Men’s, Women’s Swimming & Diving Programs Post Historic Team Scores at the 2020 SEC Championships

AUBURN, Ala. – The University of Kentucky men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams made history at the 2020 Southeastern Conference Championships, breaking 10 school records, collecting 15 medals and posting a pair of the highest conference-meet scores in school history.
 
The women’s team finished in third place for the third time in four years, collecting a program-record 987.5 points, and the men’s team finished in seventh place with a program-record 724 points. On the final night of the conference meet, the program collected four medals and broke two school records.
 
Silver Medalist
Women’s 200-yard backstroke
Asia Seidt earned the second-fastest time in the nation and an automatic qualification to the 2020 NCAA Championships, swimming the 200-yard backstroke in 1:48.86, a season best. The Louisville native collected a silver medal in the event, en route to earning a podium finish (top three) in five of her six events at the 2020 SEC Championships – all three individual events and two relay events. Earlier this week, she earned bronze medals in the 200-yard individual medley, 100-yard backstroke and 400-yard medley relay and a silver medal in the 800-yard freestyle relay.
 
Seidt holds the school record in the 200-yard backstroke in 1:48.65, which she set at the 2019 NCAA Championships to finish third in the nation. The 2019 Miss Wildcat is a four-time SEC Champion, including holding three titles in the 200-yard backstroke (2017-19).
 
Bronze Medalists
Women’s 200-yard backstroke
Ali Galyer posted the fourth-fastest time in the nation in the 200-yard backstroke, earning a bronze medal and automatic qualification to the 2020 NCAA Championships. The 2020 New Zealand Olympian also set a personal record during her swim, eclipsing the 1:50.00 mark and touching the wall in 1:49.92. The senior has accumulated four medals this week, earning a silver medal in the 500-yard freestyle and the 800-yard freestyle and a bronze medal in the 400-yard medley relay.
 
Women’s 200-yard breaststroke
Bailey Bonnett collected her second individual bronze medal of the meet, placing third in the 200-yard breaststroke on the final night of the 2020 SEC Championships. The junior earned a time of 2:07.92 in the event, forming the fifth-fastest time in the nation and a season best. Bonnett gathered two other bronze medals this week, too, earning third place in the 400-yard individual medley and the 400-yard medley relay.  
 
Men’s 400-yard freestyle relay
For the first time in more than seven years, Kentucky male swimmers made a podium appearance at the SEC Championships. Four seniors posted a 2:50.28 in the men’s 400-yard freestyle relay to break a school record, earn a bronze medal and an NCAA automatic cut. John Mitchell swam the lead leg in 42.57, followed by Peter Wetzlar in 42.68, then Glen Brown in 42.38 and anchored by Jason Head in 42.65.
 
Mitchell’s lead split also set the school record in the men’s 100-yard freestyle, topping the previous school record that stood for eight years.
 
Rattle the Record Book
Fourteen swimmers and divers set personal records Saturday, which also rank as all-time, top-10 performances in school history in their respected events –Connor Blandford, Caitlin Brooks, Glen Brown, Jakob Clark, Gillian Davey, Riley Gaines, Ali Galyer, John Michael Gordon, Jason Head, Jaclyn Hill, Beth McNeese, Lauren Poole, Hank Siefert and Sophie Sorenson.
 
Medal Count: 15
Gold: 2
Kyndal Knight, women’s 3-meter springboard
Danny Zhang, men’s platform
 
Silver: 6
Ali Galyer, 500-yard freestyle
Izzy Gati, women’s 200-yard butterfly
Chase Lane, men’s platform
Asia Seidt, women’s 200-yard backstroke
Danny Zhang, men’s 3-meter diving
Women’s 800-yard freestyle relay
 
Bronze: 7
Bailey Bonnett, 200-yard breaststroke
Bailey Bonnett, 400-yard individual medley
Ali Galyer, 200-yard backstroke
Asia Seidt, 100-yard backstroke
Asia Seidt, 200-yard individual medley
Women’s 400-yard individual medley
Men’s 400-yard freestyle relay
 
School Record Count: 10
Women’s team records
Ali Galyer, women’s 200-yard free (1:43.99)
Bailey Bonnett, Women’s 400-yard individual medley (4:05.62)
Women’ 400-yard medley relay (3:29.69)
 
Men’s team records
Peter Wetzlar, men’s 50-yard freestyle (19.27)
John Mitchell, men’s 100-yard butterfly (46.41)
John Mitchell, men’s 100-yard freestyle (42.57)
Glen Brown, men’s 200-yard individual medley (1:43.47)
Men’s 400-yard medley relay (3:07.85)
Men’s 400-yard freestyle relay (2:50.28)
Men’s 800-yard free relay (6:18.11)
 
Team Scores
Women’s team results

 
Men’s team results

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