Gators Climb to Sixth Place Following Day Two of NCAA Championships
Josh Liendo is the 2025 national runner-up in the 50 free, as the men totaled six All-American honors.
FEDERAL WAY, Wash. – The Gators delivered an impressive performance on day two of the 2025 NCAA Men’s Division I Championships, qualifying for all five of Thursday’s final events at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center.
Florida’s six All-American honors contributed 79 points, moving the Gators up to sixth place in the team standings with 101 total points.
Josh Liendo was a pivotal contributor for the Gators on Thursday, racking up 49 points after finishing second in the 50 free and leading off Florida’s 200 free relay, who finished third. The 2024 Olympic silver medalist recorded an 18.23 in the 50 free to finish runner-up to Tennessee’s Jordan Crooks time of 17.91. The senior Volunteer and Liendo have gone one-two in the event for the past three years, with Florida taking home the title at last year’s NCAA Championships.
Shortly after, the junior split an 18.24 in the 200 free relay, as Julian Smith (18.25), Alexander Painter (18.40) and Scotty Buff (18.48) help put together the program’s third-fastest time of 1:13.37 to finish third in the final event of the night.
Smith also had a solid individual performance, representing Florida in the 200 IM Championship Final. The 2025 SEC Champion recorded his best NCAA finish after going 1:39.85 for sixth. He earned First-Team All-American honors in the event for the first time, having made the Consolation Final for the past two years. The senior posted Florida’s top 200 IM finish since Jan Swirtowski’s victory in 2018.
Painter and Gio Linscheer advanced to the Consolation Final in their respective event as well.
Painter was able to skim his way into the 50 free finals after going 18.92 in prelims. The freshman shaved off half a second of his morning time to put together a career-best 18.60 to win his heat from lane one. His time sits third-best in program history and the third-fastest freshman time in history. Florida owns three of the four all-time fastest freshman 50 freestyles, with Liendo’s 18.22 ranking first and Caeleb Dressel’s 18.67 being fourth.
Linscheer competed in the 500 free Consolation Final and placed 12th after going 4:12.05. The junior improved from his 4:12.17 prelim time and picked up his second All-American honor in the event.
ONE-METER DIVING
Three Gators competed in the opening diving event, as Conor Gesing secured his first top-16 NCAA finish after qualifying for the Consolation Final. The sophomore placed 13th in prelims, and remained steady to finished with a score of 340.30 for 14th overall. Gesing will make his final appearance of the week tomorrow in the three-meter springboard, where he will be joined by his two fellow Gator divers, Peyton Donald and Jesus Gonzalez. The two competed in the one-meter event as well, where Gonzalez posted a score of 313.90 for 27th and Donald earned 39th with a prelim score of 287.50.
UP NEXT
Championship action speeds up tomorrow with seven events taking place. The 400 IM opens Friday prelims at 1 p.m. with the 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breast and 100 back following. The three-meter springboard concludes prelim action at 3 p.m. before heading into 9 p.m. finals. The 400 medley relay closes out day three of the 2025 NCAA Division I Championships.
TOP-10 TEAM STANDINGS (Following day two)
1. Texas – 190
2. California – 159.5
3. Indiana – 146
4. Tennessee – 114
5. Arizona State – 111
6. Florida – 101
7. Georgia – 92
8. NC State – 90
9. Stanford – 81
10. Michigan – 43
FLORIDA’S FULL TALLY
All-Americans
First-Team
* 200 Free Relay – Liendo, Smith, Painter, Buff
* 800 Free Relay – Painter, Smith, Mitchell, Lindholm
* 200 IM – Julian Smith
* 50 Freestyle – Josh Liendo
