Oct. 30, 2011
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Kentucky swimming and diving teams pieced together a weekend sweep over Western Kentucky and Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tenn., on Saturday night as the Wildcats recorded numerous first-place finishes, and sweeping first place in all four of the diving competitions.
The men’s team only swam against Western Kentucky, racing past the Hilltoppers 159.00-141.00. The Wildcat women also put up impressive numbers on Saturday beating Western Kentucky 159.00-141.00, and Vanderbilt 229.00-65.00.
“This was probably the best-ever October meet on both sides,” UK 21st-year head coach Gary Conelly said. “Our divers were critical for us and they really came through for us. Across the board, it was a great team effort for both the men’s and women’s team. Both the men and women did a phenomenal job.”
Tyler Reed, the Wildcat’s freestyle specialist led the way for Kentucky, winning three events in the 200-freestyle, 50-freestyle, and 100-freestyle. Reed posted a time of 1:40.80 in the 200-freestyle, finishing in first by over .7 of a second.
Travis Green swam a winning time of 9:36.18 in the 1000-freestyle for the Wildcats. Matt Russell won the 100-breastroke turning in a time of 56.73, just shy of his career-high. Also, for the men’s team, Maclin Simpson posted a time of 1:51.09 in the 200-butterfly, good enough for the Wildcats to claim yet another winner.
Another individual winner of the night on the men’s side was Will Heidler, who claimed the winning time of 1:54.76 in the 200-IM.
On the women’s side, Christina Bechtel and Megan Eppler both won two events. Bechtel claimed the crown in the 200-butterfly and the 100-butterfly. Eppler posted a career-best in the 100-freestyle turning in a time of 51.22 seconds, and finishing in first place. Eppler also won the 50-freestyle with a time of 23.53 seconds. Julia Gerotto also won two events for Kentucky, as the Wildcat freshman from Sao Paulo, Brazil swam a winning time of 10:16.48 in the 1000-freestyle and won the 500-freestyle posting a time if 4:57.14.
The women also performed brilliantly in the 50, and 100-freestyle as the Wildcats took 1,2,3 in both events with Megan Eppler claiming first in each.
The UK divers also had one of the most impressive nights in program history, as the Wildcats not only won all four of the events, but claimed first and second place in all of them. Kentucky swept the podium in both the women’s one, and three meter diving competitions, while the men swept the podium in the three-meter.
“We had a solid day today,” UK diving coach Ted Hautau said. “Everyone showed improvement. We were much better mentally, especially in regards to staying with our dives and finishing. Competing well in our sport often means being able to put down a good dive when you are not set up ideally. I saw good dives today despite awkward or missed take offs, so I was pleased with our mental toughness.”
Greg Ferrucci, the reigning Southeastern Conference Freshman Diver of the Year continued his prolific career, setting the school record in the men’s one-meter diving competition posting a score of 387.37. Ferrucci did not stop there, as the sophomore posted a career-best score of 405.07 in the three-meter competition.
“Greg (Ferrucci) was phenomenal,” Hautau said. “He broke the school record on the one-meter and went a career best on three-meter. This was not an easy pool to dive in.”
John also had a prolific meet, posting personal bests in both events. Fox tabbed a 355.50 on the one-meter, and earned a 367.35 in the three-meter event.
Ferrucci won both events, while John Fox finished second in both events for the Wildcats.
Kentucky’s Christa Cabot led the way in a Kentucky diving sweep, as the Big Blue finished 1-2-3 in both the one and three-meter diving competitions. Cabot finished first in the one-meter event, gathering a score of 272.10, a career-high. Cabot also led the way for the Cats in the three-meter, notching a score of 313.27, another career-high.
Sarah Chewning finished second in both of the diving competitions, with a score of 264.15 in the one-meter and 267.83 in the three-meter.
Lindsay Keahey posted a 240.89 in the one-meter and a 230.85 in the three-meter, taking home third place in both of the competitions.
“Sarah Chewning is showing her potential,” Hautau said. “We are working on a new hurdle with her and once she gets comfortable with it, she is going to take off. Christa Cabot likes to compete. She has been broken down physically all week, but stepped it up come meet time.”
In the relay portion of the meet, Kentucky claimed one winning team, as the 400-freestyle relay team of Blair Kuethe, Megan Eppler, Chelsea Peterson and Kristen Wilson swam a 3:28.32, taking home the win.
The Wildcats men’s and women’s teams will host the first of two home meets on Saturday morning, as Kentucky will welcome Southern Illinois and Missouri to the Bluegrass for a meet that will begin at 10:00 a.m. ET at the Lancaster Aquatic Center.
For continuing coverage of the 2011-12 UK swimming and diving teams, log onto UKAthletics.com.
