Kentucky Seniors Tabbed SEC Female Swimmer, Male Diver of the Week
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Southeastern Conference named Geena Freriks the Female Swimmer of the Week and Seb Masterton the Male Diver of the Week on Tuesday, for their performances in the final dual meet of their collegiate careers Friday against Cincinnati. The honor is Freriks’ first, while Masterton was selected once before in 2016.
Freriks, who became the third Wildcat in program history to win multiple SEC titles when she outswam the field last season to earn gold in the 500 free, made headlines Friday for her swim in the 1000 free.
The freestyle specialist touched the pad within 9:30.78 to snap a 20-year school record and is now 19th all-time best in the world. Freriks improved the program record by more than 10 seconds. Rachel Komisarz who posted a 9:41.53 in 1999 previously held the top spot.
The seven-time NCAA All-American began this season fourth on Kentucky’s all-time performance list in the event with a 9:51.27. However, she reset her personal best with a 9:49.15 in January 2019, which would remain fourth, before shedding nearly 20 seconds in less than a month to reach her pinnacle swim. It was the last time Freriks will swim the 1000 free competitively as it is not an event sponsored at the SEC nor NCAA level.
Freriks has collected nine gold finishes in 11 individual events in 2019. She’s also won four of her five 1000 free swims in dual meets this season, which was achieved in consecutive dual meets.
Freriks’ program record in the 1000 free adds to her illustrious list of achievements. She now holds three individual records in short-course yards – 200, 500 and 1000 free, which makes her the program’s leading record holder with 12-total school records.
From one record holder to another, Masterton found similar success in his last dual meet Friday. While it was the only discipline he competed in, the senior won gold on the 1M springboard on a 354.38 score. It was his highest 1M score recorded in dual meets this season. From Reading, England, the senior holds the program record in the 1M with a 423.10 posted in 2017.
His gold finish Friday marked his second-straight winning finish in the discipline, after the senior recorded a 322.95 just seven days prior to Friday in a dual meet versus Louisville.
In his final year as a Wildcat, Masterton logged three 1M gold finishes and an impressive six gold finishes in 12 springboard appearances this season, while he was uncompetitive for the first two months of the schedule due to an injury. He has collected Zone C Diving Championship qualifying marks in each of the three disciplines.
Freriks and Masterton will compete in the SEC Championships in Athens, Georgia, which is slated for Feb. 19-23.
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