Tuesday, February 18
Auburn, Ala.
11:00 a.m. (Prelims) / 6:00 p.m. (Finals)
Florida Gators
vs
SEC CHAMPIONSHIPS
No. 9 Florida Set for 2020 SEC Championships in Auburn
Monday, February 17, 2020 | Men's Swimming & Diving
SEC Championship Notes
AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 9 University of Florida swimming and diving team will enter postseason competition this week at the 2020 Southeastern Conference Championships from Feb. 18-22 at the James E. Martin Aquatics Center in Auburn, Ala.
The Gators head into this year's competition with the opportunity to extend its championship title streak to eight in a row, dating back to the 2013 season.
The four-day event will begin on Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. ET with time trials, followed by preliminary rounds for the women's 1-meter and the men's 3-meter at 11:30 a.m. ET. The first day of finals will feature both diving events and the 200 medley and 800 free relays, beginning at 5:20 p.m. ET.
For the remainder of the week, prelims will start at 10:30 a.m. ET, with finals competition beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Both sessions throughout all five days of competition can be viewed on SEC Network +.
Additional information throughout the week can be found at championship central.
Regular Season Review
During the 2019-20 regular season, Florida complied an overall record of 7-2, and a conference mark of 2-2.
The team started off the campaign with a trio of victories in South Florida against Nova Southeastern, Indian River and FAU.
During their opening weekend, Florida posted the top score in every single individual event.
Almost a full month off, the Gators picked up another road dual win at Minnesota on Oct. 11 by a final score of 178.5-116.5.
Their first loss came on Oct. 18 in Columbia, Mo. against the No. 13 Missouri Tigers by a final score of 190.5-109.5.
UF would bounce back, finishing the 2019 portion of their schedule by cruising to a pair of wins in ranked duals with then-No. 14 Georgia and No. 15 Florida State at the O'Connell Center Natatorium.
Florida got back to their winning ways against the Bulldogs as six different Gators would win eight individual events, including taking the top-three spots in the 50 free, 100 fly and 100 breast. UF would sweep the 200 medley and 400 free relays as well.
Against the Seminoles in the Sunshine Showdown the following Friday, the Gators won all 14 swimming events, including posting the top-three finishes in seven separate events.
Florida's final two duals of the season came against conference foes, with the Gators defeating Auburn on Senior Day by a final tally of 204-96.
In their Senior Day victory , UF walked away with 13 event victories, highlighted by registering the top-three finishes in the 200 back, 200 breast, 400 IM and 1,000 free in front of a capacity crowd at the O'Dome.
In their final regular matchup, UF would fall to No. 12 Tennessee 156-144 in Knoxville.
Twenty-two swimmers and divers would go on to win 124 events in the regular season, led by Kieran Smith's 24 victories. The sophomore won 16 individual events, while also being a member of eight winning relays.
Marco Guarente finished with 16 total wins, with Clark Beach (13), Will Davis (12) and Eric Friese (12) rounding-out the top-five.
Eight of Will Davis' victories came on relays, tying Smith's mark for the most on the squad.
Conference of the Week Honors
Throughout the season, three different Gators took home six SEC Weekly Honors, with Smith earning a team-best three accolades as Swimmer of the Week on Oct. 15, Nov. 5 and Jan. 28.
His final award of the season came after Smith posted a total of four wins against Auburn in the 100 free, 100 back, 400 IM and 400 free relay.
Alex Farrow (Diver of the Week) and Eric Friese (Freshman of the Week) would join Smith with by earning weekly awards on Oct. 15 as UF would sweep the weekly awards.
Farrow earned his first-career conference award after posting the top 1-meter SEC dive of the season at the time of the meet with a score of 328.07. On the 3-meter board, the senior was just .22 points away from third-place and tallied the fourth-best 3-meter dive in the SEC this year.
Friese, featured here, earned his first career conference accolade after posting his fourth and fifth career wins in the 50 free and 100 fly.
He would go on to add his second Freshman of the Week honor on Nov. 12 for his efforts in Florida's 188-107 Sunshine Showdown victory over Florida State.
Gators in the Polls
The final 2019 College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) poll slotted the Gators at No. 5 after a sixth-place finish in the 2019 NCAA Championships.
Heading into the 2019-20 season, the CSCAA placed Florida at No. 7 in its inaugural poll of the season.
That ranking will fluctuate, dropping to ninth in the second poll of the season on Oct. 23, and rising back up to its highest ranking on the season to No. 6 on Nov. 13.
Florida found its spot at No. 9, settling in that ranking the last two polls released on Dec. 11 and Jan. 22.
Gators Make Mark in SEC and NCAA
Florida made its mark throughout both conference and national waters with 52 times or marks that landed in the top-20 in the SEC, and the top-100 in the NCAA.
