Baqlah, Rooney Lead Gators on Day Two at Georgia Tech Invitational

Friday, November 16

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Georgia Tech Invitational

Khader Baqlah wins the 200 Free A Final.

Baqlah, Rooney Lead Gators on Day Two at Georgia Tech Invitational

Friday, November 16, 2018 | Men's Swimming & Diving

By: Chad Smith

ATLANTA – Khader Baqlah and Maxime Rooney paced the University of Florida men's swimming & diving team on day two of the Georgia Tech Invitational at the McAuley Aquatic Center. Florida is currently in first place with 838.5 points after Friday's competition.

Bayley Main, Marco Guarente, Rooney, and Will Davis placed fourth in the 200 Medley Relay. The squad posted the fastest time by the Gators this season with a time of 1:25.37.

Grant Sanders placed second with a time of 3:43.84 in the 400 IM A Final and set a season best. Kieran Smith collected a third-place finish with a mark of 3:48.68. Robert Finke placed fifth with a personal-best of 3:49.66. Ross Palazzo came in eighth with a swim of 3:53.30.

In the B Final of the 400 IM, Miguel Cancel took second with a personal-best swim of 3:52.86. Marco Guarente set a personal best with a time of 3:54.51 and placed seventh.

Will Davis placed sixth in the 100 Fly A Final with a personal-best of 47.08.

Erge Gezmis finished the B Final of the 100 Fly in eighth place and posted a swim of 48.87. Isaac Davis won the C Final of the 100 Fly, after he set a personal-best mark of 48.57. Brennan Balogh added a personal-best swim and placed second with a time of 48.57. Dillon Hillis came in fifth with a 48.75.

Baqlah and Rooney finished one, two in the 200 Free A Final. Baqlah's time of 1:33.14 is a season best. Rooney posted a season-best mark of 1:33.57. Trey Freeman added a fifth-place performance with a personal-best 1:35.16. Clark Beach notched an eighth-place finish, after a season-best 1:36.82. Grady Heath finished in 10th place with a mark of 1:37.74.

Dakota Mahaffey clocked a season-best swim of 1:37.28 on his way to a second-place finish in the B Final of the 200 Free. Jorge Depassier placed eighth in the C Final with a 1:39.45.

Guarente and Stanley Wu finished eighth and ninth, respectively, in the A final of the 100 Breast. Guarente swam a season-best 54.40, while Wu notched a season-best 54.47.

In the B Final of the 100 Breast, Hillis posted a 54.84 and placed third. Chandler Bray swam a season-best 54.97 and won the C Final.

Kacper Stokowski collected a personal-best 46.23 and placed third in the 100 Back A Final. Main finished in fourth with a 46.85. Balogh added a 48.23 and placed ninth.

Clark Beach won the 100 Back B Final with a season-best 47.66. Ethan Beach finished with a season-best 48.77 and placed sixth. Tyler Silver notched an eighth-place finish with a season-best 48.91. Mahaffey finished 10th with a mark of 49.21.

Baqlah, Smith, Freeman, and Rooney put on a display in the 800 Free Relay, as they won by over 25 yards. Their combined group effort of 6:15.04 is the fastest relay time in the NCAA this year.

Alex Farrow produced a season-best 347.90, which is an NCAA Zone score, and finished tied for sixth in the 3-meter final.

Team Standings
1. Florida – 838.5
2. Florida State – 606
3. Georgia Tech – 479.5
4. Alabama – 465
5. Virginia Tech – 408
6. Auburn – 350.5
7. North Carolina – 292.5
8. South Carolina – 284
9. East Carolina – 240

Up Next

Day three of the Georgia Tech Invite takes place Saturday, Nov. 17
Prelims begin at 10 a.m. with the finals starting at 5:30 p.m.

Saturday's Schedule of Events
1650 free
200 back
100 free
200 breast
200 fly
Platform diving
400 free relay

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