UF Men’s Swimming & Diving: Gravley Places Second at 10K Open Water National Championships

Courtesy of University Athletic Association

BY BRIDGETTE UNDERWOOD

Brennan Gravley earned a spot on the National Team

Brennan Gravley finished second in the 10K Open Water National Championships in Fort Myers, Florida, while Kieran Smith placed tenth.

Gravley went 2:05.25 to finish second and was .10 seconds from first place. Gravely was near the front nearly the entire way, sitting inside the top three at the finish of every lap from two to six. He was sitting in third before the final lap, passing T.C. Smith and nearly catching David Heron.

Gravley will earn National Team status through October 2021 by being a part of the top 5 of this 10K.

Kieran Smith finished tenth at the 10K Open Water Nationals as he went 2:12.32

Quotables – Associate Head Coach Stephen Jungbluth

“It was an exciting 10k race as the lead pack stayed tightly bunched throughout the majority of the race in an attempt to catch the lone leader. Brennan asked on the third lap if there was someone “off the front”. He then pushed the pace of the pack hard to cut the leader’s lead in half on the next lap. Shortly after, the pack caught the leader, and then Brennan and Heron pushed in front for the remainder of the final lap. Heron barely beat Brennan to the finish. It was so exciting to see 10k come down to a 1-second-finish. I’m really proud of Brennan and Kieran (who placed 10th) as well. They’re incredibly hard workers and fantastic people to work with everyday.”

Quotables – Brennan Gravley

“The race was really exciting, and I had a lot of fun competing with my friends and teammates. The conditions of the race were a little tough, which made it more challenging for everyone. The final stretch was really exciting, and I was glad to get a good finish for the Gators. I also want to say thank you to Coach Nesty, Coach Jungbluth, and the entire Gator program for helping me prepare for today’s race. They were as much a part of this as I was.”