Continuing their solid start to the season, the Gators earned a win in Columbus, Mo., in their first Southeastern Conference meet this fall.
Florida’s men captured victories in 12 of their 16 events, beating Missouri 169-130 and extending its dual-meet win streak to 17. The Gator women one-upped the men’s team, taking first in 13 of 16 events and defeating the Tigers 181-109.
UF exhibitioned the women’s 400-yard freestyle relay but still notched a top time of 3:25:98. On the men’s side, senior Brad deBorde exhibitioned the 50-yard free (20.49 seconds) while out-touching Tigers swimmer Max Grodecki by 0.23 seconds.
“Overall, I was pleased with how we raced top to bottom. We had some people racing for fifth or sixth, but we were real good about winning those races,” coach Gregg Troy said. “That speaks volumes to the depth we are developing. That type of thing is good as we move forward in the season.”
Depth is something Troy has been looking for in his women’s team.
Mizzou grabbed wins in both the men’s and women’s 100-yard breaststroke. Sam Tierney (55.13 seconds) beat out senior Marcin Cieslak (55.56 seconds) by nearly half a second. But Katharine Ross (1:01.90) took junior Hilda Luthersdottir (1:03.05) by 1.15 seconds.
Although the Tigers managed come out on top in the diving events, Kahlia Warner beat Missouri’s Lauren Reedy on the 1-meter springboard 275.93-274.35. Loren Figueroa, 2012-13’s SEC champion on the 1-meter boards, did not compete in the meet.
Reedy did get back at Warner in another close one by beating her on the women’s 3-meter boards 295.50-293.25. Clark Thomas won the 1-meter for Mizzou men with 338.18 points, and 2013 SEC Diver of the Year David Bonuchi cruised past the field on the men’s 3-meter boards with 395.18 points – 68.78 points more than his second-place teammate Clark Thomas and 90.68 points more than UF’s Zach Hernandez.
Florida will next face the Cal women – the national champions in 2009, 2011 and 2012 and NCAA runner-up last season – in a two-day meet starting Saturday. The Gators men won’t compete again until they are rejoined by the women’s team to take on SEC rival Georgia in the O’Connell Center on Nov. 1.
Follow Logan McGuire on Twitter @loganjmcguire.
Eduardo Solaeche-Gomez competes in the men's open 400 IM at the Pinch a Penny All-Florida Invitation at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center on Sept. 28, 2013.
