Cats looking for first conference victories

The University of Kentucky swimming & diving squads (2-1, 0-1) journey to Gainesville, Fla. Saturday for their second conference meets of the season as the Cats take on Florida at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center Natatorium. The meet is set for a 10 a.m. EST start.

The UK men enter the meet with the No. 22 spot in the latest College Swim Coaches Association of America rankings, while the Florida men and women come in at numbers five and three, respectively.

Saturday’s competition marks the first dual meets for the Cats since Kentucky dispatched Louisville and Houston on Friday Oct. 31, 2003 in Lexington. The Cats are looking to build off of their strong November showings at the Nike Cup and the Indiana Invitational. Junior Daniel Cruz set two school butterfly records and junior Jessica Siegele set a new school mark in the 100-yard butterfly at the Nike Cup. Sophomore Jessica Thompson claimed the three-meter diving event at Indiana.

Saturday’s meet marks a bit of a homecoming for three Wildcats. Freshman Sunny Gibson (Gulf Breeze), senior Fernando Barros (Howey-in-the-Hills) and Cruz (Palm Coast) each hail from the Sunshine State.