Swimming & Diving Readies for Annual Dual vs. Louisville

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky swimming & diving makes the short trip to Louisville on Saturday where the Wildcats will square off against the Cardinals for a rivalry dual at the Ralph Wright Natatorium beginning at 1 p.m.

Admission is free for fans wishing to attend. The action will also be streamed on ACCN+, while live results can be found on the Meet Mobile app.

The meet figures to offer some top-notch competition for the Wildcats as the latest CSCAA polls have the Louisville women ranked No. 8 and the men No. 15.

Sophomore Ryan Merani will be among the top swimmers to watch for the Cats on Saturday. Merani earned SEC Swimmer of the Week honors following his three-win performance earlier this month in Kentucky’s dual vs. Alabama, and currently ranks 25th in the country in the 200 butterfly (1:43.28) and 33rd in the 400 IM (3:45.98). Fellow sophomore Levi Sandidge, who made his return from injury against Alabama, ranks 16th in the nation in the 1000 freestyle with a split of 8:57.57, and sixth overall in the 1650 freestyle at 14:44.89.

Four UK women also hold top-50 times in the country, led by sophomore Grace Frericks whose swim of 1:54.14 in the 200 backstroke against the Crimson Tide puts her 27th in the nation. Backstroke counterpart Torie Buerger joins Frericks, ranking 50th in the 100 back at 52.79. Senior Bridget Engel made her way up to No. 44 in the 100 breaststroke with her time of 1:00.33, posted against Alabama, while junior Caroline Benda comes in at No. 50 in the 1650 free at 16:26.55.

Leading the way on the diving side for UK is senior captain Sam Duncan, whose score of 370.05 on the 1-meter springboard is the 27th best mark in the nation this season, while his 383.93 mark on 3-meter ranks 45th.

Kentucky split with Louisville last season with the women earning a 168-132 victory while the men were defeated, 200-96. The Wildcat women have won five of the least six dual meetings against the Cardinals.

ORDER OF EVENTS
200 Medley Relay
1000 Freestyle
200 Freestyle
100 Backstroke
100 Breaststroke
200 Butterfly
50 Freestyle
BREAK 20 Minutes:
100 Freestyle
200 Backstroke
200 Breaststroke
500 Freestyle
100 Butterfly
BREAK 20 Minutes
200 IM
400 Freestyle Relay

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