Swimmers Win Five Medals On Final Day At Pan Ams
Monday, August 18, 2003 | Men's Swimming & Diving
Five current or former University of Florida swimmers won medals on the final evening of competition on Saturday night at the 2003 Pan American Games.
Overall, Gators won a total of nine swimming medals at the Pan Ams, including five Gold, three Silver and one Bronze.
On Saturday, sophomore Jamie Reid (Orlando, Fla.) won her first international medal as she took the Gold in the 200-meter backstroke by improving on her preliminary time by nearly three seconds to touch the wall in the finals at 2:13.99 – a career-best mark.
Former Gator All-American Ricardo Monasterio captured his second Gold Medal at the Pan Ams in the 1,500-meter freestyle (15:16.98) on Saturday for Venezuela. Monasterio also took first in the 400-meter freestyle on Thursday night (3:50.01).
As part of Brazil's 400-meter medley relay team, senior Carlos Jayme (Goias, Brazil) and junior Gabriel Mangabeira (Piratininga, Brazil) each earned a Silver Medal on Saturday as the Brazilian team finished second to the U.S. squad with a time of 3:40.02. The medal was the second for Jayme, who swam the opening leg on Brazil's Gold Medal-winning 400-freestyle relay team on Thursday (3:18.66). Jayme also took part in the 50-meter freestyle as an exhibition swimmer and recorded the 10th-best time in the prelims (23.29).
Former Florida All-American Eric Donnelly earned his second medal and third top-five finish by taking the Bronze in the 200-meter individual medley on Saturday with a time of 2:02.52. Sophomore Ryan Lochte (Daytona Beach, Fla.) participated as an exhibition swimmer in the event and posted the second-fastest time of the day and a career-best (2:00.34).
Senior Janelle Atkinson helped the Jamaican 400-meter medley relay team to a fourth-place showing on Friday (4:18.29). The event marked the fourth top-10 finish for Atkinson in the 2003 Pan Ams.
Florida swimmers will compete in the World University Games on August 21-31 in Daegu, Korea, before the Gator women's team kicks off its 2003-04 season by hosting Michigan at 6 p.m. on Oct. 17 at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. The men open their season the following day by hosting the Florida Invitational, which begins at 11 a.m. on Oct. 18.
