Gainesville, Fla. – As day two of the Toyota US Open prelims came to close, 17 Gators head to tonight’s finals.
Day 2 Prelims
Katie Ledecky<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_coaches.aspx-3Frc-3D1439&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=l4TDTpraSxzJHGDwmU7srJNbiarwpA_HhVespiJF-DhbWPoeqatsBe84pYBUY1BD&s=4tmIVkBtQZ-iK57XlrvDZr2n15Lx6sfObid957XXIRI&e= > led the women’s field in the 400 free with a time of 4:01.64 to earn a spot in the A-final. Tylor Mathieu<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D14749&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=l4TDTpraSxzJHGDwmU7srJNbiarwpA_HhVespiJF-DhbWPoeqatsBe84pYBUY1BD&s=hBQ5N5HSP-FpTPrfgzfK43ca1TDfWykIzBgm8GnCuos&e= >, Kathleen Golding<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D14743&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=l4TDTpraSxzJHGDwmU7srJNbiarwpA_HhVespiJF-DhbWPoeqatsBe84pYBUY1BD&s=t2EJFmWhymXkOgiQhkA-mP08cKjBr66ttGTKKycEoUQ&e= > and Elise Bauer<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D14739&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=l4TDTpraSxzJHGDwmU7srJNbiarwpA_HhVespiJF-DhbWPoeqatsBe84pYBUY1BD&s=sxKGh4ydFjyOje4U0zC0v-51DlJ040KA7ciqg4RyF4w&e= > will be representing the Gators in the B-final. Rounding out the 400 free is Amanda Ray<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D14757&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=l4TDTpraSxzJHGDwmU7srJNbiarwpA_HhVespiJF-DhbWPoeqatsBe84pYBUY1BD&s=JmmFpSHp-CptH3QfpDv7rGj2KiCWDz-ziPtBvQXLLtU&e= > who will be swimming in the C-final.
Trey Freeman<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D14717&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=l4TDTpraSxzJHGDwmU7srJNbiarwpA_HhVespiJF-DhbWPoeqatsBe84pYBUY1BD&s=7qiAKgwcExttkXIAW723f2pht9gWiOp7XqHLwDsd49g&e= > went a blistering 3:50.53 to earn a spot in the A-final, a full four second faster than the second-place time in the 400 free prelims for the men. Bobby Finke<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D14716&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=l4TDTpraSxzJHGDwmU7srJNbiarwpA_HhVespiJF-DhbWPoeqatsBe84pYBUY1BD&s=ttbumVNQZo_Ei6Upki91Zwfnkvq-xBxjUmBRxqTbRjg&e= > will be joining Freeman in the A-final as he finished third overall in the 400 free prelims. In the B-final Oskar Lindholm<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D14778&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=l4TDTpraSxzJHGDwmU7srJNbiarwpA_HhVespiJF-DhbWPoeqatsBe84pYBUY1BD&s=iX1v3HyQdm_pqFoBPWK1c5BRbx6eFbO5Tiirkzut-yQ&e= > and Tyler Watson<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D14736&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=l4TDTpraSxzJHGDwmU7srJNbiarwpA_HhVespiJF-DhbWPoeqatsBe84pYBUY1BD&s=Sk9cBiBCX0n75FTy7mZXxcmPS3GOmjiDBvUSa6XYD3k&e= > will be representing the Gators and, in the C-final is Brennan Gravley<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D14720&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=l4TDTpraSxzJHGDwmU7srJNbiarwpA_HhVespiJF-DhbWPoeqatsBe84pYBUY1BD&s=IvK5WsPS0JSVRPEw_Na9MYy_5AZDPSFGHDLbMo-ymv0&e= >.
In the women’s 200 IM. Mabel Zavaros<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D14763&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=l4TDTpraSxzJHGDwmU7srJNbiarwpA_HhVespiJF-DhbWPoeqatsBe84pYBUY1BD&s=i8-rSMayw_QEsTMnoI8Nfip8KfZBj6xVkFAQy4URBDY&e= > finished third in heat three of four and seventh overall with a time of 2:16.93 earning a spot in the A-final.
In the men’s 200 IM, Joaquin Gonzalez Pinero<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D14775&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=l4TDTpraSxzJHGDwmU7srJNbiarwpA_HhVespiJF-DhbWPoeqatsBe84pYBUY1BD&s=MbapnB78zrlauWA-Ygo-IWKkx5fKY7r6pXq9Y-FpCNw&e= > finished fourth overall and first in heat three of fourth to grab a spot in the A-final.
Talia Bates<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D14738&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=l4TDTpraSxzJHGDwmU7srJNbiarwpA_HhVespiJF-DhbWPoeqatsBe84pYBUY1BD&s=SCZphZ8DdeTzAAWlEYKCJ3kojb2b4sWkP0fGKbD0q88&e= > finished second in the final heat of the 50 free to finish seventh overall with a time of 25.90 to earn a spot in the finals. Freshman, Micayla Cronk<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D14773&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=l4TDTpraSxzJHGDwmU7srJNbiarwpA_HhVespiJF-DhbWPoeqatsBe84pYBUY1BD&s=J56M7pl5nvVM6FBX0YsaXMa7kp5-V7xpQqXa4AJ9pes&e= > finished 18th overall to grab a spot in the C-final.
In the final prelim race on day two of the Toyota US Open, Adam Chaney<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D14710&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=l4TDTpraSxzJHGDwmU7srJNbiarwpA_HhVespiJF-DhbWPoeqatsBe84pYBUY1BD&s=pv1UojtvRQPk20EgvqgY0Hf2O9iX9KSKoGE_8IP_GLA&e= > finished second in his heat and second overall with a time of 22.54, racing his way in to the A-final. Eric Friese<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D14718&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=l4TDTpraSxzJHGDwmU7srJNbiarwpA_HhVespiJF-DhbWPoeqatsBe84pYBUY1BD&s=tRwwmX3GyYF-NzUvlImwUOMWHkncGWVyvBSS6fcLhnI&e= > finished 16th overall, earning a spot in the B-final.
Finals will start at 7pm Est., starting with the 400 IM.
Night 1 Finals
Katie Ledecky<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_coaches.aspx-3Frc-3D1439&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=l4TDTpraSxzJHGDwmU7srJNbiarwpA_HhVespiJF-DhbWPoeqatsBe84pYBUY1BD&s=4tmIVkBtQZ-iK57XlrvDZr2n15Lx6sfObid957XXIRI&e= > and Bobby Finke<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D14716&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=l4TDTpraSxzJHGDwmU7srJNbiarwpA_HhVespiJF-DhbWPoeqatsBe84pYBUY1BD&s=ttbumVNQZo_Ei6Upki91Zwfnkvq-xBxjUmBRxqTbRjg&e= > carried over their momentum from the Tokyo Olympics and opened the 2021 Toyota U.S. Open with wins.
Ledecky won in Ledecky-esque fashion, holding the lead from start to finish. She would go on to clock a 8:12.81, setting a new U.S. Open meet record and besting the field by nearly 11 seconds.
“I’m excited about the new quad,” Said Ledecky. I’m feeling really good about my new training environment and getting to train with some really great mid-distance and distance swimmers that are racing tonight. I’m just happy to start seeing the work pay off.”
Finke also captured his win in his signature fashion, closing in the final 50 meters to surge ahead for the win in a time of 7:54.07.
“You know it felt really great to be back in the big pool,” Finke said. “Short course is kicking my butt this year, but you know it’s kind of fun to take a break from it and do some long course.
