No. 5/10 Gators Host First Home Meet on Friday, Saturday

Friday, January 4

Gainesville, FL

1 PM

Florida Gators

Kentucky

Gators start 2019 at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center Natatorium.

No. 5/10 Gators Host First Home Meet on Friday, Saturday

Wednesday, January 2, 2019 | Men's Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving

By: Chad Smith

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The University of Florida men's and women's swimming & diving teams will compete in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center Natatorium for the first time this season as they host No. 25/13 Kentucky and No. 14/22 Ohio State. The tri-meet will begin on Friday, Jan. 4 and conclude on Saturday, Jan. 5.

In the last meeting in the 2014-15 campaign, the Florida men defeated Kentucky 164-128 and the Gator women knocked off the Wildcats 161-137. This will be the first meeting in the last 20 years for the Gators and Buckeyes.

Khader Baqlah has the fourth-best swim in the NCAA in the 200 Free to pace the No. 5 ranked men. He's added the ninth-best time in the 500 Free and ranks 13th in the 1,000 Free. Maxime Rooney holds the nation's eighth-fastest time in the 100 Free and produced the 11th best in the NCAA in the 200 Free. Kieran Smith notched the 13th-fastest times in the 200 Free and in the 400 IM. Trey Freeman swam the 17th-fastest in the 500 Free and 12th-fastest in the 1,000 Free. Robert Finke collected the NCAA's 11th-best swim in the 1,650. In the 100 Back, Kacper Stokowski recorded the 19th-fastest swim. Grant Sanders has the country's eighth-best time in the 400 IM and 20th-fastest mark in the 200 IM.

For the No. 10 ranked women, Vanessa Pearl clocked the fifth-fastest swim in the 400 IM and in the 200 Breast, as well as the sixth-fastest time in the 200 IM. Leah Braswell is currently the sixth fastest in the 500 Free and the 1,650 Free. Mabel Zavaros holds the 11th-best time in the 200 Back and the 20th-fastest swim in the 400 IM. Emma Ball has the fifth-best time in the 100 Back. Kelly Fertel comes in with the 12th-best time in the 200 IM and eighth fastest in the 400 IM. Taylor Ault currently holds the NCAA's 18th-best mark in the 1,000 Free.

Swimming Event Schedule

Friday 1 p.m.	Saturday 10 a.m.
1,650 Freestyle	400 Medley Relay
200 Medley Relay	1,000 Freestyle
200 Freestyle	200 Freestyle
100 Backstroke	100 Backstroke
100 Breaststroke	100 Breaststroke
200 Butterfly	200 Butterfly
50 Freestyle	50 Freestyle
100 Freestyle	100 Freestyle
200 Backstroke	200 Backstroke
200 Breaststroke	200 Breaststroke
500 Freestyle	500 Freestyle
100 Butterfly	100 Butterfly
200 Individual Medley	400 Individual Medley
400 Freestyle Relay	200 Freestyle Relay