Olympic Opportunities: Spofforth, Dwyer capitalize on time in pool at Florida
By MELISSA PENDER< | Apr. 19, 2011Proving Her Worth
Proving Her Worth
Florida swimmers Conor Dwyer and Gemma Spofforth made history Friday night as they each received the Ben Hill Griffin Award for 2011. It was the first time since the inception of the award in 1992 that two athletes from the same sport were named the male and female recipients.
The Gators took two national titles at the 2011 NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships but still came in fifth place with 291 points.
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Senior Conor Dwyer wasn’t able to repeat his national 500-yard freestyle title, but he still grabbed the best finish of the day for the Gators.
After a disappointing second-place finish in the Southeastern Conference Championships, Florida is eager to take on the nation at the NCAA 2011 Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships.
Despite their best efforts, the Gators were unable to recapture last year’s glory.
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Although Florida isn’t picked to win the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships this weekend, coach Gregg Troy said the 14 women who qualified for the event are determined to defend their title.