TUSCALOOSA, Ala.? Senior Jenny Bradford broke her own school record on her way to earning the top seed in the finals 50-freestyle tonight at the SEC Championships hosted by the University of Alabama.
The senior eclipsed her own personal record on her way to tapping in a time of 22.00 in the preliminary rounds this morning of the 50-free. Bradford will hold the top spot entering tonight?s final competition. Senior Heather Bradford will also be among the top-eight in the conference in the 50-free after seeding sixth in the event with a season-high time of 22.52. Heather Bradford?s time earned an NCAA ?A? qualifying mark. Fellow senior Lauren Willis will also be among the competition in Tuscaloosa this evening in the 50-free as she took a season-best time of 23.17 to earn the 13th seed.
Kentucky?s men were equally as impressive in the sprint free race as sophomore Eric McGinnis will take the sixth seed into tonight?s finals. McGinnis clocked in the fourth best time in school history by finishing in 19.91. Junior Warren Grobbelaar just missed the top-eight when he took the ninth seed in a season-best time of 20.04. Rounding out tonight?s participants in the 50-free is sophomore Alex Forbes who notched a 20.32 and a 15th place seed.
Freshman Tyler Reed also enjoyed an impressive outing in his first career conference championships. The Kentucky native earned an NCAA ?B? qualifying clip when he seeded 10th in the men?s 500-free finals tonight. Reed touched in 4:22.15, the third best time in school annals.
UK had a number of swimmers enjoy personal best and season best times in this morning?s preliminary heats at the SEC Championships.
Seniors Blair Barrett and Grant Nelson both capped their personal best times in the 200-individual medley. Barrett placed 42nd overall in a time of 2:10.12, while Nelson took 26th with a time of 1:52.79.
Sophomore Megan Pulskamp and senior Beth Parsons made their way into UK history with their times in the 50-free. Pulskamp earned the seventh best clip while Parsons took ninth. Pulskamp touched in 22nd in a time of 23.40 in today?s heat, while Parsons placed 26th in a time of 23.53.
Every member of the men?s 50-free participants earned career-best marks in this morning?s swim: Colin Faris (20.36 – 18th), Elvis Burrows (20.55 – 23rd), Chris Richard (20.64 – 25th), freshman Reinhardt Strijdom (21.13 – 34th) and sophomore Travis Muzzillo (21.45 – 40th).
After three events last night, the UK women scored 78 points and trails first-place Florida by just eight points. The UK men stand in fifth place after three events with a score of 71 points. Auburn is in first after scoring 126 points.
The Championships resume tonight at 6 p.m. CST with the final heats of the 500-free, 200-individual medley, 50-free, women?s three-meter and the men?s one-meter and the 200-free relay. Complete coverage of the UK swimming and diving teams can be found at www.ukathletics.com.
Additional coverage of the SEC Championships can be found at the host school?s website, www.rolltide.com or by visiting the SEC website at www.secsports.com.
Team Standings
Women
Florida ? 89
Tennessee ? 79
LSU ? 79
Kentucky ? 78
Georgia ? 77
Auburn ? 74
South Carolina ? 65
Alabama ? 63
Arkansas ? 59
Vanderbilt ? 28
Men
Auburn ? 126
Tennessee ? 86
LSU ? 84
Alabama ? 78
Kentucky ? 71
Florida ? 66
Georgia ? 66
South Carolina – 50
UK Results
Event 1 Women?s 1-Meter Diving
Kari Retrum ? 2nd
(Medalist)
? 313.95 (season-high score, NCAA Zone Diving qualifying score)
Jessie Snowden ? 4th ? 304.25 (4th in UK record books, career-best score, NCAA Zone Diving qualifying score)
Event 2 Women?s 200-Medley Relay
Kentucky (Southerlan, Myhre, H. Bradford, J. Bradford) – 5th overall ? 1:39.33 ? (NCAA ?A? qualifying time, season-best time)
Event 3 Men?s 200-Medley Relay
Kentucky (Eliason, Vietti, Grobbelaar, McGinnis) – 4th overall ? 1:27.14 ? (School record, NCAA ?B? qualifying time, season-best time)
Event 4 Men?s 3-Meter Diving
Stephen Andrews ? 10th ? 336.30 (NCAA Zone Diving qualifying score)
Justin Smith ? 13th ? 312.05 (NCAA Zone Diving qualifying score)
Event 5 Women?s 800-Free Relay
Kentucky (Miller, Kerns, Sergesketter, Sledge) – 9th overall ? 7:25.43 ? (season-best time)
Event 6 Men?s 800-Free Relay
Kentucky (Reed, Greene, Strijdom, Eliason) – 4th overall ? 6:28.72 (NCAA ?B? qualifying time, season-best time)
Event 7 Women?s 500-Free
Haleigh Kerns ? 25th ? 4:58.87
Leah Harms ? 31st ? 5:03.68
Event 8 Men?s 500-Free
Tyler Reed ? 10th seed ? 4:22.15 (NCAA ?B? qualifying time, third in UK history, career-high time)
Kyle Greene ? 20th ? 4:31.55
Marco Iemmola ? 24th ? 4:39.54 (season-best time)
Event 9 Women?s 200-Individual Medley
Casey Miller ? 33rd ? 2:06.53
Lindsay Myhre ? 38th ? 2:07.97
Jill Southerlan ? 40th ? 2:09.44
Blair Barrett ? 42nd ? 2:10.12 (career-best time)
Lindsey Graessle ? 43rd ? 2:11.36
Danielle Weiss ? 45th ? 2:19.59
Event 10 Men?s 200-Individual Medley
Shane Eliason ? 22nd ? 1:51.58
Grant Nelson ? 26th ? 1:52.79 (career-best time)
Kristian Outinen ? 33rd ? 1:55.20
Event 11 Women?s 50-Free
Jenny Bradford ? 1st seed ? 22.00 (NCAA ?A? qualifying time, UK record, career-best time)
Heather Bradford ? 6th seed ? 22.52 (NCAA ?A? qualifying time, season-best time)
Lauren Willis ? 13th seed ? 23.17 (NCAA ?B? qualifying time, season-best time)
Megan Pulskamp ? 22nd ? 23.40 (seventh best time in UK history, career-best time)
Beth Parsons ? 26th ? 23.53 (ninth best time in UK history, career-best time)
Jenna Newsome ? 31st ? 23.83
Kayla Sergesketter ? 34th ? 23.89 (career-best time)
Kristina Sledge ? 45th ? 24.59
Event 12 Men?s 50-Free
Eric McGinnis ? 6th seed ? 19.91 (NCAA ?B? qualifying time, fourth best time in UK history, career-best time)
Warren Grobbelaar ? 9th seed ? 20.04 (NCAA ?B? qualifying time, season-best time)
Alex Forbes ? 15th seed ? 20.32 (season-best time)
Colin Faris ? 18th ? 20.36 (career-best time)
Elvis Burrows ? 23rd ? 20.55 (career-best time)
Chris Richard ? 25th ? 20.64 (career-best time)
Reinhardt Strijdom ? 34th ? 21.13 (career-best time)
Travis Muzzillo ? 40th ? 21.45 (career-best time)
Will Vietti ? 44th ? 24.75 (career-best time)
