Florida Women Split for SMU Classic, Arkansas/Kansas Dual
Thursday, October 22, 2009 | Women's Swimming & Diving
The Florida women's swimming and diving team will swing back into action this weekend following a two-week training period after defeating ACC Champion Virginia, 166.5-131.5, to open the 2009-10 meet schedule Oct. 9.
The Lady Gators will split for two separate meets Friday and Saturday, Oct. 23-24, with nine Gators slated to head west to Dallas, Texas, to take part in the 16th annual SMU Classic Friday and Saturday night. Florida will face Southern Methodist, Florida State, Louisville, Rice and Wisconsin. Competition is set to kick off at Perkins Natatorium at 7:30 p.m. (ET) both days.
While the small nine-member squad will represent Florida in Dallas, the remaining members of the Lady Gator swim & dive team will head to Fayetteville, Ark., for a double dual meet with conference opponent Arkansas and the University of Kansas from the Big 12. Competition will kick off at 3 p.m. (ET) from the Arkansas Natatorium Saturday.
“Last week, we know that Arkansas beat Kentucky and they have some very good swimmers,” Associate Head Coach Martyn Wilby said. “On the other side, we're taking eight diverse swimmers and one diver to compete in Dallas. It's a different format, a two-day invite, and you're forced to have athletes that can swim a lot of events at the meet. Our eight swimmers and one diver heading to Dallas are the swimmers that score the most points in a dual meet for us. They're gone against Arkansas and Kansas. That means we have to rely heavily on our freshman and some other people to step up in order to win in Fayetteville.”
The Florida women own a 3-0 overall record over Arkansas, last defeating the Lady Razorbacks, 114-86, Jan. 5, 2008, at home in Gainesville. Arkansas, who defeated Kentucky and the University of the Cumberlands in a double-dual to open its season, is led by 2009 SEC breaststroke Champion Yi-Ting Siow. Siow swam the nation's fastest times in the 100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard individual medley in Arkansas' first two wins of the season.
The Gators will match-up with Kansas for the first time in school history in the triangular in Fayetteville. The Jayhawks enter the match-up after taking fourth place at the Big 12 relays last week, the first meet of the season for KU. Kansas sent a contingent of student-athletes to the 2009 NCAA Championships in College Station, Texas, and return backstroker Iuliia Kuzhil, a 2009 NCAA qualifier.
Florida has matched-up with all five squads scheduled to compete at the SMU Classic at NCAAs, but has dueled with only Southern Methodist and Florida State. The Gators own a 6-1 all-time record over the Mustangs, while holding a 37-1 record over Sunshine State rival, Florida State. Four of the teams set to compete in Dallas achieved top 25 finishes at the 2009 NCAA Championships, with Florida leading the way (7th), Wisconsin in 14th, SMU in 19th and Louisville in 22nd.
The Gators will be led in Dallas by sophomore freestyler Shara Stafford (Topeka, Kan.), who garnered National Collegiate Swimmer of the Week honors last week for her individual wins in the victory over Virginia, after swimming victories in the 100 freestyle (49.70-NCAA "B" time) and the 200 freestyle (1:48.34-NCAA "B" time). The sophomore also assisted on the winning 200 medley relay (1:41.50) and the winning 400 freestyle relay (3:22.15).
Gators at SMU Classic
Sarah Bateman (Orlando, Fla.)
Jamie Bohunicky (Gainesville, Fla.)
Teresa Crippen (Conshohocken , Pa.)
Lily Ramirez (Gainesville, Fla.)
Jemma Lowe (Hartlepool, England)
Kirsten Smith (Cary, N.C.)
Kara Salamone (Cooper City, Fla.)
Gemma Spofforth (West Sussex, England)
Shara Stafford (Topeka, Kan.)
For complete results and a recap of each day's action, visit www.gatorzone.com.
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