Youth was served on Thursday night for the Florida swimming team as three sophomores totaled three first-place finishes of Day 2 of the Southeastern Conference Swimming and Diving Championships at the Allan Jones Aquatic Center in Knoxville, Tenn. Elizabeth Beisel and Marcin Cieslak won their respective 200 IM events and Brad deBorde was in the top spot for the men’s 50 freestyle. All of their times were NCAA automatic qualifying times. The Florida women moved up to fourth with 198.5 points. The men jumped up to second with 276 points, only 25 points behind the leader Auburn.
“We swam really well tonight,” UF coach Gregg Troy remarked. “We swam great this morning, and well tonight. I think we were a little tired coming into the finals this evening, but that’s because of how we swam in the prelims to get here. We got our NCAA automatic qualifying times, and even managed to break two school records with Elizabeth and Brad, which isn’t something that you get to do everyday.”
“There’s still work to be done, and better swimming to come,” Troy said. “Now, we have a swim meet on our hands.”
During preliminaries Beisel was able to break a Florida record for the 200 IM by completing it in 1:54.83. The previous record was held by Gemma Spofforth (1:55.39). For the finals, Beisel came close to tying her record with a 1:54.89. The win gives Beisel her third career SEC championship title. Last year she touched the wall first in the 200 back and 400 IM and claimed the 2011 SEC Female Freshman of the Year award.
“I’m a little disappointed with the time (1:54.89). I thought I was going to be able to go faster than this morning. But it’s the best time by two seconds over what my time was before, so I can’t really complain and I’m glad I was able to get the win for the team,” Beisel noted. “I knew exactly where I was. In the breaststroke leg, when everybody started catching me – it always happens – I just try to swim my own race and put the blinders on, I guess. It’s awesome.”
The other record breaker during preliminaries was deBorde. In the morning session, deBorde finished the 50 free in 19.25. The previous school record was held by Shaune Fraser (19.30). deBorde followed up his stellar performance by in the finals touching the wall at 19.29 and earned his first SEC title.
“I have really been working on this race a lot. I have the best training mates in the sprint group this year. We have really been pushing to have a good finish this in the 50. It is a great win for Florida. I wanted to go a little faster but I am pretty happy with my time,” deBorde said.
The final first place finisher for Florida was Marcin Cieslak who helped the Gators sweep the 200 IM with a time of 1:43.01. Last year, Cieslak placed second in the same event.
“I got second last year, so this is really great. I have had guys pushing me all year and I really wanted to win. This is my best time, and faster than last year. I feel like I am making progress. My goal was 1:43 and that is what it took to win. The atmosphere here is great,” Cielsak said.
Rounding out the women’s 200 IM, Hilda Luthersdottir finished in fifth (1:58.75), Kirsten Smith came in seventh (1:59.00), and Sarra Lajnef came in 15th (2:01.61). To finish the men’s 200 IM, Eduardo Solaeche Gomez (1:45.10), Dan Wallace (1:45.33), and Matt Curby (1:45.77) earned the fourth through sixth spots. Matt Elliott and Brian Howell would finish 10th (1:46.96) and 15th (1:48.16), respectively.
In the 50 free, Sarah Bateman claimed the third spot with a time of 22.01. While on the men’s side Matt Norton placed eighth (19.78) and James Turner came in 13th (19.96).
For the 500 freestyle Jamie Bohunicky placed sixth by touching the wall in 4:40.63. Teammate Corrine Showalter finished eighth with a 4:43.51. Alicia Matheiu placed 11th (4:47.01), Molly Dubrasky placed 14th (4:44.66), and Angelina Ballatore finished in 16th (4:49.78).
For the men’s 500 free, the Gators claimed the second through fourth spots with Jason Taylor touching the wall at 4:18.99, Nicholas Caldwell finished in 4:20.11 and Connor Signorin stopped the clock at 4:20.59. Carlos Omana finished in 4:24.45 for eighth.
The 200 free relay capped off the night for the Gators with Bateman, Ellese Zalewski, Bohunicky, and Kaitlin Frehling coming in fifth (1:29.32). On the men’s side, deBorde, Norton, Turner, and Curby touched the wall at 1:17.86 for second.
On the diving boards, Christopher Jones placed 11th in the one-meter dive with 310.20 points while Michael Lewark got 13th with a score of 306.65. Kaylee Doback cam in 13th for the women’s three-meter dive with 291.85.
The action will continue on Friday at the Jones Aquatic Center, in Knoxville, Tennessee. The 400 IM, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breast, 100 back, and 400 medley relay will be swam. The men’s platform dive will also take place.
Women’s Standings after Day 2:
1. Georgia 274 points
2. Tennessee 249 points
3. Auburn 228.5 points
4. Florida 198.5 points
5. LSU 176 points
6. South Carolina 116 points
7. Arkansas 113 points
8. Alabama 110 points
9. Kentucky 54 points
10. Vanderbilt 46 points
Men’s Standings after Day 2:
1. Auburn 301 points
2. Florida 276 points
3. Georgia 208 points
3. Tennessee 208 points
5. LSU 168 points
6. Kentucky 116 points
7. South Carolina 95 points
8. Alabama 67 points
Gator Country reporter Sara Ladwig can be reached at sladwig@gatorcountry.com