GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Following a grueling three-day competition featuring seven ranked teams at the 2010 Georgia Tech Invitational in Atlanta, Ga., the University of Florida men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams both finished in the top three at the end of competition Sunday.
The No. 4 men’s team (2-1, 2-0 SEC) finished second in the overall team standings with 1,221 points, just 177 points shy of No. 20 Florida State’s 1,398 total. The No. 4 women’s team (2-2, 0-1 SEC) took third in the overall team standings with 939 points, behind first-place No. 8 Texas A&M (1,735.5) and second-place Florida State (1,045.5).
“We’re always disappointed when the name ‘Florida’ doesn’t appear first on the scoreboard, but the ultimate goal in swimming is the end of the season,” head coach Gregg Troy said. “We’re not going to sacrifice anything in the fall that jeopardizes our goals of winning championships in the spring. With that said, we had some really premiere performances this weekend; performances that showed just how tough our kids really are and just how well they compete. For where we are at this point in the season, I’m really excited about the potential we have in the spring.”
Teammates Elizabeth Beisel (North Kingstown, R.I.) and Teresa Crippen (Conshohocken, Pa.) led the way for the women, combining for four NCAA “B” cut times in two different events, while also teaming up to record a NCAA qualifying mark in the last women’s relay of the weekend. Beisel won the finals of the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:54.40, while Crippen took fourth by clocking a season-best 1:57.10. Beisel, a freshman, returned later in the evening to place fifth with a time of 1:59.85 in the finals of the 200-yard butterfly. Earlier in the day, Crippen raced a 1:59.50 mark in the prelims of the 200 fly to give the junior her third qualifying time in the event this season.
Juniors Sarah Bateman (Orlando, Fla.) and Shara Stafford (Topeka, Kan.) also continued racking up NCAA qualifying marks this weekend. Bateman won the finals of the women’s 100-yard freestyle with by clocking a personal best and team season-best 49.29. Stafford finished fourth in the morning prelims of the event with a time of 50.21, picking up her first NCAA “B” cut time in the event this year.
On the men’s side, senior Conor Dwyer (Winnetka, Ill.) and sophomore Sebastien Rousseau (Cape Town, South Africa) both left Atlanta with two more NCAA “B” cuts. Dwyer’s hand hit the wall second in the finals of the 100 free with a UF season-best time of 44.27. In the finals of the men’s 200 fly, Rousseau captured his first individual event of the weekend with a Florida season-best 1:46.66.
Rousseau and Dwyer also picked up a NCAA qualifying time in the last event of the weekend, the men’s 400-yard freestyle relay. The 2010 All-Americans combined with senior Brett Fraser (George Town, Cayman Islands) and sophomore Scott Sommer (Ocala, Fla.) to win the event with a blazing mark of 2:57.58, the fourth-fastest time (first in the SEC) in the country this season. Not to be outdone, the women’s Orange and Blue quartet of Bateman, Stafford, sophomore Jamie Bohunicky (Gainesville, Fla.) and Beisel also picked up a NCAA “B” cut time, finishing third in the event with a team season-best 3:21.06.
In long-distance swimming, the Florida men and women recorded team season-best times with three total NCAA “B” cuts. Senior Joey Pedraza (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) clocked a personal season-best 15:24.45 to finish second in the men’s 1,650 free for his second NCAA qualifying mark of the season, while freshman Connor Signorin (East Windsor, N.J.) swam a personal-best 15:29.24 to place third. Freshman Alicia Mathieu (Marlborough, Conn.) also took third with a personal-best 16:29.51 mark in the women’s event.
For full results of this weekend’s competition, click here. The Gator swimming and diving program jumps back into the pool this Tuesday, Nov. 23, as it travels to rival Florida State for a 5 p.m. dual meet. Fans are encouraged to follow the swimming and diving program on Twitter or Facebook.
Final 2010 Georgia Tech Fall Invitational Team Standings
| MEN | WOMEN | ||||
| Rank | Team | Score | Rank | Team | Score |
| 1. | Florida State | 1398 | 1. | Texas A&M | 1735.5 |
| 2. | Florida | 1221 | 2. | Florida State | 1045.5 |
| 3. | Clemson | 570 | 3. | Florida | 939 |
| 4. | North Carolina State | 564 | 4. | Miami | 519 |
| 5. | Georgia Tech | 548 | 5. | North Carolina State | 333 |
| 6. | Michigan State | 546 | 6. | Georgia Tech | 280 |
| 7. | Florida Atlantic | 367 | 7. | Clemson | 265 |
| 8. | Gardner-Webb | 220 | 8. | Florida Gulf Coast | 244 |
| 9. | Auburn | 168 | 9. | Michigan State | 224 |
| 10. | Texas A&M | 57 | 10. | Florida Atlantic | 192 |
| 11. | Miami (Fla.) | 55 | 11. | Gardner-Webb | 136 |
| T-12. | U.S. Air Force Academy | 2 | 12. | U.S. Air Force Academy | 122 |
| T-12. | Emory University | 2 | 13. | Auburn | 113 |
