AUBURN, Ala. - No. 11 Florida concluded the third day of preliminaries at the 2020 Southeastern Conference Championships at the James E. Martin Aquatics Center with nine swimmers qualifying for A-finals across the 400 IM, 100 fly and 200 free events.
Florida, currently in second-place, came out and performed right away in the first event of the day, the 400 IM, with five A-final qualifiers.
Kieran Smith (first),
Grant Sanders (second),
Robert Finke (fourth) and
Kevin Vargas (fifth) all posted top-five preliminary swims.
Smith's mark was the third-fastest time (3:40.54) in the nation this year and also the seventh-fastest time in school history.
Sanders (fifth) and Finke (ninth) also notched a top-ten NCAA finish.
Miguel Cancel, the last A-finalist, touched in eighth with a mark of 3:45.25.
Florida's last competitor in the event was
Brennan Gravley. He would place 26th with a new personal-best of 3:52.23.
Smith, Vargas and Cancel would post new personal-bests, as well.
The final two events of the morning featured a duo of Florida swimmers making the A-final qualification.
In the 100 fly,
Eric Friese hit a new personal-best of 46.12 to finish in fifth, while
Will Davis notched a season-best mark of 46.24 to touch in eighth.
Gerry Quinn and
Khader Baqlah would go back-to-back in the 200 free, the final event of the day three's prelims.
Quinn defeated his previous 200 free best by a full second, finishing in fourth with an effort of 1:33.73. Baqlah earned his fifth-place finish with his swim of 1:33.82.
A total of four swimmers will hit the pool in the B-finals.
In the 100 fly, a trio of Gators all tally new personal-bests to qualify.
Isaac Davis (12
th) touched in 46.45, while
Dillon Hillis would finish right behind him with his swim of 46.52.
Tyler Silver was the third B-finalist in the event of his swim of 46.65.
Clark Beach, Florida's fourth and final B-finalist, qualified for the 200 free with his mark of 1:34, good for 15th overall.
Dakota Mahaffey will make an appearance in the 200 free C-final after touching the wall in 1:35.46 in the 200. The mark is a new season-best, and just missed a new personal-best by .27.
The final two Florida swimmers to hit the water on Thursday morning was
Ethan Beach and Matt Anderson, joining Quinn, Baqlah and Mahaffey in the 200 free.
Ethan Beach placed 32nd-overall with this swim of 1:36.49 (personal-best) and Mathewt Anderson finished in 48th with 1:38.75.
Standings
1. Texas A&M- 438
2. Florida- 395
3. Alabama- 361
4. Kentucky- 340
5. Georgia- 339.5
6. Tennessee- 328.5
7. Auburn- 301
8. Missouri- 276
9. South Carolina- 238
10. LSU- 223
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