Will Davis Sets Sixth-Fastest Time, Gators Lead after Day One

Thursday, November 15

Atlanta, GA

All Day

Florida Gators

Georgia Tech Invitational

Khader Baqlah nearly ties his personal-best time in the 500 Free.

Will Davis Sets Sixth-Fastest Time, Gators Lead after Day One

Thursday, November 15, 2018 | Men's Swimming & Diving

By: Chad Smith

ATLANTA – The Gator men's swimming & diving team produced eight personal-best times and 20 season-best marks in the prelims on day one of the Georgia Tech Invitational at the McAuley Aquatic Center on Thursday. Florida is currently in first place with 361 points, after Will Davis posted the sixth-fastest time in program history in the 50 Free.

Altogether, a total of 20 swimmers and one diver qualified for finals on day one. The Gators qualified eight in the 500 Free, eight in the 200 IM and four in the 50 Free.

Alex Farrow was the lone diver that qualified for the finals in the 1-meter, where he placed 10th with a combined score of 281.85.

With a time of 1:18.06 in the 200 Free Relay, Maxime Rooney, Will Davis, Bayley Main, and Kieran Smith posted an NCAA provisional relay time and placed third. Their combined time is the fastest relay this season.

Khader Baqlah nearly matched his personal-best time of 4:14.48, as he swam a 4:14.58 to win the A Final of the 500 Free. Trey Freeman notched a personal-best swim of 4:16.34 and placed second. Robert Finke placed fifth with a personal-best time of 4:20.73. Erge Gezmis added a ninth-place finish with a swim of 4:24.24.

Clark Beach won the 500 Free B Final with a season-best 4:23.33. Drew Clark added a third-place finish with a season-best 4:24.82. Grady Heath took fourth with a season-best mark of 4:25.04. Matt Anderson placed 10th in the C Final with a swim of 4:31.85.

Grant Sanders recorded a season-best time of 1:44.54 on his way to a second-place finish in the A Final of the 200 IM. Smith added a personal-best time of 1:45.14 as he placed third.

In the B Final of the 200 IM, Marco Guarente took first with a personal-best time of 1:47.56. Alex Lebed placed third with a season-best mark of 1:48.10. Ross Palazzo placed third in the 200 IM C Final with a swim of 1:49.55.

Will Davis posted the sixth-fastest swim in Florida history with a swim of 19.53, as he placed third in the 50 Free A Final. Maxime Rooney set a personal-best time with a mark of 19.76 and finished in seventh.

Kacper Stokowski notched a personal-best swim of 20.14 and tied for third in the 50 Free B Final. Main added a season-best time of 20.16 and tied for sixth. Christoph Margotti finished in fourth place with a season-best time of 20.25 in the 50 Free C Final.

The team of Stokowski, Guarente, Rooney, and Smith placed third in the 400 Medley Relay with a combined swim of 3:09.40. They recorded the Gators' fastest time this season.

Team Standings
1. Florida – 361
2. Florida State – 251.5
3. Alabama – 232
4. Georgia Tech – 202.5
5. Virginia Tech – 202
6. Auburn – 147
7. South Carolina – 138
8. North Carolina – 116
9. East Carolina – 94

Up Next

Day two of the Georgia Tech Invite takes place Friday, Nov. 16
Prelims begin at 10 a.m. with the finals starting at 5:30 p.m.

Friday's Schedule of Events
200 medley relay
400 IM
100 fly
200 free
100 breast
100 back
Women's diving
Men's diving
800 free relay

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