The UGA men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams each finished in third place on the first day of the Georgia Fall Invitational at Gabrielsen Natatorium.

 

The Lady Bulldogs totaled 222 total points, trailing only the University of Michigan and the University of California Berkley. The Bulldogs picked up 208, behind Cal and Michigan in the top-two spots.

“I think our kids did a great job of racing and competing,” assistant coach Stefanie Williams Moreno said. “They raced their hearts out. Just putting them in a position to swim fast at night and taking care of themselves. I know myself, along with the rest of the staff, thought they did a great job of racing, and hopefully this is like a dress rehearsal for SEC’s and NCAA’s.”

The Georgia men highlighted the 500-yard freestyle, courtesy of senior Jay Litherland’s 4:16.30 second-place finish. Sophomore Walker Higgins and junior Aidan Burns came in seventh (4:18.88) and eighth (4:19.90), while freshman Tal Davis and senior Kevin Litherland snagged the top-two spots in the consolation heat with 4:18.91 and 4:19.74 times.

Freshman Courtney Harnish led the Lady Bulldogs on the women’s side of the 500-yard freestyle, filing the second-spot with a time of 4:35.69. Sophomore Meryn McCann following with a 4:41.74-posting for fifth.

Senior Meaghan Raab led the Georgia swimmers in the 200 individual medley, taking second at 1:55.37. Senior Megan Kingsley reached the wall first in the consolation heat of the 200 IM, posting the ninth-highest time at 1:57.55.

The 200-yard freestyle relay showcased a fourth-place Lady Bulldog group of sophomore Veronica Burchill, senior Kylie Stewart, Raab and freshman Maddie Wallis at 1:28.91. On the men’s side, sophomore Javier Acevedo, junior Alex Bemiller, freshman Camden Murphy and senior John Wesley finished in 1:19.03 to post a fifth-place spot.

The 50-yard freestyle featured Burchill in fifth place with a 22.42 time, while Acevedo finished 10th for the men (19.79). Bemiller also stopped the clock at 20.24 in the 50-yard freestyle for 13th.

Sophomore McKensi Austin showcased the Lady Bulldogs divers, placing sixth with 261.85 points on the 1-meter springboard. Junior Allison Greene also contributed 229.30 points on the board, taking the 12th-spot.

Senior Ian Forlini led the Georgia men’s divers with 321.15 points to come in sixth. Freshman Zach Allen took ninth with 299.90 points, while freshman Josh Getty finished 13th with 267.75.

Georgia capped the meet with the 400-yard medley relay, powering a third-place time (3:32.39) from the Lady Bulldogs’ quartet of Stewart, Raab, Kingsley, and Burchill. The Bulldogs followed suit, with the tandem of Acevedo, junior James Guest, Murphy and J. Litherland recording a 3.07.94 for a similar third-place finish.

CLICK HERE for the full listing of Friday’s results.

The UGA Fall Invitational will continue on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s action will begin with prelims at 9:30 a.m., followed by finals at 5 p.m. There is no cost for admission. Live results from the UGA Fall Invitational can be found by CLICKING HERE.