UGA Newcomer Zoie Hartman Sweeps Breast Events as Bulldogs Sweep Alabama

Georgia V. Alabama

• October 4, 2019
• Birmingham CrossPlex
• Birmingham, AL
• Meet Results
• Final Team Scores
  • Women: Georgia 163.5- Alabama 136.5
  • Men: Georgia 157- Alabama 143

On Friday, the Georgia Bulldogs defeated SEC rival Alabama Tide in Birmingham. It was a close meet on both meets, making the whole dual an exciting watch from start to finish.

The Georgia women kicked off the meet with a win in the 200 medley relay (1:40.20), powered by freshman Zoie Hartman‘s 27.60 breast split. Alabama proceeded to win the men’s relay (1:27.54), which featured Zane Waddell‘s 21.76 lead-off 50 back split.

The dual was full of dominant victories, as Kensey McMahon won the women’s 1000 free for Alabama by 12 seconds with a 9:42.76. Later in the 500 free, McMahon and Georgia’s Courtney Harnish had a sprint battle that ended in a tie, both stopping the clock at 4:47.04.

In the 100 back, Alabama teammate Rhyan White won the event by 2 seconds with a 53.78. Georgia Bulldog Dakota Luther was the lone female 200 flyer to break 2 minutes with her 4-second margin winning time of 1:56.51. Both White and Luther met in the 100 fly, where White (54.15) toppled Luther (54.36) to gain points in the close meet.

Breaststroke ace Zoie Hartman continued to shine in her collegiate debut as she swept both the 100 breast (1:01.09) and 200 breast (2:13.01) for Georgia. Also becoming a double winner for the Bulldogs was fellow senior Walker Higgins, who won both the 200 free (1:36.52) and 500 free (4:25.36).

Shortly after, WUGs champion Waddell of Alabama took the 100 back on the men’s side with a 47.83. After Kensey McMahon‘s 500/1000 sweep, Alabama teammate Alexis Preski (4:18.18) and McMahon (4:21.23) finished 1-2 in the women’s 400 IM.

On the men’s side, Camden Murphy joined Hartman and Higgins as a double winner for the Bulldogs as he swept the 200 fly (1:46.69) and 100 fly (47.88). After placing second in the 1000 free and 200 back, distance stud Andrew Abruzzo then won the 400 IM (3:52.89) and gave a comfortable edge over Alabama.

Both of Alabama’s 400 free relays (3:21.17/2:59.31) won in the final events, looking to add 11 points for each team’s score. Yet Georgia stayed on top in the final scores as they were powered by Hartman’s breast sweep and Murphy/Higgins’ 36-point earnings from their double wins.

Press Release – Georgia

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Powered by strong performances from both veterans and newcomers, the University of Georgia swimming and diving team opened its season with a sweep of Alabama Friday afternoon at the Birmingham CrossPlex.

The Bulldog men (1-0, 1-0 SEC) took the meet by a 157-143 margin, while the Lady Bulldogs (1-0, 1-0 SEC) were decisive victors with a 163.5-136.5 score. Overall, Georgia swimmers took first in 15 events in the meet.

“Really two good wins today for our kids. Really proud of them,” said Tom Cousins Swimming and Diving Head Coach Jack Bauerle after the meet. “It wasn’t perfect, but the first meet never is. Alabama’s a really good team. It was a tight meet throughout, and we were fortunate to come out on top.”

Junior Courtney Harnish was Georgia’s top scorer for the afternoon with 19.5 points, earning victories in the 200 (1:47.53) and 500 (4:47.04) freestyle. A trio of Bulldogs tallied 18 points, including senior Walker Higgins, junior Camden Murphy and freshman Zoie Hartman. Higgins took first in the 200 (1:36.52) and 500 (4:25.36) freestyle, while Murphy grabbed first in the 100 (47.88) and 200 (1:46.69) butterfly.  Hartman was especially impressive in her college debut, placing first in the 100 (1:01.09) and 200 (2:13.01) breaststroke, as well as swimming the second leg of a victorious 200 medley relay.

“Zoie’s going to be exceptional,” said Bauerle. “She’s got the temperament, and she’s got the competitiveness.”

Following the opening medley relay victory, which also included junior Gabi Fa’amausili, sophomore Dakota Luther and senior Veronica Burchill, junior Greg Reed gave Georgia its first individual victory of the day with a time of 9:03.02 in the 1,000 freestyle, capping a Bulldog sweep of the top four in the event. Georgia continued to pile on at the top of the leaderboard, taking the top three in the men’s and women’s 200 freestyle and women’s 100 breaststroke.

“Greg Reed in the 1,000 really got us moving after the first relay, and that helped us,” said Bauerle.