Kentucky’s Meet Results:
Women’s 200-Medley Relay
2. Perry, Shaheen, Bechtel, Eppler 1:44.71
4. Lash, Willis, Myers, Kuethe 1:47.39
6. Wright, Brueckbauer, Norkus, Mattox 1:49.45
Men’s 200-Medley Relay
2. Walton, Russell, Gerotto, Reed 1:31.43
4. Crosthwaite, Staben, Keltner, Lott 1:34.11
5. Ianuzzi, Sierra, Dillon, Smith 1:35.76
7. Resch, Greenhalgh, Crosthwaite, Staton 1:36.97
Women’s 1000-Freestyle
1. Gerotto 10:16.48
6. Melton 10:34.66
7. Pitts 10:35.66
Men’s 1000-Freestyle
1. Green 9:36.18
4. Bundschuh 10:01.19
5. Resch 10:07.73
6. Rush 10:08.63
Women’s 200-Freestyle
2. Wilson 1:51.72
5. Peterson 1:55.24
8. Sherrill 1:58.23
11. Pitts 1:59.03
Men’s 200-Freestyle
1. Reed 1:40.80
4. Heidler 1:43.19
5. Bullock 1:43.19
6. Thomas 1:44.74
Women’s 100-Backstroke
3. Archibald 57.78
6. Perry 58.57
7. Wright 58.63
9. Lash 59.67
–. McGlynn 59.67
Men’s 100-Backstroke
3. Walton 51.06
4. Duggins 51.65
6. Keltner 53.40
7. Christian 54.07
–. Crosthwaite 53.12
–. Ianuzzi 54.16
–. Davis 56.43
Women’s 100-Breaststroke
3. Shaheen 1:06.46
5. Willis 1:06.96
9. Brueckbauer 1:08.82
11. Keirns 1:12.35
Men’s 100-Breaststroke
1. Russell 56.73
3. Staben 57.92
4. Sierra 58.86
6. Greenhalgh 59.23
–. Lemac 1:01.47
Women’s 200-Butterfly
1. Bechtel 2:01.06
2. Myers 2:04.33
3. Norkus 2:06.02
Men’s 200-Butterfly
1. Simpson 1:51.09
4. Gerotto 1:53.08
5. Russell 1:53.63
Women’s 50-Freestyle
1. Eppler 23.35
2. Wilson 23.89
3. Kuethe 24.01
6. Peterson 24.91
Men’s 50-Freestyle
1. Reed 21.11
4. Smith 21.53
5. Lott 21.56
7. Kemme 21.91
–. Staton 21.76
–. Thomas 22.10
Women’s 1-meter Diving
1. Cabot 272.10
2. Chewning 264.15
3. Keahey 240.89
Men’s 1-meter Diving
1. Ferrucci 387.37
2. Fox 355.50
4. Lang 261.07
5. Peterson 259.43
Women’s 100-Freestyle
1. Eppler 51.22
2. Wilson 51.99
3. Kuethe 52.19
6. Peterson 53.36
Men’s 100-Freestyle
1. Reed 46.12
3. Bullock 46.51
4. Russell 46.56
5. Lott 47.39
Women’s 200-Backstroke
3. Wright 2:04.62
5. Archibald 2:05.44
8. McGlynn 2:08.28
Men’s 200-Backstroke
3. Duggins 1:51.64
5. Heidler 1:56.29
7. Christian 1:58.20
8. Davis 2:04.83
Women’s 200-Breaststroke
5. Willis 2:24.34
8. Brueckbauer 2:28.72
10. Shaheen 2:29.44
–. Keirns 2:33.83
Men’s 200-Breaststroke
2. Sierra 2:06.28
4. Staben 2:09.63
6. Greenhalgh 2:12.36
Women’s 500-Freestyle
1. Gerotto 4:57.14
7. Pitts 5:16.10
9. Sherrill 5:22.56
Men’s 500-Freestyle
2. Green 4:37.42
4. Russell 4:46.31
7. Bundschuh 4:49.41
8. Rush 4:59.68
Women’s 100-Butterfly
1. Bechtel 55.60
3. Perry 56.97
4. Myers 57.09
5. Lash 58.43
–. Norkus 57.06
–. Mattox 58.52
Men’s 100-Butterfly
2. Gerotto 49.89
3. Simpson 50.19
5. Keltner 51.01
8. Dillon 54.18
–. Miller 53.12
–. Freeman 55.22
Women’s 3-meter Diving
1. Cabot 313.27
2. Chewning 267.83
3. Keahey 230.85
Men’s 3-meter Diving
1. Ferrucci 405.07
2. Fox 367.35
3. Lang 299.56
Women’s 200-IM
4. Gerotto 2:07.86
5. Melton 2:09.95
6. Wright 1:10.00
7. Willis 2:11.10
Men’s 200-IM
1. Heidler 1:54.76
2. Crosthwaite 1:55.37
6. Duggins 1:57.05
7. Dillon 2:03.15
Women’s 400-Freestyle Relay
1. Kuethe, Eppler, Peterson, Wilson 3:28.32
2. Myers, Perry, Mattox, Bechtel 3:30.42
7. Archibald, Lash, Sherrill, Norkus 3:39.29
9. Pitts, McGlynn, Gerotto, Melton 3:40.15
Men’s 400-Freestyle Relay
2. Russell, Lott, Bullock, Gerotto 3:05.73
3. Simpson, Smith, Kemme, Green 3:07.85
5. Staton, Thomas, Walton, Christian 3:12.40
7. Resch, Miller, Ianuzzi, Crosthwaite 3:16.37
