UGA Swimming and Diving: Georgia Men Take Third, Women Fourth at SEC Championships

AUBURN, Ala. – Highlighted by another sweep in the women’s breaststroke, University of Georgia swimming and diving earned a pair of top-five finishes Saturday at the 2020 SEC Swimming & Diving Championships at the James E. Martin Aquatics Center.

In the final tally, the Georgia men finished third with 953.5 points, while the Lady Bulldogs placed fourth with 986 points. In the men’s competition, Florida won its eighth-consecutive conference title, while Tennessee took its first women’s championship in school history.

For the men, it is their eighth top-three finish in the past nine seasons, and for the women, it continues a 40-season streak of finishing in the top five at SECs.

After sweeping the 100 breaststroke on Friday evening, freshman Zoie Hartman and junior Danielle Della Torre once again claimed the top spots with personal-best times in the 200 breaststroke. Hartman’s winning A-cut of 2:06.20 was the second-fastest in school history and ranks fourth in the nation. She is the first Georgia freshman to earn multiple individual conference titles since Olivia Smoliga won the 50 and 100 freestyle in 2014.

Della Torre’s runner-up mark of 2:07.11 was the fifth-fastest time nationally and ranks fourth in school history. Also similar to Friday, senior Sofia Carnevale won the B final with a PR of 2:08.30, the fifth-fastest time in program history.

In the men’s 1,650 freestyle, junior Greg Reed earned the silver medal with a time of 14:45.03, the fifth-fastest in the nation this season. Reed was the first top-three performance for the Georgia men in the mile since Matias Koski won the league title in 2015. Senior Walker Higgins (eighth – 14:59.81), junior Aaron Apel (ninth – 15:01.31) and senior Kevin Miller (10th – 15:04.93) also finished in the top 10 with B-cuts.

In the closing women’s 400 freestyle relay, the team of Veronica Burchill, Zoie Hartman, Gabi Fa’amausili, and Courtney Harnish earned the silver medal with an A-cut time of 3:11.50, the seventh-fastest time in school history.

In the women’s mile, sophomore Maddie Homovich finished ninth with a PR B-cut of 16:19.20, followed by junior Olivia Anderson in 13th place with a B-cut of 16:23.61. Senior Veronica Burchill posted a season-best time of 47.32 in the 100 freestyle final, finishing fifth, while junior Gabi Fa’amausili set a new PR of 48.70 in the B final.

Freshmen Ian Grum and Harry Homans completed terrific meets with appearances in the 200 backstroke A final. Grum’s fourth-place of 1:40.89 ranks fifth in school history, while Homans’ sixth-place mark of 1:41.88 sits at seventh all-time. Fellow freshman Zach Hils notched the 10th-fastest time, 1:42.63, as he placed fourth in the B final.

Junior Jack Dalmolin posted the fourth-fastest time in school history with his prelim time of 1:53.69, while freshman Dillon Downing turned in the 10th-fastest 100 free time in program history in the morning session.

At the diving tower, senior McKensi Austin reached her second final of the meet, finishing fifth on the platform with a score of 252.95 points. Senior Freida Lim also scored for the Lady Bulldogs with a Zone-qualifying mark of 242 points in prelims.

The Bulldogs will return to the water next weekend for the Bulldog Invitational Last Chance Meet. Georgia swimmers will compete with schools from around the nation in the final opportunity to qualify for this season’s NCAA Championships. The meet opens Saturday, Feb. 29 with the morning session at 10 a.m. at Gabrielsen Natatorium and continues throughout the weekend.

For all news and updates about Georgia swimming and diving, follow the Bulldogs on Twitter (@UGASwimDive), Instagram (@ugaswimdive), and Facebook (UGA Swimming and Diving).

STANDINGS
Men’s
1. Florida, 1,1194
2. Texas A&M, 975.5
3. Georgia, 953.5
4. Alabama, 935.5
5. Missouri, 846.5
6. Tennessee, 817
7. Kentucky, 724
8. Auburn, 697
9. LSU, 517
10. South Carolina, 504

Women’s
1. Tennessee, 1,108
2. Florida, 1,079.50
3. Kentucky, 987.50
4. Georgia, 986
5. Auburn, 866
6. Texas A&M, 851
7. Alabama, 748
8. Missouri, 500
9. South Carolina, 427
10. Arkansas, 422
11. LSU, 417
12. Vanderbilt, 150

RESULTS
Women’s 1,650 Freestyle
Gold: Kensey McMahon, Alabama
Silver: Amanda Nunan, Tennessee
Bronze: Leah Braswell, Florida

Men’s 1,650 Freestyle
Gold: Bobby Finke, Florida
Silver: Greg Reed, Georgia
Bronze: Brennan Gravley, Florida

Women’s 200 Backstroke
Gold: Rhyan White, Alabama
Silver: Asia Seidt, Kentucky
Bronze: Ali Galyer, Kentucky

Men’s 200 Backstroke
Gold: Shaine Casas, Texas A&M
Silver: Clark Beach, Florida
Bronze: Matthew Garcia, Tennessee

Women’s 100 Freestyle
Gold: Erika Brown, Tennessee
Silver: Anna Hopkin, Arkansas
Bronze: Julie Meynen, Auburn

Men’s 100 Freestyle
Gold: Brooks Curry, LSU
Silver: Zane Waddell, Alabama
Bronze: Kieran Smith, Florida

Women’s 200 Breaststroke
Gold: Zoie Hartman, Georgia
Silver: Danielle Della Torre, Georgia
Bronze: Bailey Bonnett, Kentucky

Men’s 200 Breaststroke
Gold: Benjamin Walker, Texas A&M
Silver: Andres Puente, Texas A&M
Bronze: Grant Sanders, Florida

Women’s Platform Diving
Gold: Tanesha Lucoe, Alabama
Silver: Emma Whitner, Florida
Bronze: Gretchen Wensuc, Auburn

Women’s 400 Freestyle Relay
Gold: Auburn
Silver: Georgia
Bronze: Alabama

Men’s 400 Freestyle Relay
Gold: Alabama
Silver: Texas A&M
Bronze: Kentucky