2022 UGA Invite: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

2022 UGA FALL INVITATIONAL

• November 17-19, 2022
• UGA Gabrielsen Natatorium, Athens, GA
• SCY (25 yards)
• Results on Meet Mobile: “UGA Fall Invitational 2022”
• 2023 NCAA Cut Times
• What Will It Take To Qualify for 2023 NCAAs?
• Live Results
• Live Stream
• Day 2 Finals Recap
• Day 3 Prelims Recap

The 2022 Georgia Fall Invite wraps up tonight with finals of the 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, and 200 fly, along with timed finals of the 400 free relay.

Heading into today, the Auburn women held a 17.5 point lead over Florida, while the Gator men led the Tigers by almost 90 points. Timed finals of the 1650s were held earlier in the day, and we’ve recapped those below.

WOMEN’S 1650 FREE – Timed Finals

• NCAA ‘A’ Standard – 15:52.41
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time – 16:16.47

Top 3:

1. Abigail McCulloh (Georgia) – 15:57.08
2. Deniz Ertan (Georgia Tech) – 16:04.82
3. Emily Hetzer (Auburn) – 16:10.38

Two days ago Georgia’s Abigail McCulloh had the fastest time in prelims of the 500 free before fading to 5th finals (despite adding just 0.24s). Tonight she earned her gold with a nearly eight-second win in the 1650. She was the only woman under 16:00, stopping the clock in 15:57.08.

Georgia Tech’s Deniz Ertan came into today with two 3rd-place finishes, and she moved up one spot on the podium today with a 2nd-place time of 16:04.82.

Emily Hetzer of Auburn took 3rd in 16:10.38, while Florida’s Anna Auld (16:11.64) and Georgia’s Rachel Stege (16:16.18) were also under last year’s NCAA invite time.

Men’s 1650 Free – Timed Finals

• NCAA ‘A’ Standard – 14:37.31
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time – 14:55.21

Top 3:

1. Jake Magahey (Georgia) – 14:44.58
2. Alfonso Mestre (Florida) – 14:54.44
3. Mason Mathias (Auburn) – 14:55.62

Jake Magahey of Georgia completed a sweep of the longest three freestyle events this week with a big win this afternoon. He touched in 14:44.58, which appears to be the 2nd-fastest time in the nation so far this season at the moment, behind only Victor Johansson’s 14:39.63 yesterday at the Art Adamson Invite.

Florida’s Alfonso Mestre was also under last year’s NCAA invite time with a 14:54.44. Mestre was actually ahead of Magahey for roughly the first half of the race, but faded on the backhalf. He still managed to hold off Auburn’s Mason Mathias, who finished 3rd with a 14:55.62.

Women’s 200 Back – Finals

• NCAA ‘A’ Standard – 1:50.50
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time – 1:53.97

Top 3:

1. Mabel Zavaros (Florida) – 1:54.27
2. Daisy Platts (Auburn) – 1:54.51
3. Marie Schobel (Georgia) – 1:54.59

Three competitors from three different schools battled stroke for stroke down the stretch, but Florida’s Mabel Zavaros got her hand on the wall first to win in 1:54.27.

Auburn’s Daisy Platts took 2nd in 1:54.51, but the bigger story, arguably, is that Auburn finished 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 9th, and 11th, which puts them back in the lead after the Gators surged ahead after the 1650.

Marie Schobel of Georgia held the lead heading into the final 50, but split 30.51 on the final leg to finish just behind Platts at 1:54.59.

Men’s 200 Back – Finals

• NCAA ‘A’ Standard – 1:39.13
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time – 1:40.92

Top 3:

1. Ian Grum (Georgia) – 1:38.84
2. Aidan Stoffle (Auburn) – 1:39.64
3. Berke Saka (Georgia Tech) – 1:40.02

While the women didn’t have anyone get under last year’s NCAA invite time in the 200 back, six different men achieved that mark tonight.

Georgia’s Ian Grum led the way with a 1:38.84, clearing the NCAA ‘A’ standard, and popping what appears to be the fastest time in the nation this season, in addition to setting a personal best by over a second. Auburn’s Aidan Stoffle also got under 1:40 (1:39.64) in a three-second personal best, while Georgia Tech’s Berke Saka nearly got there at 1:40.02. Aidan’s brother and teammate Nathaniel Stoffle finished 4th at 1:40.03, while Bradley Dunham (1:40.76), and Lleyton Smith (1:40.83), the B-final winner, all cleared last year’s invite time.

Women’s 100 Free – Finals

• NCAA ‘A’ Standard – 47.18
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time – 48.44

Top 3:

1. Talia Bates (Florida) – 47.75
2. Micayla Cronk (Florida) – 48.28
3. Ekaterina Nikonova (Florida) – 48.56

Talia Bates led a 1-4 Florida sweep with a  47.75. Micayla Cronk took 2nd in 48.28, also under last year’s NCAA invite time. Ekaterina Nikonova (48.56) and Katie Mack (48.60) rounded out the top four.

The Gators have regained the lead, and look to be in good shape to win the 400 free relay at the end of tonight’s session.

Men’s 100 Free – Finals

• NCAA ‘A’ Standard – 41.64
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time – 42.34

Top 3:

1. Josh Liendo (Florida) – 41.70
2. Macguire McDuff (Florida) – 41.98
3. Julian Smith (Florida) 42.08

The Gators continued their sprint free domination with a podium sweep here. Canadian sensation Josh Liendo has yet to lose an event this week, individual or relay, and touched 1st tonight in 41.70.

