Carson Hick Makes History as the Wildcats Fall to Nationally Ranked Auburn
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky swimming & diving team fell short of Auburn, in their Southeastern Conference dual-meet Friday at the Lancaster Aquatic Center. The dual meet was highlighted by a record-breaking swim and standout individual efforts.
The Wildcat women won eight of 16 total events on the day falling short to No. 19 Auburn by a tally of 163-137. The men triumphed over No. 14 Auburn in 6 of 16 events, but fell by a final score of 179-121.
On the women’s side, Libby Grether opened the meet with an impressive swim in the 1000 freestyle, setting a new top-10 time in Kentucky program history with a remarkable 9:50.08, the eighth-best in school history.
Fifth-year standout Bridget Engel showcased her dominance by winning both the 100 Breast and 200 Breast events, solidifying her position as a key contributor to the team. Additional victories came from Billie Sherratt in the 200 Fly, Grace Frericks in the 200 Back and Marie Belli in the 200 IM, demonstrating the team’s depth and versatility.
The men’s team saw an equally thrilling performance, with Carson Hick stealing the spotlight by breaking the school record in the 1000 freestyle with a blazing time of 8:46.08. This time not only set a new program record but also placed Hick fifth nationally for the season. Right behind him was the previous record holder, Levi Sandidge, who swam an impressive 8:53.58.
The duo continued their success later in the meet, finishing first and second in the 500 freestyle, solidifying their dominance in distance events. Other notable performances included Ryan Merani’s double victories in the 200 Fly and 200 IM, and Adomas Gatulis adding a win in the 100 Breast.
On the boards senior Abby Devereaux (3-meter) and freshman Avery Giese (1-meter) both dove well again, earning victories with zone cut scores. Fifth-year Sam Duncan continued to stand out as well, winning the 1-meter dive with a score of 358.95. Sophomore Gavin Hang took fourth place in the 1-meter, achieving a NCAA zone cut with a score of 312.75.
Kentucky will continue its weekend tomorrow by travelling north to take on the University of Cincinnati Bearcats. Diving is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. followed by swimming at 2 p.m. Results will be available on Meet Mobile and DiveMeets.
Kentucky Event Winners –
- Libby Grether: 1000 Free
- Carson Hick: 1000 Free, 500 Free
- Bridget Engel: 100 Breast, 200 Breast
- Adomas Gatulis: 100 Breast
- Billie Sherratt: 200 Fly
- Ryan Merani: 200 Fly, 200 IM
- Grace Frericks: 200 Back
- Marie Belli: 200 IM
- Avery Giese: 1-meter
- Sam Duncan: 1-meter
- Abby Devereaux: 3-meter
New NCAA Zone Cuts
- Gavin Hang: 1-meter (312.75)
New Top-10 Times
- Libby Grether: 1000 Free (9:50.08)- 8th fastest all time
- Carson Hick: 1000 Free (8:46.08)- 1st fastest all time
For the latest on UK Swim & Dive, follow the Wildcats on Twitter and Instagram at @UKSwimDive, and on Facebook at Kentucky Swimming and Diving.
