Florida Women Kick Off 2020-2021 Corona-Season With Intrasquad Meet

Florida Gators Women’s Intrasquad meet

• October 2, 2020
• O’Connell Center, Gainesville, Florida
• Short Course Yards (25 yards)
• Meet Results (PDF)

Courtesy: Florida Athletics

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida women’s swimming got back into team competition after a 223-day layoff this afternoon during the Orange and Blue Intrasquad meet at the Ann Marie Rogers Swimming and Diving Pool inside the Stephen C. O’Connell Center.

The meet was held 1 day after the October 1 date anointed by the SEC for swimming & diving programs to begin competition.

The Florida women finished 2nd at last year’s SEC Championship meet behind Tennessee. They both graduate the most individual points of any team at that meet (303) and return the most individual points of any team at that meet (522.5).

The Orange team prevailed over the Blue team by a final score of 150.5-108.5, winning 10 of 14 possible events in the program’s first racing opportunity since the 2020 SEC Championships.

“It was so awesome to be able to race today in our Orange and Blue meet after a nearly seven-month layoff,” said Florida head coach Jeff Poppell. “I thought the women did a fantastic job competing against one another and we completed the entire 14-event dual meet format in just over an hour. Lastly, the meet served as a great first look at our freshmen, whom I feel will make a significant impact to our team this year.”

Talia Bates led the way for the Orange squad with two individual victories. In the 50 free, she would touch in a time of 22.71, meeting the B cut standard for the season. Her next win would come in 100 fly (54.57), where she finished almost a full second after the next finisher. She also was a member of two winning relays.

For the Blue team, Vanessa Pearl picked up a pair of victories in the 200 IM and 200 breast. In the individual medley, the junior would register a winning time of 2:01.81, while tallying a swim of 2:14.43 to lead the way in the breast. Pearl added a runner-up nod in the 100 breast with her effort of 1:02.04.

Gator Splashes

• In the first distance event of the evening, Tylor Mathieu (Blue) and Leah Braswell (Orange) tied for a first-place nod in the 1,000 free, touching in 9:53.20. Later, Braswell would go pick up a win in the 500 free with a time of 4:54.89.
• A pair of seniors, Nikki Miller and Taylor Ault, battled it out in the 200 free, the third event of the meet. Miller would out touch Ault by just .05 seconds, posting a winning time of 1:50.05.
• Newcomers Cecilia Porter, Amanda Ray and Katie Mack also picked up individual event victories. Porter joined Bates by clinching a B cut in the 100 breast with the top time of 1:01.69. In the 200 breast, the freshman would touch in second with a swim of 2:18.91. Ray would take the victory in the next event, the 200 fly, with a swim of 1:59.81, one and a half seconds faster than the next best finisher. Mack, a transfer from NC State, took home the 100 free with an effort of 50.72. She would go on to finish runner-up behind Bates in the 50 free (23.00).
• Celi Guzman was also a winner for the Orange team in the 100 back. The Brandon, Fla.  native would finish with the top swim of 55.63. Freshman Lain Shahboz (56.27) and junior Rosie Zavaros (56.28) would round out the top-three finishers. Zavaros added a runner-up finish in the 200 back (2:00.63).
• 2020 SEC All-Freshman selections Allie Piccirillo and Kathleen Golding added runner-up bids in an event. Piccirillo finished second in the 200 fly with an effort of 2:01.28, while Golding touched in 2:04.00 to secure the second-fastest time behind Pearl in the 200 IM.

Relay Magic

• The Orange team took home both relays in the meet. In the first event of the day, the 200 medley relay of Mack, Porter, Bates and Chloe Grimme combined for a finish of 1:41.63, a full second faster than the second-place team. Bates led the way with a split of 23.46. Bates, Grimme, Miller and Mack would go on to win the final event of the evening, combining for a swim of 3:24.86 in the 400 free relay.
• The Blue squad notched a pair of second-place relay finishes. The combination of Zavaros, Pearl, Kenady Beil and Gabby Hillis finished the 200 medley relay with an effort of 1:42.83. In the 400 free relay, Hillis would be joined by Ria Malhotra, Kirschtine Balbuena and former Gator All-American Sherridon Dressel to post a combined time of 3:29.24.

Quotables

Head Coach Jeff Poppell– “It was so awesome to be able to race today in our Orange and Blue meet after a nearly seven-month layoff. I thought the women did a fantastic job competing against one another and we completed the entire 14-event dual meet format in just over an hour. Lastly, the meet served as a great first look at our freshmen, whom I feel will make a significant impact to our team this year.”

Winners

• 200 medley relay- Mack, Porter, Bates, Grimme (Orange)- 1:41.63
• 1,000 free- Mathieu (Blue)/Braswell (Orange)- 9:53.20 (TIE)
• 200 free- Miller (Orange)- 1:50.05
• 100 back- Guzman (Orange)- 55.63
• 100 breast- Porter (Orange)- 1:01.69 (B-cut)
• 200 fly– Ray (Orange)- 1:59.81
• 50 free- Bates (Orange)- 22.71 (B-cut)
• 100 free- Mack (Orange)- 50.72
• 200 back- Dressel (Blue)- 1:58.94
• 200 breast- Pearl (Blue)- 2:14.43
• 500 free- Braswell (Orange)- 4:54.89
• 100 fly- Bates (Orange)- 54.57
• 200 IM- Pearl (Blue)- 2:01.81
• 400 free Relay- Bates, Grimme, Miller, Mack (Orange)- 3:24.86

2020-21 SEC Swimming and Diving Plan:

• Season runs October 1, 2020 to January 25, 2021
• Regionalized competition permitted upon the adherence of opponents to SEC Medical Guidance Task Force Requirements for COVID-19 Management
• No restrictions on number of events

 COVID-19 Commitments to Student-Athletes:

• The SEC announced in July that student-athletes in all sports who elect to not participate in intercollegiate athletics during the fall 2020 academic semester because of health and/or safety concerns related to COVID-19 will continue to have their scholarships honored by their university and will remain in good standing with their team.
• The SEC’s Return to Activity and Medical Guidance Task Force continues to meet on policies and procedures for the safe return of student-athletes to competition, building on the NCAA’s Resocialization of College Sports Guidelines.