Gators Send 19 to Finals on Day 2 of SEC Championships

Gators Send 19 to Finals on Day 2 of SEC Championships

Thursday, February 15, 2018 | Men's Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving

Nine swimmers to compete in championship A finals

By: Katie Callahan

Meet Notes | Championship Central | Psych Sheet

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Gators sent 19 swimmers to Thursday's finals session, including nine qualifications for championship finals.

During the morning session, Florida notched one A-cut and 21 B-cut qualifications.

Three Florida women found themselves in either the championship or consolation final in the women's 500 free. Taylor Ault earned her way into the A final after posting a career-best B-cut time of 4:42.64 in the final heat of the event. Savanna Faulconer (4:44.74) and Kahra Williams (4:48.29) will swim in the B final and C final, respectively.

The Gator men put on a show in the 500 free preliminary round, with four Gators earning a spot in the Championship final. Andrew Brady led the way with a B-cut time of 4:14.98, putting him as the third seed in the finals. That time was also enough to bump him into UF's top-10 all-time in the 500 free, putting him eighth overall.

Ben Lawless followed Brady in fourth place, recording a B-cut time of 4:16.06. Khader Baqlah earned the sixth overall seed, finishing with a B-cut of 4:17.07. Blake Manganiello rounded out the Gators in the Championship final, placing eighth with a B-cut of 4:17.38.

Both Santiago Corredor (4:21.14) and Clark Beach (4:22.31) earned their way into the C final with B-cut times.

Hannah Burns and Kelly Fertel qualified for the women's 200 IM finals session, with Burns finishing 15th overall and Fertel placing 17th. Burns' time of 1:57.39 was a career-best for the junior and earned her a B-cut qualification. Fertel also swam a B-cut, posting a time of 1:57.71.

Caeleb Dressel earned the no. 1 overall seed in the men's 200 IM after swimming an A-cut of 1:40.74 to set a new SEC Meet record. Mark Szaranek clinched the overall third seed with a swim of 1:42.48 and Jan Switkowski's time of 1:43.46 was good for a B-cut and a spot in the Championship final.

Alex Lebed (1:45.09) and Grant Sanders (1:45.24) both earned B-cut times and qualified for the B final. Ross Palazzo also earned a spot in the finals session, swimming a B-cut of 1:46.94 to end up in the C final.

Bella Garofalo was the lone woman to make the finals in the 50 free, posting a B-cut time of 22.72 to earn a spot in the C final.

Enzo Martinez-Scarpe finished eighth overall in the men's 50 free with a B-cut time of 19.73 to earn his spot in the Championship final.

Dalton Goss led the Florida men off the 1-meter board, finishing 28th with a score of 252.85. Alex Farrow followed in 30th place, recording a mark of 238.90.

Tonight's finals session will start at 7 p.m. EST and is going to be streamed on the SEC Network +.

Results can be followed live here and full results will be posted at the conclusion of competition each day at FloridaGators.com.

Fans who plan to attend are encouraged to check out the Championship Central for information on tickets, parking, the venue and Texas A&M's clear bag policy.

How it Happened – Prelims:

Three women earned spots in finals in the 500 free:
- A – Ault
- B – Faulconer
- C – Williams
Ault's swim of 4:42.64 earned her a B-cut qualification for NCAAs
Six men earned spots in finals in the 500 free:
- A – Brady, Lawless, Balqah, Manganiello
- C – Corredor, Beach
All six men racing in the event recorded B-cut times: Brady (4:14.98), Lawless (4:16.06), Baqlah (4:17.07), Manganiello (4:17.38), Corredor (4:21.14), Beach (4:22.31)
Two women made finals in the 200 IM:
- B – Burns
- C – Fertel
All three women racing in the event recorded B-cut times: Burns (1:57.39), Fertel (1:57.71), Sydney Sell (1:59.90)
Six men made finals in the 200 IM:
- A – Dressel, Szaranek, Switkowski
- B – Lebed, Sanders
- C – Palazzo
Six men recorded NCAA qualifying times: Dressel (1:40.74 – A), Szaranek (1:42.48), Switkowski (1:43.46), Lebed (1:45.09), Sanders (1:45.24), Palazzo (1:46.94)
One Gator swimmer made the finals in the women's 50 free:
- C – Garofalo – 22.72
Garofalo (22.72), Sherridon Dressel (22.83), Amelia Maughan (22.83) and Kelsey Dambacher (22.94) all recorded B-cuts in the 50 free.
One Gator swimmer made the finals in the men's 50 free:
- A – Martinez-Scarpe
Martinez-Scarpe's time of 19.73 was a B-cut qualifying time