Florida Welcomes FAU Saturday; Several Gators Competing at Invitationals
Thursday, January 15, 2009 | Men's Swimming & Diving
After serving No. 12 Virginia losses on both the men's and women's side Jan. 7, several members of the UF swimming and diving squads will travel to two invitational meets, while the remainder of the team will take on in-state opponent Florida Atlantic University at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center Saturday. Swimming action is slated to kick off at 1 p.m., while one-meter diving competition is set to begin at 11:30 a.m.
Thirteen Lady Gators will head to Piscataway, N.J., to take part in Rutgers' 2009 Swimming World's College Conference Carnival beginning Friday at 6:30 p.m against three opponents in North Carolina, Richmond and host, Rutgers.
The highly competitive field features four of the top teams from four of the country's best conferences. Last season, the Gators finished second in the SEC, North Carolina placed second in the ACC and Richmond captured the Atlantic 10 crown. Each championship squad includes a maximum of 11 swimmers and two divers. Members will compete in 12 swimming events and two diving events in an "A-Finals Only" format.
To follow the Gators at the Rutgers Swim Classic and view the order of events, click here.
On the men's side, nine members of the Orange and Blue will head to Dallas, Texas, to compete in the Dallas Morning News Classic. To follow the Florida men in Texas, click here.
The Gators competing in Gainesville against Florida Atlantic will look to extend their undefeated streak against the Owls in what will be the 13th meeting between the two women's squads and the 12th meeting between the UF and FAU men.
In the last match up between the Gators and Owls, both Florida teams garnered wins in Gainesville. On the senior day competition Feb. 9, 2008, the Lady Gators won a 169-124 decision, while the men defeated Florida Atlantic 172-112 in front of a home crowd at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.
In UF's last dual meet action against Virginia, the women were led by junior Stephanie Proud and freshman Teresa Crippen, who both walked away with multiple individual victories. Proud took home the 200-yard free and 400-yard IM titles, while Crippen rallied for first in the 200-yard back and 500-yard free, and placed second in the 200 fly. All three of Crippen's marks were NCAA provisional standards, her 500 free time a new mark to add to her 2008-09 NCAA provisional qualifications.
On the men's side, freshman Anthony Lewark swept both the 1M and 3M diving competitions, improving his NCAA Zone qualifying mark on the one-meter board to 332.93. The UF men won 11 events of the 16-event meet format against Virginia with key wins in the 100-yard fly by junior Omar Pinzon, and the 200 fly and 200 breast by junior Clark Burckle. Additionally, divers Grayson Patten and Aaron Leech secured NCAA Zone B Diving standards on the one-meter board.
The Owls were last in action in Miami, Fla., Jan. 10 in a quadrangular meet against conference rival Florida International and Big 10 foes Iowa and Purdue. Florida Atlantic defeated both FIU and Iowa, but fell to Purdue. The diving competition for the four-team meet took place in Boca Raton on the FAU campus.
On the women's side, the Owls were led by a first-place finish from Lindsey Alexander (200 IM) and Jennifer Forcht, who achieved a season-best 100 fly time. On the men's side, Csaba Pek sealed a victory in the 200 IM and Mikolaj Czarnecki and Nicholas Schwab recorded season-best 200 free swims.
For complete results and recaps following each day of Gator swimming and diving competition, please visit www.GatorZone.com
Florida vs. FAU Order of Events
11:30 am Diving 11:30 am (1M Women & Men)
12:30 pm Presentation of Senior Awards
1:00 pm 200 Medley
1,650 Freestyle
200 Freestyle
100 Back
100 Breast
200 Fly
50 Free
2:15 pm (approximate) BREAK - 15 minutes
2:30 pm (approximate) 100 Free
200 Back
200 Breast
500 Free
100 Fly
2:50 pm (approx.) BREAK - 15 minutes
3:05 pm (approx.) 400 IM
200 Free Relay
3:20 pm (approx.) End of Meet
-UF-
