Swim & Dive Teams Hit the Road for 2009 SEC Championships
Tuesday, February 17, 2009 | Women's Swimming & Diving
Both top-10 University of Florida men's and women's swimming and diving programs hit the road this week for competition at the 2009 SEC Championships in Auburn, Ala., Feb. 18-21. After a successful dual meet season, both Florida squads enter the SEC Championship meet, hosted by Auburn University, looking to improve upon last year's second-place performances at the league's annual meet. The No. 5-ranked Lady Gators enter SECs after racking up 10 wins during the dual meet season, only falling twice: to now No. 2 Stanford the first meet of the season, and to No. 1-ranked conference foe Georgia Oct. 30. The Gators wrapped up conference competition with a significant 175-124 victory over Tennessee to head into the championship season on top.
The No. 8 Gator men, likewise, only surrendered two dual meet losses to conclude the dual meet portion of the 2008-09 schedule, finishing 8-2 (4-1 SEC). No. 5 Auburn got the best of UF Jan. 24 when the Gators visited the Tigers in Alabama, and Florida gave up the first meet of the season to the now fourth-ranked Michigan men.
Last Time Out at SECs
At the 2008 SEC Championship meet, both Gator swim & dive squads claimed the second-place spot behind the men's and women's teams from Auburn. Florida's last SEC first-place finish on the men's side came in 1993 and the men have placed second every year since 2002. The women last claimed the SEC crown in 2002, placed second in 2003, 2007 and 2008, and placed third three times (2004-06).
Head Coach Gregg Troy earned 2008 SEC Women's Coach of the Year for leading the Florida women to one of their best SEC showings ever. At the meet, hosted by Alabama, the UF women placed second and turned in five championship swims, two each by 2007-08 senior and 2008 Olympic medalist Caroline Burckle and current junior Gemma Spofforth (West Sussex, England). Spofforth set SEC records in both the 100 & 200-yard backstroke events, while Burckle's 500 free and UF's 200-yard medley relay were also under SEC record pace. Burckle additionally claimed the 200 breast, UF's fifth victory in women's action.
On the men's side, the Gators won five individual event titles to place second, with 712 points overall. The four individuals responsible for UF's five victories last year all return this year: Shaune Fraser (George Town, Cayman Islands) (200 free), Omar Pinzon (Bogota, Colombia) (200 back), Clark Burckle (Louisville, Ky.) (200 breast, 400 IM) and Bradley Ally (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) (200 IM).
The Burckle duo (Caroline & Clark) both won the 200 breast titles in 2008 and became the first brother/sister combination to win SEC titles in the same year.
Florida SEC History
On both the men's and women's sides, Florida tallies the most SEC Championship titles of any school in the league. Since 1937, the UF men have racked up 33 conference titles, while the women have finished first 16 times since 1981. Auburn holds the next closest mark on the men's side (14), while Georgia is second in women's swimming and diving (6). UF's last title came in 1993 for the men and in 2002 for the women.
Highlights of the 2008-09 Dual Meet Season
4After a fast and successful dual meet season, 44 individual Gators secured NCAA provisional and/or NCAA automatic qualifying standards. Breaking down each squad, 26 women and 18 men have secured NCAA swimming or diving marks prior to the SEC Championship meet.
4On the women's side, juniors Sarah Peterson (52.81) and defending SEC and National backstroke Champion Gemma Spofforth (51.62) own automatic cuts in the 100-yard back, while freshman newcomer Jemma Lowe hit an automatic mark in the 200 fly (1:53.65) at her first competition as a Gator against Tennessee.
4Peterson's 52.81 100-yard back swim against Tennessee Jan. 30 set a new O'Connell Center Natatorium record that dated back to 2005 (53.71).
4Lowe's 200-yard fly swim (1:53.65) broke a 25-year-old Florida record (1:55.55), previously set by UF great and U.S. Olympian Tracy Caulkins in 1984.