Second-Team
* 50 Freestyle – Alexander Painter
* 500 Freestyle – Gio Linscheer
* One-Meter Diving – Conor Gesing
Program Top-10 Times
* 200 Free Relay: Liendo, Smith, Painter, Buff – No. 3 (1:13.37)
* 800 Free Relay: Painter, Smith, Mitchell, Lindholm – No. 3 (6:06.96)
* 50 Freestyle: Alexander Painter – No. 3 (18.60)
Thursday’s Results:
Prelims: https://floridagators.com/common/controls/doc_handler.aspx?doc=38737
Finals: https://floridagators.com/common/controls/doc_handler.aspx?doc=38744
Thursday, March 27
Prelims Results – Top 16 advance to Finals
Men’s 500-Yard Freestyle
14th – Gio Linscheer – 4:12.17
31st – Eric Brown – 4:15.66
34th – Jake Mitchell – 4:16.06
36th – Oskar Lindholm – 4:16.51
41st – Josh Parent – 4:17.81 (Personal Best)
Men’s 200-Yard IM
5th – Julian Smith – 1:39.85
39th – Mason Laur – 1:43.50
48th – Aleksas Savickas – 1:44.06 (personal Best)
Men’s 50-Yard Free
2nd – Josh Liendo – 18.30
15th – Alexander Painter – 18.92
23rd – Scotty Buff – 19.08
33rd – Ed Fullum-Huot – 19.24
Men’s 1-Meter Diving
Peyton Donald | 39th place | 287.50
* Round 1 – 50.70
* Round 2 – 49.50
* Round 3 – 40.30
* Round 4 – 45.00
* Round 5 – 52.50
* Round 6 – 49.50
Conor Gesing | 13th place | 346.35
* Round 1 – 57.20
* Round 2 – 54.00
* Round 3 – 57.00
* Round 4 – 63.55
* Round 5 – 62.40
* Round 6 -52.20
Jesus Gonazalez | 27th place | 313.90
* Round 1 – 55.80
* Round 2 – 49.50
* Round 3 – 49.60
* Round 4 – 52.50
* Round 5 – 45.00
* Round 6 -61.50
Thursday, March 27
Finals Results
Men’s 500-Yard Freestyle
12th – Gio Linscheer – 4:12.05
Men’s 200-Yard IM
6th Julian Smith – 1:39.85
Men’s 50-Yard Freestyle
2nd – Josh Liendo – 18.23
9th – Alexander Painter – 18.60
Men’s One-Meter Diving
Conor Gesing | 340.30 | 14th free
* Round 1 – 55.90| 7th place
* Round 2 – 60.00 | 7th place
* Round 3 – 54.00 | 6th
* Round 4 – 55.80 | 5th
* Round 5 – 52.20 | 6th
* Round 6 – 62.40
Men’s 200 Yard Freestyle Relay
3rd place | 1:13.37
Josh Liendo (18.24)
Julian Smith (18.25)
Alex Painter (18.40)
Scotty Buff (18.48)
HOW TO FOLLOW
All sessions will be televised live on ESPN+ for subscribers. Links for the live stream and live results can be found on Florida men’s swimming and diving schedule page<https://floridagators.com/sports/mens-swimming-and-diving/schedule> on FloridaGators.com. Live results will be available to paid subscribers on Meet Mobile or fans can follow @GatorsSwimDV on socials. Tape-delayed coverage of the men’s championships will be on ESPNU at 7 p.m. Eastern time, Monday, March 31.
2025 DI MEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE, DATES (ALL TIMES EASTERN)
* Friday, March 28 | Live results<https://swimmeetresults.tech/NCAA-Division-I-Men-2025/> | Watch<https://www.espn.com/watch/schedule/_/type/upcoming/categoryId/904ff2f3-3ce3-3b9e-bca9-3608ec5f616b/startDate/20250328>
* Prelims | 1 p.m.
* Three-meter diving trials | 3 p.m.
* Three-meter diving consolation finals | 8:15 p.m.
* Finals | 9 p.m.
* 400-yard individual medley
* 100-yard butterfly
* 200-yard freestyle
* 100-yard breaststroke
* 100-yard backstroke
* Three-meter diving
* 400-yard medley relay
* Saturday, March 29 | Live results<https://swimmeetresults.tech/NCAA-Division-I-Men-2025/> | Watch<https://www.espn.com/watch/schedule/_/type/upcoming/categoryId/904ff2f3-3ce3-3b9e-bca9-3608ec5f616b/startDate/20250329>
* Prelims | 1 p.m.
* Platform diving trials | 3 p.m.
* 1650 freestyle prelims | 6:45 p.m.
* Platform diving consolation finals | 8:15 p.m.
* Finals | 9 p.m.
* 1,650-yard freestyle
* 200-yard backstroke
* 100-yard freestyle
* 200-yard breaststroke
* 200-yard butterfly
* Platform diving
* 400-yard freestyle relay
FOLLOW THE GATORS
SOCIAL: X<https://twitter.com/GatorsSwimDv> | Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/GatorsSwimDv> | Instagram<https://www.instagram.com/gatorsswimdv/>
JOIN THE CONVERSATION: #GoGators