Luther continued to bolster the Georgia lead as she took the 200 butterfly by over three seconds with a mark of 1:56.51, while also placing second in the 100 butterfly. Burchill picked up her first victory of the season with a 49.70 time in the 100 freestyle and finished third in the 100 butterfly.

Freshman Ian Grum also made a strong debut as he posted a winning time of 1:45.88 in the 200 backstroke, followed by junior Jack Dalmolin’s 200 breaststroke win (2:01.52).  In the home stretch, Harnish tied for first in the 500 free, followed by Higgins and Murphy’s victories, concluding with sophomore Andrew Abruzzo’s critical victory in the 400 IM (3:52.89). Abruzzo was followed in the top four by Grum, senior Clayton Forde and freshman Harry Homans.

“That was the highlight right at the end,” said Bauerle. “They put the meet away so we didn’t have to go down to the last relay.”

In the diving competition, sophomore Ellie Crump helped seal the overall team victory with the first individual win of her career, earning a score of 283.05 in the 3-meter springboard. Senior Freida Lim followed close behind with a score of 277.50, while junior Josh Getty narrowly took first in the men’s 3-meter (309.98). In the 1-meter springboard, Lim and Crump were joined in the top four by senior McKensi Austin.

“It’s hard to start off sometimes with an SEC meet, especially on the road, but it’s no different from any other sport,” said Bauerle. “Really happy with the effort. I liked the way we raced. I liked the way we won.”

The Bulldogs will return to the water in three weeks as they travel north for back-to-back duals against North Carolina (Friday, Oct. 25 at 3 p.m.) and Duke (Saturday, Oct. 26 at 11 a.m.).

Press Release – Alabama

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Alabama swimming and diving opened its conference schedule with some big performances against Georgia in the first Southeastern Conference dual meet of the season Friday at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, Ala.

Despite winning eight individual events and the final relay, the Alabama women were edged 163.5-136.5, while the men won both relays and earned six individual wins but were clipped 157-143.

Sophomore Rhyan White led the way for the women, winning both the 100 and 200 backstrokes as well as the 100 butterfly, while sophomore Kevin Li grabbed two individual wins for the men, taking top honors off the 1-meter and 3-meter springboards.

Head Coach Coley Stickels Said

“We had the opportunity to be competitive against a very good Georgia team today. They got us in some tight ones, so we missed out on some very close opportunities. We were right there throughout the meet, particularly on the men’s side. Overall, we looked better than we did at Delta State and I think we’re heading in the right direction.”

Meet Highlights

• Sophomore Rhyan White had a very big day, winning both the women’s 100 (53.78) and 200 (1:55.51) backstrokes as well as the 100 butterfly (54.15)
• Sophomore Kevin Li doubled up in the men’s springboard diving events, winning the 1-meter (324.75 points) and 3-meter (312.45 points)
• Sophomore Kensey McMahon also won a pair of evets, taking top honors in the women’s 500 and 1,000 freestyles, stopping the clock at 4:47.04 and 9:42.96, respectively
• Senior Zane Waddell and freshman Liam Bell combined with juniors Tyler Sesvold and Sam DiSette to win the opening 200 medley relay, stopping the clock at 1:27.54
• The first three legs of the men’s 200 medley relay also won individual titles, with Waddell taking first in the 100 backstroke (47.83), Bell winning the 100 breaststroke (54.57) and Sesvold taking top honors in the 100 freestyle (44.83)
• Sophomore Jonathan Berneburg won the men’s 50 freestyle (20.49)
• Sophomore Kalia Antoniou won the women’s 50 freestyle in a time of 23.35 while freshman Tanesha Lucoe won the women’s 1-meter springboard with a score 264.45
• Senior Alexis Preski picked up Alabama’s final individual win of the day, posting a 4:18.18 to take first in the 400 individual medley
• Alabama closed the meet by winning the women’s and men’s 400 freestyle relays – women,  Kalia Antoniou, Allie Surrency, Flora Molnar and Morgan Scott (3:21.17) and men, Jonathan Berneburg, Tyler Sesvold, Sam DiSette, Zane Waddell (2:59.31)

Up Next

• Following the Georgia meet, Alabama’s women continue on to Nashville, Tenn., to take on SEC foe Vanderbilt Saturday at 10 a.m., while the men return to Tuscaloosa (the Commodores only field a women’s team)
• After opening the season with back-to-back (or in the women’s case, back-to-back-to-back) dual meets, Alabama returns to action with the Georgia Tech Invitational Nov. 22-24 in Atlanta, Ga.
• Alabama closes the fall semester with a pair of trips to Auburn, Ala., taking on the Tigers in a dual meet on Dec. 5, before returning Dec. 17-19 for the Auburn Diving Invite