Four Wildcats advanced to their respective individual event finals Friday during the preliminary rounds of the SEC Swimming & Diving Championships at Georgia?s Gabrielsen Natatorium.

UK sophomore Steven Manley clocked an NCAA ?A? cut time of 1:36.11 in the 200-yard freestyle to place second, advancing him to this evening?s final. The time was only .07 seconds shy of Macon White?s three-year-old Kentucky event record. Manley placed second Thursday in the 500-yard freestyle final.

Junior Daniel Cruz shaved .16 seconds off of his Kentucky record time in the 200-yard butterfly, taking fourth in the preliminaries with an NCAA ?A? cut time of 1:44.63. Cruz advances to his second event final in as many days after finishing seventh in the 100-yard butterfly Thursday.

Junior Laura Graham took .41 seconds off of her three-week-old Kentucky record time in the 200-yard breaststroke, taking fifth in the preliminary with an NCAA ?A? cut time of 2:14.25. Graham placed fourth in the 100-yard breaststroke in Thursday?s event final.

After placing eighth in Wednesday?s three-meter diving event, junior Mario Rodriguez qualified for tonight?s platform diving final with a score of 439.90. The native of Mexico City has made quite a comeback after a knee injury cut short his sophomore season and kept him out of the SEC Championships.

Seven other Wildcats will participate in this evening?s consolation event finals. Juniors Jerram Chudleigh and Dave Roberts will compete in the men?s 200-yard backstroke consolation final, while sophomore Brennan Moore is slated for the women?s 200-yard backstroke consolation final. Chudleigh also qualified for the the 200-yard butterfly consolation final, along with senior Eddie Clement. Senior Kendra Trahan and sophomore Shantel Commander will participate in the 200-yard breaststroke consolation final.