[su_spacer size=”40″] The Bulldogs rolled up 285.5 points to stand ahead of Auburn (261.5) and Cal (237), while the Lady Bulldogs posted 254 points behind Virginia’s 323 and ahead of Auburn’s 219. Georgia also is swimming Auburn in a dual meet within the invitational. After Friday’s events, the Bulldogs are ahead of the Tigers 51-25 and the Lady Bulldogs lead the Lady Tigers 50-25.
[su_spacer size=”40″] “It was a solid first day for us,” Georgia head coach Jack Bauerle said. “A meet featuring this level of competition is good for our teams. It toughens us up. We saw a lot of positives today and we’re learning a lot about our squads. We just need to keep it up the next two days.”
[su_spacer size=”40″] Michael Trice won the 50-yard freestyle and lowered his own school record as he touched in 19.31. Chris Powell tied for the win in the consolation final to come in ninth in 20.03.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Kevin Litherland won the 500-yard freestyle in 4:15.10. Pace Clark (4:17.82) and Garrett Powell (4:20.52) followed in third and fourth, respectively. Mick Litherland won the consolation final for ninth in 4:22.40, while Aidan Burns took 10th in 4:23.08.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Gunnar Bentz placed second in the 200-yard individual medley, reaching the wall in 1:43.28. Ty Stewart followed in third at 1:43.57, Jay Litherland took sixth in 1:44.33 and Taylor tied for 11th at 1:46.05.
[su_spacer size=”40″] The Bulldogs’ 200-yard freestyle relay of Trice, Dale, Bentz and Powell came in fourth with a time of 1:18.75. Reed Wynn, John Mattern, Alex BeMiller and Nick Salyers touched in 1:22.72 to place 10th.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Ian Forlini won the 3-meter diving with 378.95 points. Crawford Berry took fifth with 336.00 and Walker Wheeler finished 16th with 264.40.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Dale, Guest, Clark and Trice went 3:07.73 to take second in the 400-yard medley relay. Dale’s leadoff split of 45.72 broke his own school record. Stewart, Colin Monaghan, Bentz and Jay Litherland came in eighth in 3:13.63 and Salyers, Mattern, Blake Atmore and Powell took 12th in 3:16.48.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Olivia Smoliga won the 50-yard freestyle with an NCAA automatic qualifying time of 21.86. Annie Williamson placed 13th in 23.19.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Brittany MacLean and Hali Flickinger recorded A cuts as they came in second and third, respectively, in the 500-yard freestyle. MacLean touched in 4:33.75 and Flickinger stopped the clock in 4:35.01. Stephanie Peters took fourth in 4:41.75, while Anna Kolanowski placed 11th in 4:44.54 and Rachel Zilinskas came in 15th in 4:49.46.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Annie Zhu paced the Lady Bulldogs in the 200-yard individual medley as she recorded the third-place time of 1:56.59. Emily Cameron claimed fourth in 1:57.46, with Kylie Stewart seventh in 1:59.83, Meaghan Raab ninth in 1:57.00 and Megan Kingsley 10th in 1:57.04.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Olivia Ball came in third on 1-meter springboard with 261.20 points. Allison Greene (203.10) and Kelly Thatcher (201.45) were 15th and 16th, respectively.
[su_spacer size=”40″] The Lady Bulldogs’ 200-yard freestyle relay of Smoliga, Raab, Stewart and Williamson came in third with a time of 1:29.75. Shauna Lee, Samantha Fazio, Kimberlee John-Williams and Anna McKenzie placed 10th in 1:34.20.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Stewart, Zhu, Flickinger and Smoliga went 3:33.30 to take second in the 400-yard medley relay, while John-Williams, McKenzie, Courtney Weaver and Kolanowski came in 13th in 3:43.54.
[su_spacer size=”40″] The UGA Fall Invitational will continue on Saturday and will conclude on Sunday. Saturday’s action will begin with prelims at 9:30 a.m. and will wrap up with finals at 5 p.m. There is no cost for admission.
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