Nov. 17, 2010
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams get back in the pool Thursday to begin the Tennessee Invitational.
The Cats will compete in the three-day, championship format meet against host-Tennessee, who they swam against most recently in a dual meet at the Lancaster Aquatic Center Oct. 30, fellow Southeastern Conference member Alabama, and Virginia Tech of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Kentucky has competed in three meets already this year, beginning on the road in a tri-meet against Southern Illinois and Missouri, followed by a pair of dual meets against Indiana Oct. 23, and Tennessee one week later.
The men’s side has been led in the sprint freestyle events by Colin Faris. A senior from Maysville, Ky., Faris currently holds the 13th fastest time in the SEC in the 50-free. Sophomore Travis Green has paced the Cats in the distance freestyle races. Matt Russell, a junior Augusta, Ga., native, leads Kentucky in the 200-individual medley and the 100-breaststoke. Russell’s time of 57.54 in the 100-breast is the 12th fastest in the SEC.
Kentucky’s 200-freestyle relay team of Faris, Stephen Wimmer, Reinhardt Strijdom and Chip Aplin hold the fifth best time in the SEC.
Freshman Greg Ferrucci has led the Cats on the one- and three-meter diving boards. Ferrucci currently holds the fifth and eighth best scores in the events, respectively.
On the women’s side, Kayla Sergesketter has turned in a very impressive fall thus far. The senior from Jasper Ind., leads the Cats in the 50-, 100- and 200-freestyle races, and places in the top-16 in the SEC in each. Sergesketter’s time of 23.36 in the 50-free is the ninth best, her 50.58 in the 100-free is eighth best, and her time of 1:50.36 in the 200-free is 16th best in the conference.
Kelly Titus leads UK in each of the distance freestyle races. Mandy Myers’ 55.43 in the 100-butterfly is seventh best in the SEC.
Meanwhile, the Cats have performed very well in the relays this fall. The 200-freestyle relay team of Megan Eppler, Sergesketter, Myers and Jenna Newsome have the third fastest time in the SEC, and the 400-free relay team of Kristen Wilson, Chelsea Peterson, Eppler and Newsome rank in the top-five.
Lisa Faulkner leads Kentucky in the one- and three-meter boards this fall. Faulkner’s score of 299.03 on the one-meter board against Indiana is the second-highest score of the fall season in the SEC.
Prelims for the Tennessee Invitational begin each day at 10 a.m. ET with finals following at 6 p.m. ET.
Stay tuned to UKathletics.com for more news on the Tennessee Invitational and the UK swimming and diving teams.
