Florida’s seven event victories on Thursday night gives them a lead heading into the final day of competition on Friday.
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The University of Florida men’s swimming and diving team will head into the final day of competition at the Auburn Fall Invitational with a 346-306 lead after sweeping all swimming events during Thursday’s finals.
The Gators didn’t skip a beat in the second night of competition at the James E. Martin Aquatics Center after individual wins by Kieran Smith (400 IM), Eric Friese (100 fly), Trey Freeman (200 free), Dillon Hillis (100 breast) and Adam Chaney (100 back).
Smith blasted a 3:42.11 swim to touch first in the 400 IM. The junior’s effort was 9.54 seconds faster than his prelims mark that placed him as the top seed heading into the evening session.
Friese and Freeman both secured their second event championship victory of the meet as Friese posted the top 100 fly swim of 46.63, while Freeman just missed his personal-best by .17, touching in 1:34.00. Hillis controlled the 100 breast event in both sessions, claiming the top swim in the final with an effort of 53.15.
After recording the ninth-fastest time in the 50 free last night, Chaney closed out Thursday racing with his first collegiate victory in the 100 back in an effort of 47.63.
Leonardo Garcia continued to pace the diving efforts with his second-place finals finish on the 3-meter board, posting a six-dive mark of 373.65. Lydon (312.15) and Svirskyi (289.20) finished in sixth and seventh.
Gator Splashes
* Robert Finke and Kevin Vargas also saw substantial improvement in the 400 IM finals as Finke improved by 8.50 seconds to claim second-place (3:44.37), while Vargas dropped 6.77 seconds to finish behind him in third with a time of 3:46.56. Fourth and fifth-place finishers swam faster than their prelim tally, as Miguel Cancel touched in 3:49.38 and Brennan Gravley posted an effort of 3:53.29. Tyler Watson claimed the final spot of the heat in a time of 3:55.06.
* Alfonso Mestre posted the next best finish in the 200 free behind Freeman, tallying a fifth-place swim of 1:37.64. Jorge Depassier earned a seventh-place nod in a time of 1:37.75 as the third Gator in the event.
* Prior to his 100 breast victory, Hills would claim second-place in the 100 fly effort of 47.28, a .66 second improvement from the prelims. Will Davis rounded out the heat in eight owith a swim of 48.71.
* Four more UF competitors joined Hillis in the 100 breast, all posting faster championship marks led by Dubas’ third-place finish (54.55). Friese finished right ahead of Vargas by .11 seconds to claim fifth, while Amro Al-Wir finished in eighth after recording a mark of 55.17.
* The only other Gator to hit the water in the 100 back top heat was Trevor McGovern. The freshman placed seventh with a swim of 49.37.
* The opening heat on the men’s side, the 400 IM consolation, featured Jack VanDeusen first career B-cut with the freshman’s effort of 3:51.29. His time stood as the fifth-best time overall. Ethan McCloud would finish next in third-place, with Matesuz Dubas, Wesley Hyde and Caleb Kravitz filling out the next three spots behind him.
* The lone competitor in the 100 fly consolation heat, Mitchell Meyer posted the fastest time of 49.17.
* Jace Crawford won the 200 free consolation final in a time with 1:37.77, while VanDeusen touched in third (1:39.41). Brendan Peacock (1:42.62) and Wesley Hyde (1:43.20) finished side-by-side in sixth and seventh.
* Dylan Brisco posted a 100 breast consolation swim of 55.56 to take the heat.
* Mitchell Meyer and Ethan McCloud claimed the top two spots in the 100 back consolation, with Meyer leading the with a time of 49.02.
* In a 200 back timed trial, Advait Page posted a new lifetime-best by almost five full seconds, finishing in 1:48.56.
Relay Magic
Florida continued their streak of winning relays on Thursday, coming away with the top 200 medley relay combined time of 1:25.31 by Chaney, Hillis, Friese and Will Davis and the fastest 800 free relay with a B-cut combined effort of 6:21.67 by Smith, Finke, Freeman and Mestre.
Sixth and seventh-place were claimed by Florida as McGovern, Al-Wir, Issac Davis and Trey Freeman posted a swim of 1:29.90 before Meyer, Brisco, Crawford and Depassier touched in 1:31.17.
The Gators would add another pair of sixth and seventh-place finishes in the 800 free relay to cap off Thursday competition.
What’s Next
The Auburn Fall Invitational will conclude on Friday after three-days of competition. The 200 back will get the final prelims session started at 10:00 a.m., followed by the 100 free, 200 breast and 200 fly.
Only one heat of the platform diving will take place, which is set to start at 1:00 p.m. ET.
Friday’s finals session will begin at 5:00 p.m. ET with the 1,650 free, followed by the championship and consolation heats of the individual events swam in the morning. The 400 free relay will be the last event of the three-day meet.
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