KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Florida completed its swimming dual-meet schedule Friday by sweeping Tennessee at the Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center.
The No. 7 women’s team (10-2, 4-1 SEC) beat No. 12 Tennessee, 170-130, and then the No. 6 men’s team (9-0, 4-0 SEC) followed with a 164-133 victory over No. 11 Volunteers. The men’s loss by Tennessee was the first it has suffered since the opening of the Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center. The men’s dual meet was moved from Saturday to Friday evening ahead of inclement weather that was expected Saturday.
In the women’s meet, the Gators won nine of 16 individual events but dropped both relays – the 200-yard medley relay and the 400-yard freestyle relay. But Florida’s Kara Salamone won both the one- and three-meter diving competitions.
Two other women’s swimmers – sophomore Melani Costa-Schmid and senior Gemma Spofforth – each won two individual events, Costa-Schmid claiming the 200 free (1:47.50) and 500 free (4:48.61) races, and Spofforth, the 100 and 200 back defending NCAA Champion, won both events Friday.
Freshmen Eva Lehtonen and Corinne Showalter and sophomores Jemma Lowe and Teresa Crippen each won individual events. Showalter and Lehtonen tied for first in the 1,000-yard freestyle (9:57.25), Lowe won the 200-yard butterfly (1:59.07) and Crippen won the 200-yard individual medley (2:01.05). Crippen also had a pair of seconds in the 200 and 500 freestyle races.
In the men’s dual meet, the Volunteers won both the 200 medley and freestyle relays but Florida had just too much depth in the individual events.
Junior Conor Dwyer led Florida win victories in the 100-yard freestyle (44.49 seconds) and the 400-yard individual medley (3:49.86). Junior distance freestyler Balazs Gercsak won the 1,000 free (9:15.22) and 500 free (4:28.75). Freshman Marco Loughran took the 100 (47.92) and 200 backstroke events (1:45.39).
Junior transfer Manny Rabelo shined brightly for Florida in the breaststroke events. He out-touched Tennessee’s Brad Craig to win the 100-yard breaststroke in 55.23 seconds. He then clocked 2:02.42 to finish second in the 200 event. Senior Omar Pinzon won the 200-yard butterfly in 1:46.75.
The depth showed particularly in the 1,000 freestyle, 200-yard butterfly and 100-yard freestyle events as Florida swept the top three places.
Next for both teams is the 2010 SEC Indoor Championships at Athens, Ga., Feb. 17-20.