Davey Places Fifth in 200 Breast on Final Night of NCAA Championships
ATLANTA, Ga. – The Kentucky women’s swimming and diving team concluded the 2022 NCAA Championships at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta, Georgia, finishing the meet in 12th place with 115.5 points. The Wildcats’ performance matched their second-best team finish and marked the second-most points scored in school history.
In total, Kentucky ended the four-day championship meet with four first-team All-Americans, 13 All-America Honorable Mention selections, one school record and eight personal best times.
“I thought we fought hard all week long. Although we were just outside of a top-10 team finish, it certainly wasn’t from lack of effort,” said head coach Lars Jorgensen. “A big shoutout goes to this senior class for the amazing careers they have had, and they will certainly be missed.”
Gillian Davey highlighted the final night with a fifth place showing in the 200 breast, the highest NCAA finish of her career and her first All-America First Team selection. The junior’s final time of 2:06.03 was just off her own program record of 2:05.59 but faster than the 2:06.21 it took her to win the Southeastern Conference title exactly one month ago.
For the third time this week, Lauren Poole and Bailey Bonnett found themselves in the same heat, earning honorable mention honors in the consolation final of the 200 breast. Poole threw down a lifetime best of 2:06.52 to move up to No. 2 all-time in school history and finish 10th, while Bonnett picked up her eighth individual All-America selection to place 13th in 2:08.15.
Sophie Sorenson was also named All-America Honorable Mention in the 200 back, finishing in 13th with a time of 1:52.50 for the fifth such individual honor of the senior’s career. Joining Sorenson with a top-16 finish in the event was Caitlin Brooks, who touched in 1:52.90 for 15th to reach All-America status in this race for the third year in a row.
Riley Gaines ended her time as a Wildcat on a high note, reaching All-America status for the 12th time ever with a 13th-place finish in the 200 fly. The senior, who currently owns the SEC record in the event, stopped the clock in 1:53.67.
In her third finals appearance of the week, Kyndal Knight dove to 13th on platform with a score of 265.85. Also placing 13th on the 3-meter and 16th on the 1-meter earlier this week, this marked the first time the senior has been a three-time All-America selection in the same NCAA meet.
Knight, who advanced past the preliminary round on platform for the first time in her career, was also one of only six divers at the NCAA Championships to final on all three disciplines.
In the last event of the meet, Izzy Gati (49.27), Gaines (48.26), Sorenson (48.93) and Bonnett (49.53) joined forces in the 400 free relay, finishing 23rd with a combined time of 3:15.99.
Swimming in the early heats of the mile, Megan Drumm dropped a lifetime best of 16:10.90 to finish 23rd in the first NCAA meet of her career. The sophomore’s 1000 split of 9:46.24 was also a personal best and became the fourth-fastest performance in program history.
Two Wildcats in Anna Havens Rice (1:56.47) and Gati (1:56.90) competed in prelims of the 200 fly, ending their meets with respective 35th- and 38th-place finishes. Parker Herren also raced the 200 back and was just shy of her lifetime best in 1:54.05 for 27th, the highest NCAA finish of the senior’s career.
This week in Atlanta was the final meet of the 2021-22 season for the Kentucky women’s team. The Wildcat men now come to the McAuley Aquatic Center for the 2022 Men’s NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships from March 23-26.
All-America First Team Count: 4
Poole – 400 IM, 5th
Bonnett – 400 IM, 7th
Gaines – 200 free, T5th
Davey – 200 breast, 5th
All-America Honorable Mention Count: 13
Gati, Gaines, Sorenson, Wheeler – 800 free relay, 9th
Knight – 1-meter, 16th
Bonnett – 200 IM, 14th
Poole – 200 IM, 15th
Knight – 3-meter, 13th
Davey – 400 IM, 16th
Brooks, Bonnett, Gaines, Sorenson – 400 medley relay, 13th
Knight – platform, 13th
Sorenson – 200 back, 13th
Brooks – 200 back, 15th
Poole – 200 breast, 10th
Bonnett – 200 breast, 13th
Gaines – 200 fly, 13th
School Record Count: 1
Brooks, Bonnett, Gaines, Sorenson – 400 medley relay (3:29.44)
Personal Record Count: 8
Poole, 200 IM (1:55.42)
Bonnett, 200 IM (1:55.49)
Sorenson, 200 IM (1:56.15)
Bonnett, 400 IM (4:04.86)
Brooks, 100 back (51.46)
Drumm, 1000 free (9:46.24)
Drumm, 1650 free (16:10.90)
Poole, 200 breast (2:06.52)
For the latest on the Kentucky swimming and diving program, follow @UKSwimDive on Twitter and on Instagram, on Facebook and on the web at UKathletics.com