Smith led the way eight top-20 swims in the SEC, highlighted by the third-fastest 200 free swim. Robert Finke owns two top SEC times, leading the way in the 1,000 free (8:57.47) and 1,650 free (14:47.51).
The 1,000 free features four Gators in the top-10 in the league as Finke (first), Smith (fourth), Brennan Gravley (fifth) and Khader Baqlah (seventh) have shined in the distance event this year.
Nationally, Finke's times are both in the top-10, coming in eighth (1,650 free) and ninth (1,000 free), while Smith's top time is the 15th-fastest 200 free swim across the NCAA.
Championship History
The 2020 Southeastern Conference Championships marks the 79th conference competition, dating back to 1937. The Gators would win the inaugural title that season before claiming the next four championships.
Florida leads the SEC with 40 championship titles, doubling their closest competitor, Auburn (18). The Gators and Tigers have taken the conference crown 58 of 78 years.
In total, UF has won 24 SEC Male Swimmer of the Year awards and has garnered four SEC Diver of the Year selections. Florida coaches have been named Coach of the Year 27 times, with the last coming last season as Anthony Nesty earned the honor in his first season at the helm of the program. Additionally, Florida diving coaches have earned Coach of the Year honors eight times throughout program history.
Last Year SEC's Flashback
Last year at the SEC Championships, Florida won its 40th conference title (seventh in a row) with 1,233 points over the five days of competition in Athens, Ga.
The Gators, who would edge out Missouri by 96 points, clinched five event titles at the championships (four individual and one relay).
Finke would take home a pair of individual titles in the 1,650 free and 400 IM, while Smith took home the 200 IM title.
On the first day of competition, Florida would earn their seventh-consecutive 800 free relay victory with a new SEC record and fifth-fastest time in UF history.
Schedule
What's Next
After the conference championships concludes, Florida will receive some time off before their next challenge.
The Gator divers will compete at the NCAA Diving Zones from March 9-11.
The team will then come together for its final meet of the 2019-20 season in Indianapolis, Ind. at the 2020 NCAA Championships on March 25-28 on the campus of IUPUI.
Follow the Gators:
| FloridaGators.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook |
AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 9 University of Florida swimming and diving team will enter postseason competition this week at the 2020 Southeastern Conference Championships from Feb. 18-22 at the James E. Martin Aquatics Center in Auburn, Ala.
The Gators head into this year's competition with the opportunity to extend its championship title streak to eight in a row, dating back to the 2013 season.
The four-day event will begin on Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. ET with time trials, followed by preliminary rounds for the women's 1-meter and the men's 3-meter at 11:30 a.m. ET. The first day of finals will feature both diving events and the 200 medley and 800 free relays, beginning at 5:20 p.m. ET.
For the remainder of the week, prelims will start at 10:30 a.m. ET, with finals competition beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Both sessions throughout all five days of competition can be viewed on SEC Network +.
Additional information throughout the week can be found at championship central.
Regular Season Review
During the 2019-20 regular season, Florida complied an overall record of 7-2, and a conference mark of 2-2.
The team started off the campaign with a trio of victories in South Florida against Nova Southeastern, Indian River and FAU.
During their opening weekend, Florida posted the top score in every single individual event.
Almost a full month off, the Gators picked up another road dual win at Minnesota on Oct. 11 by a final score of 178.5-116.5.
Their first loss came on Oct. 18 in Columbia, Mo. against the No. 13 Missouri Tigers by a final score of 190.5-109.5.
UF would bounce back, finishing the 2019 portion of their schedule by cruising to a pair of wins in ranked duals with then-No. 14 Georgia and No. 15 Florida State at the O'Connell Center Natatorium.
Florida got back to their winning ways against the Bulldogs as six different Gators would win eight individual events, including taking the top-three spots in the 50 free, 100 fly and 100 breast. UF would sweep the 200 medley and 400 free relays as well.
Against the Seminoles in the Sunshine Showdown the following Friday, the Gators won all 14 swimming events, including posting the top-three finishes in seven separate events.
Florida's final two duals of the season came against conference foes, with the Gators defeating Auburn on Senior Day by a final tally of 204-96.
In their Senior Day victory , UF walked away with 13 event victories, highlighted by registering the top-three finishes in the 200 back, 200 breast, 400 IM and 1,000 free in front of a capacity crowd at the O'Dome.
In their final regular matchup, UF would fall to No. 12 Tennessee 156-144 in Knoxville.
Twenty-two swimmers and divers would go on to win 124 events in the regular season, led by Kieran Smith's 24 victories. The sophomore won 16 individual events, while also being a member of eight winning relays.
Marco Guarente finished with 16 total wins, with Clark Beach (13), Will Davis (12) and Eric Friese (12) rounding-out the top-five.
Eight of Will Davis' victories came on relays, tying Smith's mark for the most on the squad.
Conference of the Week Honors
Throughout the season, three different Gators took home six SEC Weekly Honors, with Smith earning a team-best three accolades as Swimmer of the Week on Oct. 15, Nov. 5 and Jan. 28.