Teammate Macguire McDuff got under 42 for the first time in his career with a 41.98, while Julian Smith came within a whisker of doing the same with a 42.08.

It was a good night be from the state of Florida, as Florida State’s Peter Varjasi also set a new PB with a 4th-place time of 42.35.

Women’s 200 Breast – Finals

• NCAA ‘A’ Standard – 2:06.18
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time – 2:09.15

Top 3:

1. Zoie Hartman (Georgia) – 2:06.97
2. Stasya Makarova (Auburn) – 2:09.35
3. Brynn Curtis (Auburn) – 2:10.16

UGA’s Zoie Hartman completed the breaststroke sweep with a 2:06.97 here, stopping the clock over two seconds faster than anyone else in the field. She was the only women under last year’s invite time of 2:09.15.

The Auburn Tigers took the next two spots, with Stasya Makarova going 2:09.35 and Brynn Curtis 2:10.16. That helps put them back in front of the Gators in this seesaw battle tonight.

Men’s 200 Breast – Finals

• NCAA ‘A’ Standard – 1:51.54
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time – 1:53.23

Top 3:

1. Aleksas Savickas (Florida) – 1:51.29
2. Reid Mikuta (Auburn) – 1:52.80
3. Kevin Vargas (Florida) – 1:55.06

Lithuanian national Aleksas Savickas looks primed to make an immediate impact for the Gators as a freshman. He blasted a 1:51.29 tonight, which appears to be the fastest time in the country so far this season.

Auburn’s Reid Mikuta was the only man within striking distance of Savickas tonight, touching 1:52.80 for 2nd. Another Gator, Kevin Vargas, took 3rd in 1:55.06.

Women’s 200 Fly – Finals

• NCAA ‘A’ Standard – 1:52.86
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time – 1:56.14

Top 3:

1. Callie Dickinson (Georgia) – 1:55.21
2. Amanda Ray (Florida) – 1:56.10
3. Edith Jernstedt (Florida State) – 1:56.58

Georgia senior Callie Dickinson led wire-to-wire to win in 1:55.21. She went out in 53.57, establishing a two-second lead at the halfway point, and while she faded a bit on the back half, she still won by nearly a second.

Florida’s Amanda Ray had a strong second half to take 2nd in 1:56.10, just under last year’s invite time, followed by FSU’s Edith Jernstedt at 1:56.58.

Men’s 200 Fly – Finals

• NCAA ‘A’ Standard – 1:40.20
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time – 1:42.42

Top 3:

1. Joaquin Gonzalez Pinero (Florida) – 1:42.30
2. Andrew Abruzzo (Georgia) – 1:42.82
3. Jace Crawford (Florida) – 1:43.95

Georgia’s Andrew Abruzzo established an early lead, but Florida’s Joaquin Gonzalez Pinero stayed on his hip for the first 150, then  split 26.60 on the last lap to move ahead of Abruzzo and touch in 1:42.30 to Abruzzo’s 1:42.82.

Florida’s Jace Crawford was the only other man under 1:44, taking 3rd in 1:43.95.

Women’s 400 Free Relay – Timed Finals

• NCAA ‘A’ Standard – 3:14.10
• NCAA ‘B’ Standard – 3:16.32

Top 3:

1. Florida  – 3:12.91
2. Georgia – 3:14.64
3. Auburn – 3:15.88

Florida’s win here seemed pretty inevitable after the individual 100 free results, and sure enough, the Gators won by nearly two seconds over the Georgia Bulldogs. Ekaterina Nikonova led off in 49.40, almost a second slower than her individual time, but Talia Bates (47.55) and Micayla Cronk (47.87) put up a pair of sub-48 splits before Katie Mack anchored in 48.09. Their time of 3:12.91 puts them into the top few time in the country so far this season, although other results are still coming in.

Georgia took 2nd in 3:14.64, helped by a 48.16 anchor leg from 200 breast champ Zoie Hartman, and Auburn touched 3rd in 3:15.88.

Men’s 400 Free Relay – Timed Finals

• NCAA ‘A’ Standard – 2:50.52
• NCAA ‘B’ Standard – 2:52.44

Top 3:

1. Florida – 2:47.94
2. Auburn – 2:50.02
3. Georgia – 2:50.32

Again, not much of a surprise here as the Gators rolled to a two-second victory. The Gators were in a small hole early when FSU’s Peter Varjasi led off in 42.32, ahead of Florida’s Macguire McDuff. But Josh Liendo quickly erased that gap on the second leg, splitting a 41.16, the fastest split in the field. Adam Chaney (42.04) and Eric Friese (42.19) brought it home strong for a total time of 2:47.94, which appears to be the fastest time in the nation this season.

Auburn took 2nd in 2:50.02, with Kalle Makinen‘s 42.07 second leg the standout leg. Georgia was also under the NCAA ‘A’ cut with a 2:50.02, and anchor Dillon Downing nearly joined Liendo in the sub-42 club with a 42.01.

Final Scores

Women

1. Auburn – 1005.5
2. Florida – 974
3. Georgia – 906.5
4. FSU – 615
5. Georgia Tech – 471

Men

1. Florida – 1187.5
2. Auburn – 1087
3. Georgia – 823
4. FSU – 456.5
5. Georgia Tech – 431