Kentucky Posts Six Top-16 Finishes, Breaks 400 Medley Relay School Record
ATLANTA, Ga. – It was a big night for Kentucky women’s swimming and diving, as the team broke one school record and achieved six All-America honors on the third day of the 2022 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
Kentucky made major moves in the team standings with one day of the big dance remaining. After ending the second day in 19th, the team now sits in 14th place with 76.5 points.
Two Wildcats got the night off to a fast start with a pair of All-America selections in the 400 IM. Lauren Poole stopped the clock in 4:04.17, fast enough to finish fourth while earning first team status in her signature event for the second straight season.
Bailey Bonnett also competed in the championship heat of the 400 IM, touching in 4:07.09 to place seventh for the seventh first team honor of her career. Her morning swim of 4:04.86 was a lifetime best to move up to second all-time in program history.
Racing in the consolation final of the 400 IM was Gillian Davey, whose time of 4:08.46 earned her All-America Honorable Mention honors after her 16th-place finish.
Also being named an All-American was Riley Gaines, who put together an impressive performance in the 200 free to earn first team honors in this event for the second year in a row. Her time of 1:43.40 tied for fifth and marked the highest individual NCAA finish of her career.
The 400 medley relay team of Caitlin Brooks (51.46), Bonnett (58.83), Gaines (51.39) and Sophie Sorenson (47.76) combined in 3:29.44 to finish 13th overall for All-America Honorable Mention accolades. Their time eclipsed the previous program record of 3:29.69 set back in 2020.
Brooks also tied her personal best in the 100 back with her leadoff split of 51.46.
On the boards, Kyndal Knight earned her second All-America Honorable Mention of the meet — and seventh of her career — on the 3-meter. Her first-round score of 331.20 secured her a spot in finals, where she then bested her total to finish 13th overall in 339.70. It matched her highest-ever finish on this discipline at the national meet.
Several Wildcats had solid performances during prelims, including three swimmers with top-30 finishes. Those included Izzy Gati in the 200 free (1:45.57, 22nd), Sorenson in the 100 back (52.11, 22nd), and Brooks in both the 100 back (52.16, 24th) and 100 fly (29th, 52.22).
Also competing this morning was Anna Havens Rice in the 400 IM (4:13.71, 37th), Morgan Southall on the 3-meter (241.85, 48th) and Parker Herren in the 100 back (53.23, 50th).
Kentucky takes to the pool for the fourth and final day of the big dance on Saturday, March 19. Events featuring Wildcats include the 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, 200 fly, platform and mile with prelims beginning at 10 a.m. ET and finals set for 6 p.m.
More information, including the event schedule, live results and broadcast details, can be found on the meet central page here.
All-America First Team Count: 3
Poole – 400 IM, 5th
Bonnett – 400 IM, 7th
Gaines – 200 free, T5th
All-America Honorable Mention Count: 7
Gati, Gaines, Sorenson, Wheeler – 800 free relay, 9th
Knight – 1-meter, 16th
Bonnett – 200 IM, 14th
Poole – 200 IM, 15th
Knight – 3-meter, 13th
Davey – 400 IM, 16th
Brooks, Bonnett, Gaines, Sorenson – 400 medley relay, 13th
School Record Count: 1
Brooks, Bonnett, Gaines, Sorenson – 400 medley relay (3:29.44)
Personal Record Count: 5
Poole, 200 IM (1:55.42)
Bonnett, 200 IM (1:55.49)
Sorenson, 200 IM (1:56.15)
Bonnett, 400 IM (4:04.86)
Brooks, 100 back (51.46)
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.
