Kentucky Swimming & Diving Primed for Midseason Invitational
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The RV/No. 12 University of Kentucky men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams are primed to begin invitational season, competing at the Mizzou Invite in Columbia, Missouri, Thursday, November 19 through Saturday, November 21. The midseason invitational will feature Arkansas, Brigham Young, Kentucky and hosts Missouri, and the finals events will be carried on SEC Network+.
Missouri has adopted a no-spectator attendance plan inside the Mizzou Aquatic Center.
The schedule is as follows:
Thursday, November 19
10 a.m. ET – Swimming preliminaries
1:30 p.m. ET – Women’s 3m preliminaries, Men’s 1m preliminaries
2:45 p.m. ET – Men’s 1m finals
7 p.m. ET – Swimming finals, Women’s 3m finals
Friday, November 20
10 a.m. ET – Swimming preliminaries
1:30 p.m. ET – Women’s 1m preliminaries, Men’s 3m preliminaries
2:45 p.m. ET – Women’s 1m finals
7 p.m. ET – Swimming finals, Men’s 3m finals
Saturday, November 21
10 a.m. ET – Swimming preliminaries
1:30 p.m. ET – Women’s and Men’s platform preliminaries
2:45 p.m. ET – Women’s and Men’s platform finals
7 p.m. ET – Swimming finals
The No. 12 Kentucky women’s swimming and diving team is unblemished to start the season, defeating Vanderbilt in the season opener and upsetting No. 7 Tennessee just two weeks later on October 29. It marked the first time the women’s team had beaten Tennessee in a dual meet since November 13, 1999.
The men’s group, which is receiving votes in the CSCAA Division I Poll, has scrimmaged twice this season and own a 0-1 record after falling to No. 14 Tennessee, a perennial power, in the season opener on October 30.
In both the men’s and women’s contests against Tennessee, Kentucky swept the diving boards, earning a triumph in each of the four disciplines (men’s 1m and 3m, women’s 1m and 3m), earned by a share of Kyndal Knight, Chase Lane and Danny Zhang.
Following the meet, the Southeastern Conference recognized, Knight, Zhang and swimmer Caitlin Brooks for their exceptional performances in the border battle, as Knight was named SEC Female Diver of the Week, Zhang was named SEC Male Diver of the Week and Brooks was named SEC Female Swimmer of the Week, Brooks’ first honor of that kind.
During the women’s contest, Brooks helped fill some big shoes in the graduation of Asia Seidt and Ali Galyer, swimming the backstroke events to a pair of triumphs and NCAA “B” cuts, while she also earned an NCAA “B” cut in the 100 butterfly. Meanwhile, four Wildcats recorded times from a combined seven events that currently rank in the nation’s top 10 – Brooks (100, 200 backstroke), Riley Gaines (100, 200 freestyle and 200 butterfly), Gillian Davey (200 breaststroke) and Izzy Gati (200 butterfly).
On the men’s side, Daniel Orcutt is off to a fast start this season, owning the 15th-best time in the nation in the 200 IM on a time of 1:48.56 ahead of the Mizzou Invitational. He also holds the 35th-best time in the nation in the 200 butterfly, earning a mark of 1:47.87 against Tennessee. However, ahead of him in the event is Mason Wilby, ranked 23rd in the nation on a time of 1:45.98.
Knight, the defending SEC Champion on the 3-meter springboard, will look to keep her undefeated record polished this season, after earning the triumph on both the 1- and 3-meter springboards against the Volunteers in late October.
The Missouri women’s team is undefeated after a pair of wins against TCU and Arkansas in mid-October and early November, respectively. The Tigers’ men’s group also owns a pair of triumphs to start the season against TCU and Missouri State.
For the latest on the Kentucky swimming and diving program, follow @UKSwimDive on Twitter and on Instagram, on Facebook and on the web at UKathletics.com.
