As coach Gregg Troy said, the theme for training the No. 7 men and women’s swimming and diving teams for the Southeastern Conference Championships is: “Not where we want to be but still in a really good spot.”
Florida will return to Auburn, Alabama, for the four-day SEC Championships, which begin February 17.
At their senior day meet in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center Natatorium on Saturday, the Gators won 23 of the 32 events against the Volunteers, with the men’s final score at 198.5 - 99.5 and women’s at 187-105.
The 10 male and three female seniors shared breakfast before the competition and talked to the team individually about their four years on the team and how it has been important to them, Troy said.
“I think that had kind of a calming effect on the confidence of everyone,” Troy said.
Senior Christian Homer was surprised when his parents showed up unexpected for the senior day presentation before the meet.
The backstroke swimmer’s parents had not seen him swim in four years, Troy said.
Homer, who is from the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in South America, is a one-time MCAA All-American and a one-time All-SEC champion.
The second of the 32-events, Homer began the 200-yard medley relay with backstroke at 22.14 seconds. Homer and the other three swimmers, Ricky Munch, Caeleb Dressel and Corey Main, finished first place at 1:26.60 - .20 of a second from qualifying for the NCAA “B” standard time.
Troy said that event set the tone for the seniors’ last regular season meet.
“The seniors were fantastic,” he said.
For the upcoming SEC Championships, Troy said if you’re at Florida and thinking about anything other than trying to win the conference meet and trying to win the NCAA meet, then your goals are in the wrong place.
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