Gators Look Ahead to Conference Opening Dual Against Kentucky

Friday, October 2

Lexington, Ky.

5 p.m.

Florida Gators

Kentucky

Gators Look Ahead to Conference Opening Dual Against Kentucky

Thursday, October 1, 2026 | Men's Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving

Florida opens conference dual competition against Kentucky.

By: Caroline Kirby

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 3 Florida men's and No. 10 women's swimming and diving teams head to Lexington, Ky., to open conference dual-meet action against the Kentucky Wildcats at the Lancaster Aquatic Center on Oct. 2. The Gators look to extend their undefeated record against Kentucky as Florida's men's and women's programs compete in their first combined dual meet of the season.

#3/10 Florida (Men: 1-0, 0-0; Women: 1-0, 1-0) vs. #20/NR Kentucky (Men: (0-0; Women 0-0)
Date: Friday, Oct. 2
Time: 5 p.m. ET
Location: Lancaster Aquatic Center – Lexington, Kentucky
Live Results: Meet Mobile (App)

All-Time Series against Kentucky
Friday marks the first meeting between the two programs since 2023, when the Gators swept the Wildcats in a tri-meet hosted in Knoxville, Tenn., winning 239-58 on the men's side and 241-59 on the women's. Florida enters Friday's dual undefeated all-time against Kentucky, with the men holding a 16-0 series advantage and the women owning a 13-0 record against the Wildcats.

Gators Last Time Out at Florida Atlantic and Vanderbilt
Both the men's and women's team opened the season with dominant road victories this past weekend, with the Gators finishing first in every event across both meets. The men's victory was highlighted by sophomore, Nil Cadevall, who earned three individual event wins against the Owls, while Ahmed Jaouadi and Devin Dilger added two second-place finishes and 18 points each. On the women's side, five Gators, Catie Choate, Beatriz Bezerra, Julie Brousseau, Maddie Moreth and Valentina Procaccini, each earned two individual event victories, contributing 18 points apiece to Florida's win over Vanderbilt.

Florida Freshman Duo Named SEC Men's and Women's Freshman Swimmer of the Week

Following their performances in the split-site season-opening victories over Florida Atlantic and Vanderbilt, Florida's freshmen Tai Pearson and Maddie Moreth were recognized as part of the Southeastern Conference's first weekly awards of the season.
Pearson, a freshman from Cape Town, South Africa, was named SEC Men's Freshman Swimmer of the Week, while Moreth, a freshman from Valparaiso, Indiana, earned SEC Women's Freshman Swimmer of the Week. The honors are the first career weekly accolades for both Gators, as Pearson and Moreth made their Florida debuts on Saturday, Sept. 26 against Florida Atlantic and Vanderbilt, respectively.

Stay Connected
Fans can stay up to date with the Florida Gator swimming & diving teams by following @GatorsSwimDv on X and catch up with the latest news and content of the team. Like the team's Facebook page at Florida Gators Swimming & Diving Fans can also keep up with the team by following them on Instagram at @Gatorsswimdv.