4On the men's side, senior Bradley Ally clocked an automatic qualifying time in the 400-yard IM (3:44.12) at the Dallas Morning News Classic, where UF placed second.
4Florida swimmers garnered 17 SEC Athlete of the Week accolades during the dual meet season.
4The Lady Gators broke four pool records at the 2009 Swimming World Magazine College Conference Carnival, hosted by Rutgers University: Gemma Spofforth (100 & 200 back), Stephanie Proud (400 IM), 200-yard medley relay.
Live Results
Live results for the 2009 SEC Championship meet in Auburn, Ala., can be found here: http://auburntigers.cstv.com/livestats/c-swim/index.htm
Competition Schedule
| WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2009 | ||
| Prelims | ||
| 12:00 pm -12:30 pm | Swimming Time Trials | |
| 12:30 pm -1:45 pm | Diving Preliminaries | |
| Men's 1-Meter | ||
| Women's 3-Meter | ||
| Finals | ||
| 6:00 pm -6:30pm | Diving Final | |
| Men's 1-Meter | ||
| 6:30 pm | Swimming Final (M/W) | |
| 200 Medley Relay | ||
| 7:00 pm -7:30pm | Diving Final | |
| Women's 3-Meter | ||
| 7:30 pm | Swimming Final (M/W) | |
| 800 Freestyle Relay | ||
| THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2009 | ||
| Prelims | ||
| 10:00 am | Swimming Preliminaries (M/W) | |
| 500yd Freestyle | ||
| 200yd Individual Medley | ||
| 50yd Freestyle | ||
| 12:30 pm-1:45 pm | Diving Preliminaries | |
| Women's 1-Meter | ||
| 2:30 pm-3:30 pm | Diving Preliminaries | |
| Men's 3-Meter | ||
| Finals | ||
| 5:30pm | Diving Final | |
| Women's 1-Meter | ||
| 6:00pm | Swimming Finals (M/W) | |
| 500yd Freestyle | ||
| 200yd Individual Medley | ||
| 50yd Freestyle | ||
| Men's 3-meter Diving Finals | ||
| 200yd Freestyle Relay | ||
| FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2009 | ||
| Prelims | ||
| 10:00 am | Swimming Preliminaries (M/W) | |
| 400 Individual Medley | ||
| 100yd Butterfly | ||
| 200yd Freestyle | ||
| 100yd Breaststroke | ||
| 100yd Backstroke | ||
| 12:30 pm-1:30 pm | Diving Preliminaries | |
| Women's Platform | ||
| Finals | ||
| 6:00pm | Swimming Finals (M/W) | |
| 400yd Individual Medley | ||
| 100yd Butterfly | ||
| 200yd Freestyle | ||
| 100yd Breaststroke | ||
| 100yd Backstroke | ||
| Women's Platform Diving Finals | ||
| 400yd Medley Relay | ||
| SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2009 | ||
| Prelims | ||
| 10:00am | Swimming Preliminaries (M/W) | |
| 200yd Backstroke | ||
| 100yd Freestyle | ||
| 200yd Breaststroke | ||
| 200yd Butterfly | ||
| 12:30 pm-1:30 pm | Diving Preliminaries | |
| Men's Platform | ||
| Finals | ||
| 4:00pm (approximately) | Swimming 1650yd Freestyle (all but final heat) (M/W) | |
| 6:00pm | Swimming Finals (M/W) | |
| 1650yd Freestyle Final Heats | ||
| 200yd Backstroke | ||
| 100yd Freestyle | ||
| 200yd Breaststroke | ||
| 200yd Butterfly | ||
| Men's Platform Diving Finals | ||
| 400yd Freestyle Relay |
ALL-SESSION TICKETS: $70 - SOLD OUT
SINGLE SESSION TICKETS:
Adult
Finals: $20
Prelims: $10
Student - College and under must have ID
Finals: $10
Prelims: $5
Single session tickets will be standing room only and will go on sale 1hour and 30 minutes prior to the start of Competition. Tickets will only be sold for the current session.
-UF-
