Swimming & Diving
Daniel Blake - Swimming & Diving - University of Kentucky Athletics

DanielBlake

  • position Freestyle
  • class Freshman
  • Hometown Campbell, Calif.
  • Major Mechanical Engineering
  • High school Westmont High School

Top Times (SCY):
200 Freestyle: 1:38.46 (2020 SEC Championships, 2/20/20)
500 Freestyle: 4:22.78 (2020 SEC Championships, 2/19/20)
1000 Freestyle: 9:29.38 (2018 Ohio State Fall Invite, 11/15/18)
1650 Freestyle: 15:26.24 (2020 SEC Championships, 2/22/20)

Top Times (LCM):
200 Freestyle: 1:55.13 (NC ESSZ Long Course Championships, 7/12/19)
400 Freestyle: 4:00.65 (Speedo Junior Nationals, 8/2/18)
800 Freestyle: 8:30.25 (NC ESSZ Long Course Championships, 7/11/19)
1500 Freestyle: 15:55.11 (Santa Clara Futures, 8/3/17)

Career Notes:

  • 2020, 2021, 2022 SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll
  • 2020 CSCAA Scholar All-America Honorable Mention
  • 2019 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll

2021-22 (Senior): Placed 27th in the 1650 free (15:29.08), 43rd in the 500 free (4:28.66) and 55th in the 200 free (1:39.33) at the SEC Championships … Had six top-6 finishes throughout the dual meet season, highlighted by a third-place showing in the 1000 free (9:32.40) against Cincinnati on Senior Day … Took fifth in both the 500 free (4:41.53) and 1000 free (9:37.25) in the season opener at Indiana … Finished fourth in the 1000 free (9:38.91) versus Miami Ohio … Raced to sixth in the mile (16:20.66) in a tri-meet with Auburn and NC State.

2020-21 (Junior): Finished 22nd in the 1650 free (15:30.13) and also raced the 200 free (1:38.90) and 500 free (4:27.72) at the 2021 SEC Championships … Placed fifth in the mile (15:41.94), seventh in the 500 free (4:27.87), and ninth in the 200 free (1:39.23) at the Missouri Invitational … Recorded 10 top-8 finishes throughout the dual meet season, highlighted by a pair of third-place showings in the 500 free (4:34.94) and 1000 free (9:30.87) against Vanderbilt … Took third in the mile (15:55.02) and fourth in the 500 free (4:35.70) at Alabama … Earned the Bridgette Alexander 100% Award at the program’s annual awards banquet … Named to SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll.

2019-20 (Sophomore): Set personal bests in all three of his events at the SEC Championships … Finished in 21st place in the 1,650 in 15:26.24, a personal best, at the SEC Championships … Finished in 25th place in the 500 freestyle in 4:22.78, a personal best, at the SEC Championships … Finished in 48th place in the 200 freestyle in 1:38.46, a personal best, at the SEC Championships … Named a CSCAA Scholar All-America First Team … Named to SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll.

2018-19 (Freshman): Set season-best marks in three events in his last meet of the season at the Ohio State Winter Invite … There, he recorded a 1:41.42 in the 200 free, a 4:26.32 in the 500 free and 15:32.01 in the 1650 free … In his first road meet, he posted a season-high 1:57.96 at Missouri … In his first collegiate invitational, he recorded a career-best 9:29.38 in the 1000 free at the Ohio State Fall Invite … Named to SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll.

Prior to UK: The 2018 CIF Central Coast Sectional Champion in the 500 free and CIF state finalist in the same event … No. 30 recruit out of California … Named Westmont’s MVP in 2016 and 2018 … Also participated in cross country and track in high school … AP scholar.

Personal: Parents are John and Susie Blake … Has three siblings – Abby, Samuel and Timothy.

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