Kentucky Swimming & Diving Beaten on the Road by Texas A&M

by Greg Welsh

Results

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Competing against its first SEC foe of the season, Kentucky swimming and diving achieved 10 NCAA B-cuts and five zone qualifying standards in a road loss to the Aggies at the Rec Center Natatorium on Thursday night.

The Wildcat women took a lead into the meet’s final event, but ultimately finished on the short end of a 154-146 tally. The men, meanwhile, were topped 177-111 by the Aggies.

Proceedings began favorably for the Wildcats as the women’s 200-yard medley relay of Caitlin Brooks, Denise Phelan, Anna Havens Rice and Grace Frericks grabbed first in the night’s opening event to put UK in front.

The result was just the start of what was a standout performance for Brooks, who won both the 100 and 200-yard backstrokes while also placing second in the 100 fly. Brooks met the NCAA B-cut threshold in all three events on her way to earning 22 points toward the team total.

The Wildcats swept the podium in the men’s 1650 freestyle as freshman Levi Sandidge won his sixth individual event of the young season with a time of 15:10.40, placing him tenth on the UK all-time list. Sandidge was followed by teammates Nick Caruso (15:21.75) and Adam Rosipal (15:31.11), with both Sandidge and Caruso’s times meeting NCAA b-cut standards.

UK also found success in the 200 backstroke as the trio of Brooks, Lydia Hanlon and Torie Buerger went one-two-three, achieving NCAA b-cut marks in the process.

Battling to the finish line, the women Wildcats surged into the team lead courtesy of a one-two finish by Lauren Poole and Gillian Davey in the meet’s penultimate event, the 400 IM. The advantage would not last, however, as the home team secured the women’s result in dramatic fashion by recording first and second in the 200 free relay.

On the diving side, Kentucky secured wins in both 1-meter events with Sam Duncan picking up the victory for the men, while junior transfer Claire McDaniels notched her first win as a Wildcat in the women’s competition. McDaniels score of 315.38 places her sixth in program history for the event.

UK Event Winners

Women’s 200 Yard Medley Relay – Caitlin Brooks, Denise Phelan, Anna Havens Rice, Grace Frericks (1:41.45)
Men’s 1650 Yard Free – Levi Sandidge (15:10.40)
Women’s 100 Yard Back – Caitlin Brooks (52.98)
Men’s 1 mtr Diving – Sam Duncan (314.25)
Women’s 200 Yard Back – Caitlin Brooks (52.98)
Women’s 200 Yard Breast – Gillian Davey (2:11.08)
Men’s 500 Yard Freestyle – Nick Caruso (4:28.79)
Women’s 1 mtr Diving – Claire McDaniels (315.38)
Women’s 400 IM – Lauren Poole (4:13.29)

Kentucky resumes competition when the Wildcats head to Columbus, Ohio for the Ohio State Invitational Nov. 17-19.

For the latest on UK Swim & Dive, follow the Wildcats on Twitter and Instagram at @UKSwimDive, and on Facebook at Kentucky Swimming and Diving.