UF Women’s Swimming & Diving: Gators Post Seven B-Cuts in Third Auburn Invite Prelim Session on Friday

Courtesy of University Athletic Association

BY RYAN SOSIC

Florida will conclude fall swimming competition on Friday night

The third and final prelim session of the Auburn Fall Invitational was highlighted by seven B-cuts and four top event times by the Gators. Florida will jump back into competition at 5:00 p.m. with the top 1,650 free heat, followed by championship and consolation heats of events swam in the morning session.

UF posted the top three marks in a trio of events, including the opening race of the morning, as Rosie Zavaros led the 200 back efforts with a B-cut swim of 1:56.62. Annette Schultz (1:57.34) and Madison Kolessar (1:57.34) claimed the next two spots behind the junior. Celi Guzman and Lain Shahboz will join the top three Gators in the championship final as well.

Katie Mack led a group of 11 Gators in the 100 free, touching first in a B-cut effort of 49.12. Talia Bates finished just .10 seconds behind her to finish in second and notch Florida’s second B-cut of the heat. Florida again swept the top three spots as Kathleen Golding touched with the third-fastest swim of 49.72. Ria Malhotra (50.55) and Gabby Hillis (50.71) will compete in the championship final after top-eight bids.

Taylor Ault led the next contingent of Florida representatives with her ninth-place mark of 50.78. Gators finished in the next four spots, led by Chloe Grimme, to all qualify for the consolation final on Friday night.

Florida concluded Friday morning with the top four swims in the 200 fly, highlighted by a 1:57.37 mark by Amanda Ray, a full second faster than the next best finisher, Allie Piccirillo. Both Ray and Piccirillo’s times met the B-time standard. Kenady Beil and Nikki Miller finished behind the duo in third and fourth for their spot in the championship heat.

Vanessa Pearl will head into tonight’s 200 breast heat with the top time after touching in 2:11.87, almost a full second ahead of Cecilia Porter, the new school record holder in the 100 breast. Tylor Mathieu notched a new lifetime-best with her championship-qualifying swim of 2:14.21. The swim is a new best by three full seconds.

Four Gators qualified for the event’s consolation heat, highlighted by Ellie Hatton’s ninth-place swim of 2:17.77. Adrianna DeBoer (2:19.40), Ellie Zwiefel (2:20.97), and Carly Schwab (2:23.20) will join her as the trio claimed the 12th, 13th, and 14th spots.

Lauren Snider was Florida’s lone competitor in the final diving event of the competition, posting a fifth-place platform tally of 212.48.