His final award of the season came after Smith posted a total of four wins against Auburn in the 100 free, 100 back, 400 IM and 400 free relay.
Alex Farrow (Diver of the Week) and Eric Friese (Freshman of the Week) would join Smith with by earning weekly awards on Oct. 15 as UF would sweep the weekly awards.
Farrow earned his first-career conference award after posting the top 1-meter SEC dive of the season at the time of the meet with a score of 328.07. On the 3-meter board, the senior was just .22 points away from third-place and tallied the fourth-best 3-meter dive in the SEC this year.
Friese, featured here, earned his first career conference accolade after posting his fourth and fifth career wins in the 50 free and 100 fly.
He would go on to add his second Freshman of the Week honor on Nov. 12 for his efforts in Florida's 188-107 Sunshine Showdown victory over Florida State.
Gators in the Polls
The final 2019 College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) poll slotted the Gators at No. 5 after a sixth-place finish in the 2019 NCAA Championships.
Heading into the 2019-20 season, the CSCAA placed Florida at No. 7 in its inaugural poll of the season.
That ranking will fluctuate, dropping to ninth in the second poll of the season on Oct. 23, and rising back up to its highest ranking on the season to No. 6 on Nov. 13.
Florida found its spot at No. 9, settling in that ranking the last two polls released on Dec. 11 and Jan. 22.
Gators Make Mark in SEC and NCAA
Florida made its mark throughout both conference and national waters with 52 times or marks that landed in the top-20 in the SEC, and the top-100 in the NCAA.
Smith led the way eight top-20 swims in the SEC, highlighted by the third-fastest 200 free swim. Robert Finke owns two top SEC times, leading the way in the 1,000 free (8:57.47) and 1,650 free (14:47.51).
The 1,000 free features four Gators in the top-10 in the league as Finke (first), Smith (fourth), Brennan Gravley (fifth) and Khader Baqlah (seventh) have shined in the distance event this year.
Nationally, Finke's times are both in the top-10, coming in eighth (1,650 free) and ninth (1,000 free), while Smith's top time is the 15th-fastest 200 free swim across the NCAA.
Championship History
The 2020 Southeastern Conference Championships marks the 79th conference competition, dating back to 1937. The Gators would win the inaugural title that season before claiming the next four championships.
Florida leads the SEC with 40 championship titles, doubling their closest competitor, Auburn (18). The Gators and Tigers have taken the conference crown 58 of 78 years.
In total, UF has won 24 SEC Male Swimmer of the Year awards and has garnered four SEC Diver of the Year selections. Florida coaches have been named Coach of the Year 27 times, with the last coming last season as Anthony Nesty earned the honor in his first season at the helm of the program. Additionally, Florida diving coaches have earned Coach of the Year honors eight times throughout program history.
Last Year SEC's Flashback
Last year at the SEC Championships, Florida won its 40th conference title (seventh in a row) with 1,233 points over the five days of competition in Athens, Ga.
The Gators, who would edge out Missouri by 96 points, clinched five event titles at the championships (four individual and one relay).
Finke would take home a pair of individual titles in the 1,650 free and 400 IM, while Smith took home the 200 IM title.
On the first day of competition, Florida would earn their seventh-consecutive 800 free relay victory with a new SEC record and fifth-fastest time in UF history.
Schedule
| Day (Preliminary time/Final time) | Event |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Prelims (11:30 a.m.) | Women's 1-Meter |
| Men's 3-Meter | |
| Tuesday Finals (5:20 p.m.) | Women's 1-Meter |
| 200 Medley Relay | |
| Men's 3-Meter | |
| 800 Free Relay | |
| Wednesday (10:30 a.m./6:30 p.m.) | 200 Free Relay (finals only) |
| 500 Free | |
| 200 IM | |
| 50 Free | |
| Men's 1-meter | |
| Thursday (10:30 a.m./6:30 p.m.) | 400 IM |
| 100 Fly | |
| 200 Free | |
| Women's 3-meter | |
| Friday (10:30 a.m./6:30 p.m.) | 200 Fly |
| 100 Back | |
| 100 Breast | |
| Men's Platform | |
| 400 Medley Relay (finals only) | |
| Saturday (10:30 a.m./6:30 p.m.) | 1,650 Free |
| 200 Back | |
| 100 Free | |
| 200 Breast | |
| Women's Platform | |
| 400 Free Relay (finals only) |
What's Next
After the conference championships concludes, Florida will receive some time off before their next challenge.
The Gator divers will compete at the NCAA Diving Zones from March 9-11.
The team will then come together for its final meet of the 2019-20 season in Indianapolis, Ind. at the 2020 NCAA Championships on March 25-28 on the campus of IUPUI.
Follow the Gators:
| FloridaGators.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook |
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
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