University of Arkansas swimming and diving will resume its 2013-14 season with a double-dual meet in Tuscaloosa, Ala., facing SEC foes Kentucky and Alabama on Saturday at 11 a.m. The team is undefeated this season in dual meet action, and the competition will mark the team’s first of 2014.
Arkansas had a strong start to its season, taking first place at the North Texas Relay Invitational, and then recording four dual-meet wins at North Texas, at LSU, at Missouri State and against Nebraska. The team set a new school record with 14 straight dual-meet wins, breaking the record of 13 set from 1991-92. The Razorbacks have also won no less than 13 events in any dual meet this season.
The team ended the fall semester with a win at the Mizzou Invitational in Columbia, Mo., earning 809 points, 111 points more than second-place Utah and 112 points more than SEC opponent Missouri.
The invitational was highlighted by six event wins, including a first-place performance from the 400-yard freestyle relay team of junior Susanna White (Forest, Va.), and sophomores Nina Drolc (Velenje, Slovenia), Anna Mayfield (San Antonio, Texas) and Maddie Monroe (Godfrey, Ill.), which also set a new Arkansas school record with a time of 3:17.65.
Alabama is 2-1 in dual meets this season. The team participated in the Auburn Invitational to close out its fall season. The midseason championship was highlighted by swims from freshmen Leah Bird and Bridget Blood, who placed third in the 200-yard butterfly and eighth in the 200 breaststroke, respectively. Most recently, senior diver Paige McCleary represented Alabama at the Georgia Diving Invitational, winning 1-meter diving, placing fifth in 3-meter diving and claiming 12th in platform diving.
Kentucky is 2-4 in dual meets this season. The team participated in the Ohio State Invitational to end its fall semester. The Wildcats earned fifth place with 418 points. The invitational was highlighted by a 1-2 finish in the 200 butterfly by junior Christina Betchel in 1:54.21 and junior Abby Myers in 1:56.59. Betchel’s time marks the fastest in Kentucky history. Betchel also claimed a Kentucky record in the 100 butterfly with a time of 51.36.
Alabama and Arkansas have met seven times since 1983-84, and this is the first dual meet contest between the schools since 2006. Kentucky and Arkansas have met 13 times since 1992-93. Arkansas last faced Kentucky on Oct. 26, 2012, during at a meet hosted by Missouri in Columbia, Mo. The Razorbacks defeated the Wildcats 212-88.
A live stream of the double-dual meet at the Alabama Aquatic Center will be available on ArkansasRazorbacks.com.
For more information on Arkansas swimming and diving, follow @RazorbackSwim on Twitter.
This release was provided to SwimSwam courtesy of University of Arkansas swimming and diving.