2019-20 Men's Swimming & Diving Roster

Tim Casey
Tim Casey
Justin Casterline
John Glaser
Russell James
Jim Burgess
Courtney Mims
Jim Burgess
Jim Burgess

Khader Baqlah

  • Position Free
  • Class Senior
  • Hometown Amman, Jordan
  • Highschool National Orthodox School

Biography

2016 Olympian for Jordan
Olympic Games History
2016 Rio Games 200M Freestyle
Event Result
Heat: 200M Freestyle  Finished 31st 1:48.42, did not advance

Career Accolades
  • 11-time All-American
  • 2020 All-SEC First Team
  • 2020 SEC Champion (200 Free, 800 FR)
  • 2020 SEC Academic Honor Roll
  • 2019 All-SEC First Team 
  • 2019 SEC Champion (800 FR)
  • 2018 All-SEC First Team
  • 2018 SEC Champion (200 free, 400 FR, 800 FR)
  • 2017 All-SEC First Team
  • 2017 SEC All-Freshman team
  • 2017 SEC champion (800 FR)
  • 2016 Olympian, representing Jordan
  • UF Records Held:
    • 400 FR - 2:45.73 
    • 800 FR- 6:09.14
2019-20 (Senior)
NCAA Championships
  • Earned All-American honors in the 200 free, 500 free, 400 free relay and 800 free relay 
  • Qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 200 and 500 free
SEC Championships
  • Member of the SEC Championship-winning team
  • Won his second-career 200 free SEC title with a time of 1:32.05
  • Was a member of the SEC champion 800 free relay that set a new SEC record with their swim of 6:09.91 (fifth-fastest in UF history)
  • Finished in fifth-place in the 500 free (4:15.86) and seventh-place in the 100 free (42.66)
  • Was a member of the fourth-place 400 free relay (2:50.40)
Regular Season
  • Won six individual events and was a member of four winning relays
  • Posted a new career-best swim of 1:46.82 in the 200 fly  versus Georgia
  • Set a new personal-best in the 200 IM with his swim of 1:50.70 at FAU

2018-19 (Junior)
NCAA Championships
  • Qualified for the 2019 NCAA Championship in the 100 free, 200 free, 500 free and 800 FR
  • Earned All-American honors after leading off the 800 FR team, which finished in a school-record time of 6:09.14 and finished in fifth-place
  • Earned honorable mention All-American accolades after a sixteenth-place finish in the 500 free (4:20.50) and a ninth-place finish in the 200 free with a season-best swim of 1:32.18
SEC Championships
  • Earned First-Team All-SEC honors for his performance
  • Member of the SEC Championship-winning team
  • Won the 800 FR with a combined time of 6:10.50, good for the fourth-fastest time in school history
  • Posted a career-best and fifth-fastest swim in UF history with a time of 4:12.96 in the 500 free A final (third-place)
  • Placed second in the 400 FR with a combined time of 2:48.82
  • Earned a third-place finish with a season-best time of 1:32.71 in the 200 free finals
  • Notched a sixth-place finish in the 100 free with a swim of 42.48
Regular Season
  • Tallied a total of 14 individual events (team-high) and two relay victories            
2017-18 (Sophomore)
NCAA Championships:
  • Qualified for the 2018 NCAA Championships in the 100 free, 200 free, 500 free, 400 FR and 800 FR
  • Earned four All-American honors during the meet, including a fifth place finish in the 200 free (1:31.98)
  • Posted a 15th place finish in the 100 free with a career-best time of 42.17
  • Finished second overall in the 400 FR, leading off with a 42.28 split. The team set a new UF record in the event, posting a time of 2:45.73
  • Also finished fourth in the 800 FR, recording a team time of 6:09.52 and the fastest split of 1:31.64
SEC Championships:
  • Earned First Team All-SEC honors for his performance at the SEC Championship Meet
  • Member of the SEC Championship-winning team
  • Three-time SEC Champion, earning gold in the 200 free (1:13.96 - personal-best), 400 FR (2:47.06) and 800 FR (6:12.06)
  • Scored points in the 500 free, finishing third overall with a career-best time of 4:14.48
  • Finished sixth overall in the 100 free with a swim of 42.74
Regular Season:
  • Totaled 10 individual wins and nine relays victories during the season
2016-17 (Freshman)
NCAA Championships:
  • Qualified for the 2017 NCAA Championships, finishing 24th in the 200 free (1:34.31), 31st in the 100 free (43.20) and 43rd in the 500 free (4:21.70)
SEC Championships
  • Member of the 2017 SEC championship-winning team, winning the 800 free relay title (6:12.18, which marked an SEC meet record), finishing second in the 200 free A-final (1:33.65), third in the 100 free B-final (43.36), second in the 500 free C-final (4:19.54)
Regular Season
  • Totaled one individual and one relay win on the season
  • Joined the Gators in spring 2017
 
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION:
  • Swam at the 2019 FINA World Championships, finishing the 200 free in 1:47.22, the 400 free in 3:51.59 and 49,46 in the 100 free
  • Participated in the 17th FINA World Championships in July, competing in the 200m free and 400m free events
  • His best finish came in the 200m free, where he placed 19th overall with a time of 1:47.68
  • Placed 32nd in the 400m free, posting a time of 3:54.13
  • Competed at the FINA World Short Course Championships in the 50, 100, 200 and 400 Free, as well as the 100 Fly
  • Best finish came in the 100 Free, finishing 36th with a time of 48.53
  • Represented Jordan in the 2016 Rio Olympics, competing in the 200m Free (1:48.42)
  • Competed in the 2015 FINA World Championships, finishing the 200m Free with a time of 1:51.67 and the 400m Free with a time of 3:58.71.
 
Career-Best Times at Florida
50 Free 20.74 All-Florida Sept. 22, 2017
100 Free 42.17 NCAA Championships March 21-24, 2018
200 Free 1:31.96 SEC Championships Feb. 14-18, 2018 
500 Free 4:12.96 SEC Championships Feb. 19-23, 2019
1,000 Free 9:02.71 LSU Oct. 12, 2019
1,650 Free 15:51.12 All-Florida Sept. 22, 2017
100 Fly 49.96 FSU Jan. 5, 2018
200 Fly 1:46.82 Georgia Nov. 1, 2019
200 IM 1:50.70 FAU Sept. 29, 2019
400 IM 3:44.70 Last Chance Meet Feb. 23-25, 2018
 
 
Prior to Florida
  • Qualified for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, placing first in his 200 free heat (1:48.42)
  • Earned three silver medals in the 2015 Asian Age Group Championships – the 200 free (1:51.64), 100 free (50.93) and 400 free (3:58.64)
  • Qualified for the 2015 FINA World Championship in Kazan, placing 52nd in the 400 free prelims (3:58.71) and 52nd in the 200 free prelims (1:51.67) and also participating in Jordan’s mixed 400 medley relay and mixed 400 free relay
  • Also appeared in the 2014 Youth Olympic Games, the 2013 FINA World Championship in Barcelona and the 2013 FINA World Junior Championship in Dubai

Historical Player Information

  • 2016-17Freshman

    Free
    6'1"

  • 2017-18Sophomore

    Free
    6'1"

  • 2018-19Junior

    Free
    6'1"

  • 2019-20Senior

    Free

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