Swimming Makes Strong Impression at SEC's
Friday, February 22, 2002 | Men's Swimming & Diving
The University of Florida's swimming and diving teams filled the night with lifetime best performances and NCAA qualifying times to the lead on both sides in the first full day of swimming events at the 2002 SEC Championships in the Arkansas HPER Natatorium. The Gators scored eight medals, including one gold, en route to a giant leap from their sixth and fifth-place standings before Thursday's competition.
The Lady Gators started the UF wildfire in the first event of the evening, the 500-yard freestyle. Sophomore Janelle Atkinson (Jamaica) led one-two-three Florida finishes in the event with her NCAA automatic qualification time of 4:42.88. Fellow sophomore Sarah McLarty (DeLand, Fla.) took second wither her lifetime best and 10th fastest school time (4:46.29) followed by freshman Meredith Green (Chapel Hill, N.C.) scored the third (4:43.55).
"I am so ecstatic right now," McLarty said. "Our coaches knew we could do it, our parents knew we could do and we just went out there and did it. We went to the pool with the mindset that nobody else but us was going to get into the top-three. We wanted it so bad there was no other option."
The women continued to excel in the freestyle events as senior Leah Martindale (St. James Barbados) took the bronze medal in the 50-yard free (22.65). Sophomore Chantal Gibney (Dublin, Ireland) followed her taking 10th (23.19) while freshman Maureen Farrell (Northridge, Calif.) finished 11th with her lifetime best performance of 23.33. The 200-yd. free relay team of Martindale, Gibney, senior Diane Tennison (Lafayette, La.) set a school record with their second-place finish (1:30.18).
The men had an equally impressive night as their 200-yd. free relay team of also set a school record as they scored a gold in the event. Three swimmers scored in the championship finals of the 50-yd. free with senior Carlos Jayme (Goias, Brazil) claimed the highest finish taking fourth (19.82). Freshman Adam Sioui (Ontario, Canada) won the silver in the 500-yard freestyle with his collegiate best of 4:20.28.
The Gators excelled in the 200-yard individual medley winning both top places. Senior Eric Donnelly (Sarasota, Fla.) won the event with his NCAA automatic time of 1:46.23. Also scoring an automatic was fellow senior Duncan Sherrard (Lakeland, Fla.) with his time of 1:46.30.
"This was as good a day as we could expect," head coach Gregg Troy said. "The women's one-two-three finish was outstanding. Sioui in the 500-yd. free was amazing. That was an event we thought we were going to be weak in and here he is taking an SEC medal. Everybody has really stepped up and performed amazingly this week."
The Lady Gators hold first with 259.50 over defending national champion Georgia with 249.50. The men's team is just one point over No. 2 Auburn with 307. The last time UF won and SEC title was 1993 for the men and 1996 for the women. Action will continue through Saturday, Feb. 23.
Agate
Team Standings
women
1. Florida 259.5
2. Georgia 249.5
3. Auburn, 247
4. LSU 200.5
5. Alabama 179
6. USC 169.5
7. Tennessee 150
8. Kentucky 129
9. Arkansas 108
men
1. Florida 307
2. Auburn, 306
3. Tennessee, 211
4. Kentucky, 187
5. Georgia, 183
6. USC 178
7. Alabama 163
8. LSU 81
500-yard Freestyle
women
1. Janelle Atkinson, UF (4:42.88)*; 2. Sara McLarty, UF (4:43.48)*; 3. Meredith Green, UF (4:43.55)*
men
1. Kevin Clements, Aub. (4:17.20)*; 2. Adam Sioui, UF (4:20.28)^; 3. George DuRand, Tenn. (4:22.44)^
200-yard Individual Medley
women
1. Maggie Bowen, Aub. (1:56.51)*; 2. Jamie Ellis, UF (1:59.87)*; 3. Kirsty Coventry, Aub. (1:59.92)*
men
1. Eric Donnelly, UF (1:46.23); 2. Duncan Sherrard, UF (1:46.30); 3. Mark Gangloff, Aub. (1:46.71.)
50-yard Freestyle
women
1. Maritza Corriea, UGA (22.31)*; 2. Eileen Coparropa, Aub. (22.47)*; 3. Leah Martindale, UF (22.65)*
men
1. Zsolt Gaspar, USC (19.62)*; 2. Renato Gueraldi, Tenn. (19.63)*; 3. Ryan Wochomurka, Aub. (19.80)^
200-yard Freestyle Relay
women
1. Georgia, 1:29.86 (Williams, Mabry, Kearns, Corriea)*; 2. Florida, 1:30.18 (Martindale, Gibney, Tennison, Ellis)*; 3. Auburn, 1:30.26 (Coparropa, Short, Kemp, Maxwell)*
men
- Florida, 1:17.94 (Kostowicz, Jayme, Odendaal, Magabeira)*;
