times with a 3:44.04 and 3:44.33 and Omana moved into 10th in school history. Signorin’s prelim time of 4:42.64 was the seventh-best time in school history.
Florida sophomore Eduardo Solaeche-Gomez (Madrid, Spain) grabbed the win in the B-Final with a season-best time of 3:45.68 and freshman Adam Bull (Dallas, Texas) finished 15th with a personal-best 3:50.30. With another personal-best freshman Ryan Rosenbaum (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) won the C-Final with his time of 3:48.78.
Junior Elizabeth Beisel (North Kingstown, R.I.) defended her title in the women’s 400 IM as she won her third-straight SEC Championship in the event. Beisel finished in a NCAA “A” time of 3:59.53 to best her own top time in the nation and is the only person to swim under four minutes this season. Freshman Ashlee Linn (Southfield, Mich.) took eighth for the Gators with a time of 4:14.86.
UF’s women won all three finals, as freshman Jessica Thielmann (Newcastle, England) finished first in the B-Final with a NCAA “B” time and personal-best time of 4:09.99. It also ranks her ninth in school history. Sophomore Rebecca Rainer (Richmond, Va.) took second in the B-Final with her personal-best time of 4:11.08 and freshman Sierra Kuhn (Verona, Wis.) finished 16th with her personal-best time of 4:16.33. Sophomore Jordan Smith (Longwood, Fla.) won the C-Final, also recording a personal-best with her time of 4:13.56 and sophomore Lauren Neidigh (Orange Park, Fla.) finished 22nd in a time of 4:18.71.
Winning his third-straight SEC title in the 100 fly, junior Marcin Cieslak (Warsaw, Poland) finished first with his season-best time of 46.02. It was also the third fastest time in the nation. Senior Cameron Martin (Clearwater, Fla.) swam a personal-best 46.64 to finish fifth. His time was the fifth best in the nation and moves him into fifth in UF history.
With his personal-best and the sixth fastest time in the country, junior Brad deBorde (Longwood, Fla.) finished in a tie for sixth and moved into sixth in UF history. Freshman Corey Main (Auckland, New Zealand) took 16th with a time of 47.62 and sophomore Christian Homer (Trinidad and Tobago) finished 18th with a time of 47.62.
In her first SEC Championship meet, freshman Natalie Hinds (Midland, Texas) swam the nation’s top time of 51.70 in the 100 fly to win her first SEC title. It was a NCAA “A” time and a personal-best that ranks her second in school history. Junior Ellese Zalewski (Melbourne, Australia) took sixth in with a 52.13 and she moved into third in UF history. Junior Kaitlin Frehling (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) took 23rd with a time of 54.28.
Scoring his first SEC title was freshman Pawel Werner (Wroclaw, Poland), who finished in a time of 1:33.82 for the fourth fastest time in the nation and sixth in school history. Then redshirt junior Sebastien Rousseau (Cape Town, South Africa) completed the sweep of the top two, finishing second in a time of 1:34.02, a personal-best. Sophomore Matt Curby (Oviedo, Fla.) was 10th with a NCAA “B” time and personal-best 1:35.95 and senior Jason Taylor (Plant City, Fla.) won the C-Final in a NCAA “B” time of 1:36.49.
Then in the women’s 200 free, freshman Sinead Russell (Burlington, Ontario) finished fifth with a time of 1:44.54, a personal-best and ranks her fourth in school history. Senior Jamie Bohunicky (Gainesville, Fla.) won the B-Final with her NCAA “B” time of 1:46.06 and sophomore Natasha Fung (Edmonton, Canada) was 11th in a time of 1:46.34.
In diving, UF’s men competed on the three-meter board. Senior Sean Saley (Pompano Beach, Fla.) finished 20th with a score of 297.75, redshirt freshman Zach Hernandez (Johns Creek, Ga.) was 23rd with his score of 271.80 to bring in points for the Gators.
Courtesy of UF Communications