Seven members of the Florida men’s swimming and diving team will be competing at the Auburn Last Chance Meet today in hopes of qualifying for the 2010 NCAA National Championships.
This will be the final opportunity of the year for freshmen Jason Taylor and Rodion Davelaar, sophomore Gabriel Huen, juniors Logan Storie and Manuel Rabelo and seniors Ryan Crete and Roland Rudolf to swim as fast as they can with one goal in mind.
“This meet is strictly about qualifying for Nationals,” UF coach Gregg Troy said. “It’s not a big team event.”
If these swimmers end today’s meet earning low NCAA provisional-qualifying times or even automatic-qualifying times, the Gators will not only increase the chances of individual swimmers doing well, but improve the chances of placing high as a team at the national meet.
“We have three or four that we think have a real shot at qualifying,” Troy said. “But it’s going to take some really outstanding performances.”
Crete and Rudolf appear to have the best shot at qualifying out of the seven.
Crete, who transferred from Georgia Tech after his freshman year, was a member of Florida’s fifth place NCAA Championship team last year and a member of the squad that finished eighth the year before. Rudolf, who missed out on qualifying last year, competed for the Gators at the national level his freshman and sophomore year.
The women’s swimming and diving team found out Wednesday night that 12 swimmers will be traveling to the 2010 Women’s NCAA Swimming Championships.
When the three-day event starts March 18 in West Lafayette, Ind., the Gators will have the fifth-most swimmers competing.
“We had a couple others that were close that we thought might qualify,” Troy said. “We have some good relays and some good individuals.”
Out of the 12 swimmers, nine are freshmen and sophomores.
“We’ve had a really young squad all year,” Troy said. “It’s good for the future.”
Seniors Gemma Spofforth, Liz Kemp and Stephanie Napier rounded out the women qualifiers. All three will be swimming at the NCAA Swimming Championships for the fourth time in their careers.
