800-Meter Free Strong for Gators on Final Day of Phillips 66 Nationals Including New School Record
Sunday, July 29, 2018 | Men's Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving
Eight personal-best times were set on the final day of competition.
IRVINE, Calif. – The men's 800-meter freestyle proved to be a strong event for the Florida swimmers on the final day of competition of the Phillips 66 Nationals. Ben Lawless broke a program record and set a personal-best time in the 800-meter freestyle.
In heat eight of the men's 800-meter freestyle, Lawless took eight seconds off of his personal best and swam a 7:57.56 and placed fourth in his heat, ninth overall. Incoming freshmen, Robert Finke and Trey Freeman achieved personal-best swims as well. Finke swam the third-fastest time of the day with a 7:51.45, as he destroyed his previous best time by eight seconds. Freeman beat his previous best time by nearly six seconds, with a time of 7:56.53 and earned an eighth-place finish overall. The personal bests did not stop there. Mitch D'Arrigo notched an 8:06.65. D'Arrigo knocked two seconds off of his previous best and finished 24th overall.
Gator great Caeleb Dressel finished second in the A Final of the men's 50-meter freestyle, after he swam a 21.67.
Taylor Ault put forth a strong showing in the women's 1500-meter freestyle, with a 16th overall finish. Ault swam a 16:32.01 and finished fourth in her heat.
Hannah Burns set a new personal-best time in the 200-meter individual medley prelims with a time of 2:15.18. Burns qualified for the B Final, where she swam a 2:17.03 and finished seventh, 15th overall. Incoming freshman Vanessa Pearl won the D Final with a time of 2:14.71, which is a new personal best.
Kieran Smith qualified for the B Final in the men's 200-meter individual medley with a time of 2:00.66. He posted a time of 2:01.46 in the B Final. Smith placed sixth in the B Final and 14th overall. Grant Sanders posted a second-place finish in the C Final, with a swim of 2:02.03. Incoming freshman Miguel Cancel swam a 2:03.73 in the D Final and placed fifth.
Eight personal bests were set on the final day of competition at the Phillips 66 Nationals. Pearl, Cancel, Finke, Freeman, Lawless, and D'Arrigo all posted personal bests during finals. Burns and Leah Braswell posted their best times during the women's 200-meter individual medley prelims. Braswell swam a 2:18.73 and finished third in her heat.
Gator alumni Caeleb Dressel and Conor Dwyer will be joined by incoming freshman Robert Finke at the Pan Pacific Championships in Tokyo, Japan. The Pan Pacs will run from Monday, August 9, until Saturday, August 14.
Finals Times:
Women's 200m Individual Medley – B Final
Hannah Burns – 2:17:03 (7th, 15th overall)
Women's 200m Individual Medley – D Final
Vanessa Pearl – 2:14.71 (1st, 25th overall)
Men's 200m Individual Medley – B Final
Kieran Smith – 2:01.46 (6th, 14th overall)
Men's 200m Individual Medley – C Final
Grant Sanders – 2:02.03 (2nd, 18th overall)
Men's 200m Individual Medley – D Final
Miguel Cancel – 2:03.73 (5th, 29th overall)
Men's 50m Freestyle – A Final
Caeleb Dressel – 21.67 (2nd overall)
Timed Finals:
Women's 1500m Freestyle
Taylor Ault – 16:32.01 (4th, 16th overall)
Kahra Williams – 17:21.73 (7th, 37th overall)
Men's 800m Freestyle
Robert Finke – 7:51.45 (3rd, 3rd overall)
Trey Freeman – 7:56.53 (3rd, 8th overall)
Ben Lawless – 7:57.56 School Record (4th, 9th overall)
Mitch D'Arrigo – 8:06.65 (4th, 24th overall)
Drew Clark – 8:15.86 (6th, 54th overall)
Preliminary Times
Women's 200m Individual Medley
Hannah Burns – 2:15.18
Vanessa Pearl – 2:17.30
Kelly Fertel – 2:17.37
Savanna Faulconer – 2:18.32
Leah Braswell – 2:18.73
Men's 200 Individual Medley
Kieran Smith – 2:00.66
Grant Sanders – 2:02.24
Miguel Cancel – 2:04.38
Brennan Balogh – 2:04.98
Ross Palazzo – 2:05.65
Dillon Hillis – 2:10.41
Women's 50m Freestyle
Bella Garofalo – 26.30
Men's 50m Freestyle
Caeleb Dressel – 21.89
*Bold indicates personal-best times
Players Mentioned
