A Wildcat finished with the fastest swim time or highest diving score in each event Saturday as the Kentucky men?s and women?s swimming and diving squads made short work of Michigan State in the season opener at UK?s Lancaster Aquatic Center. The Kentucky men scored a 151-86 victory, while the UK women defeated the Spartans by a 150-90 count.

No fewer than 14 different Wildcat claimed individual-event victories Saturday, including freshman Jenny Bradford, who took the 50 and 100-yard freestyle events, and freshman diver Ben Starchuk, who was victorious in the one-meter diving event.

Junior Steven Manley claimed victories in the 200 and 1000-yard freestyle events and swam the top time in the 500 freestyle in an exhibition swim. Senior Caitlin Muldoon scored wins in the 500 and 1000-yard freestyle events, and senior Jerram Chudleigh took the 200-yard backstroke and individual-medley events. Sophomore diver Joey Brown charted wins in the one and three-meter diving events. Kentucky recorded the quickest times in the last three individual events and the final two relays but completed the swims as exhibitions with the outcome of the meet well in hand.

Coach Gary Conelly was pleased by the afternoon results.

?We swam pretty well and swam beyond our peak today,? Conelly said. ?This gives us a lot of flexibility going into our next three meets against Tennessee, Indiana and Alabama.?

UK Diving Coach Mike Lyden was encouraged by the performances turned in by his diving corps.

?It was great for Mario (Rodriguez) and Ben (Starchuk) to get their NCAA zone cuts out of the way,? Lyden said. ?Jillian (Becker) earned her zone cut in the three meter and Joey (Brown) did the best she has ever done on the three meter. They all did a really nice job and had a really good meet.? The Cats return to the pool on Friday, Oct. 29 at Tennessee.