Josh Liendo, Anita Bottazzo Brilliant in Florida’s Sweep of Georgia
The Florida Gators welcomed SEC rival Georgia to town over the past two days and secured a pair of dual-meet victories. Josh Liendo returned to Gainesville to lead his team to a 191-154 victory while Anita Bottazzo was key in the Florida women winning 194-145.
Days after a brilliant performance at the final stop of the World Cup in Toronto, which included a short course meters world record in the 100 butterfly, Liendo had three individual wins against the Bulldogs. During Thursday’s session, Liendo won the 50 fly in 19.69 before clocking 18.68 for the win in the 50 free. A day later, he ripped a rare sub-44 performance in the 100 fly, clocking 43.87 to top the field by more than one-and-a-half seconds.
Ahmed Jaouadi, the freshman from Tunisia who won world titles in the 800 and 1500-meter races this year, crushed the field in the 1000 free in 8:36.65. He later swam a time of 4:15.82 to win the 500 free by almost three seconds.
Backstroke star Jonny Marshall, the runnerup in the 100-yard event at last year’s NCAA Championships, went 21.24 to win the 50 back. At the start of Friday’s session, Marshall led off the Gators’ 200 medley relay that also included Aleksas Savickas, Liendo and Alex Painter. The team claimed first in 1:24.43. Devin Dilger took first in the 100 free (43.02) while Aiden Norman swam the fastest time in the 200 back (1:42.70).
In diving, the Gator men had wins from Conor Gesing on 1-meter (373.73) and Jesus Agundez Mora on 3-meter (369.38). The team of Scotty Buff, Digler, Painter and Liendo put up a time of 1:17.28 for the win in the 200 free relay.
Georgia’s Elliot Woodburn took first in the 50 breaststroke (24.00) Thursday and returned Friday to win both the 100 breast (52.08) and 200 breast (1:56.35). Tomas Koski grabbed first in the 200 free in 1:32.92 while Ruard Van Renen topped the 100 back in 45.62, well ahead of Florida’s Marshall (46.38). Drew Hitchcock grabbed the top spot in the 200 fly (1:43.00) as well as the 400 IM (3:45.73).
In the women’s competition, Bottazzo dominated the 50 breast with a time of 26.58. The next day, she split 25.74 on the second leg of Florida’s 200 medley relay, combining with Catie Choate, Beatriz Bezerra and Addison Reese for a winning time of 1:37.09. She then dominated the 100 breast in 57.05, just off the 56.87 she recorded earlier this month against Virginia but still ahead of anyone else in this year’s national rankings. Bottazzo’s third breaststroke win came in the 200, where she clocked 2:07.89.
Bezerra came in first in the 50 fly (23.89), and Julie Brousseau won the 1000 free (9:25.20). The Thursday session wrapped up with Choate dominating the 50 back (23.99) before freshman Sylvia Statkevicius came through in the 50 free (22.83). Friday began with Lainy Kruger topping the 200 free (1:44.05) and Choate going 51.53 for the win in the 100 back.
Choate would complete the backstroke sweep with a time of 1:53.67 over 200 yards, and Brousseau doubled up with a win in the 400 IM (4:08.69).
Florida’s Maria Garcia took first in 1-meter (325.20) and 3-meter (361.95) diving. Carly Meeting, Kruger, Statkevicius and Bottazzo capped off the meet with a win in the 200 free relay (1:30.17).
The Bulldogs’ Ieva Malueka finished exactly one second ahead of the field in the 200 fly (1:56.97) while Marie Landrneau won the 100 free (49.42). Kennedi Dobson rebounded from runnerup finishes in the 1000 and 200 free to dominate the 500 in 4:38.28. Olivia Dellatorre came in at 54.82 for first in the 100 fly.
