Caeleb Dressel continued his strong weekend at the Tennessee Aquatics June Invite, closing the meet with a Sunday-night win of 22.09 in the 50 free.
Dressel has been on fire this weekend, going a lifetime-best 48.74 to win the 100 free on night 1. While this wasn’t a career-best, it was the fourth-best 50 meter free of Dressel’s career, and right at his best in-season time.
Dressel was 21.53 and 21.85 at U.S. Nationals last summer, and has since been 22.06 in March of this year and 22.09 this weekend. The Florida Gator now appears primed to challenge for Olympic berths in the 50 and 100 freestyles in three weeks.
The rest of the Tennessee Invite’s Sunday session was dominated by SEC swimmers.
Florida alum Sebastien Rousseau, an Olympian for South Africa, won the men’s 200 fly in 2:00.63. The women’s race went to rising Gator senior Taylor Katz in 2:12.66.
Sydney Sell, who just wrapped up her freshman season in Gainesville, went 2:18.48 to win the women’s 200 back, representing her hometown club, Lakeside from Kentucky.
Auburn’s Ashley Neidigh won the women’s 800 free in 8:50.10, one of just two swimmers under nine minutes.
The host team won a handful of events as well. David Heron was 15:37.60 to win the men’s 1500 free, beating Gator Swim Clubber (and Stanford commit) True Sweetser‘s 15:46.96.
Tennessee’s Faith Johnson (like Heron, swimming unattached) went 25.94 to win the women’s 50 free. And another Volunteer won the men’s 200 back, with Sean Lehane giong 1:58.24 – that’s only about a second off his lifetime-best from the Pan American Games last summer.
Harvard’s Sonia Wang broke up the SEC streak in the women’s 200 IM, going 2:17.55 to win by well over a second. The men’s race went to Wright State alum Kile Aukerman in 2:04.35. He’s now competing for South Florida Aquatic Club.