Jan. 31, 2009
CINCINNATI, Ohio – Wrapping up dual meet action, the Kentucky swimming and diving teams earned a split against Cincinnati at the Keating Aquatics Center Saturday. The women continued their winning streak earning their 17th straight win over their border rivals, while the men dropped a close contest.
UK’s women earned a 152-112 victory today, while the men fell 143-133 in a closely contested meet.
Opening up the meet the UK women tallied a win in the 400-medley relay in a time of 3:54.57. The quartet of sophomores Chatham Penrod and Lindsey Graessle and freshmen Anna Mattox and Kelsi Hall got things rolling for the Blue and White.
Freshman Claire Archibald and junior Anna Sirmon captured a one-two finish in the 200-freestyle. Archibald tapped in a time of 1:54.89, with Sirmon finishing in at 1:55.85. Archibald would later team-up with sophomore Jenna Willis for the top two finishes in the 200-individual medley. Archibald won her second event of the day in a time of 2:03.83 and Willis came in at 2:12.22.
Penrod secured two individual wins for the Wildcats in the two backstroke events for the second consecutive week. Penrod clocked in at 58.97 in the 100-back and at 2:07.54 in the longer race.
Continuing the wins for Kentucky was Graessle who was the first to touch in the 100-breast. She earned a time of 1:06.10. Senior Kelly Rames topped the field in the 200-fly with a time of 2:07.34.
Kentucky was equally impressive in the sprint freestyle events. Hall and sophomore Kayla Sergesketter formed a one-two punch in the 50-free tapping the wall in 23.58 and 24.24, respectively. Junior Casey Miller capped the run with a win in the 100-free in a time of 51.84.
Sergesketter finished in second behind teammate Leah Harms in the 500-free helping form another one-two finish. Harms earned a time of 5:02.84 and 5:03.30, respectively.
To wrap up the meet the Wildcat women went out with a win in the 400-free relay. Sergesketter, Miller, senior Haleigh Kerns and freshman Chelsea Peterson clocked in at 3:30.92 for the win.
On the men’s side, the men were led by one-two finishes on both springboards. Senior Justin Smith took top honors and freshman Tom Gimm placed second behind his teammate in both events. Smith won the three-meter with a score of 207.95 and the one-meter with a clip of 220.05. Gimm earned scores of 115.15 and 151.25, respectively on the three and one-meter.
UK dominated the 100-free as juniors Kyle Greene and Alex Forbes finished in the top two spots in the event. Greene scored a time of 46.14 with Forbes clocking in at 46.54.
The Blue and White scored another 1-2 finish behind its pair of breaststrokers in Julio Vallette and Grant Cooksey. Vallette touched the wall in 57.49 with Cooksey finishing in a time of 58.99.
Senior Shane Eliason edged the field in the 200-back with a time of 1:53.69 adding to the individual victories.
Sophomore Tyler Reed led a field of Wildcats to the finish in the 500-free as he out-touched teammates freshman Morne’ Boshoff and sophomore Reinhardt Strijdom. Reed clocked a 4:39.69 time, with Boshoff earning a 4:40.36 time and Strijdom finishing in 4:56.71.
The final race of the day was indicative of the entire meet, as the two squads came down to the wire for the win. In the 400-free relay Cincinnati edged UK with a time of 3:05.43. The Wildcats team of Reed, Strijdom, junior Travis Muzzillo, and Greene finished in a time of 3:05.68.
The Wildcats are now off from competition until the SEC Championships. Beginning Feb. 18 in Auburn, Ala., a collection of the nation’s top swimmers and divers will converge to decide the SEC crown.
Stay tuned to UKathletics.com for all of the news and notes about the UK swimming and diving teams.
