Luca Urlando Shines as Georgia Men Beat Tennessee; Lady Vols Sizzle in Athens
The SEC dual meet between Georgia and Tennessee was among the competitions rescheduled as a result of severe winter weather affecting much of the country this weekend. Led by star butterflyer Luca Urlando, the Bulldog men came out on top of a tight meet 155-142 while the Tennessee women swam well to earn a 187-110 final score.
Urlando kicked off the meet for Georgia with a 20.89 backstroke split on his team’s 200 medley relay. Elliot Woodburn, Ruard Van Renen and Tane Bidois finished out the relay in 1:23.62, holding off Tennessee by less than three tenths. Urlando then put up a time of 1:38.65 to win the 200 fly, just over two seconds off the American and NCAA records he set in November. Later, Urlando won the 100 fly in 44.40, and he led off the 400 free relay for Georgia in 41.71.
Van Renen won a tight battle with Tennessee’s Ulises Saravia in the 100 backstroke, 44.80 to 44.89. Georgia’s Sean Green won the 1000 freestyle in 8:56.94 before returning for a win in the 500 free (4:16.69) while Tomas Koski put forth a time of 1:32.05 to win the 200 free over Tennessee’s Koby Bujak-Upton (1:32.36). Hayden Meyers snuck under 1:40 in the 200 back, winning the event in 1:39.99, and Drew Hitchcock was first in the 200 IM (1:44.54).
For the Volunteer men, Gui Caribe opened the day with a 18.21 anchor split on the 200 medley relay, nearly running down Georgia for the win. Caribe then clocked 18.93 for a dominant win in the 50 free, and he split 41.82 on Tennessee’s winning 400 free relay. Pedro Sansome, Nikoli Blackman and Kamal Muhammad were part of the team that clocked 2:49.35.
Gabe Nunziata continued his strong freshman campaign at Tennessee with wins in both breaststroke events, clocking 52.98 in the 100 and 1:55.11 in the 200. Sansone took the win in the 100 free in 43.10, edging teammate Blackman (43.15). Bennett Greene took first in 1-meter diving (400.20) as well as 3-meter (402.23).
In the women’s meet, sprinter Camille Spink, versatile Canadian Ella Jansen and butterflyer Emily Brown starred for Tennessee. Spink opened with a 20.78 anchor leg on the 200 medley relay to secure a win in 1:35.85. Jillian Crooks, McKenzie Siroky and Jansen swam on the winning team while Tennessee ended up finishing 1-2-3. Individually, Spink was the winner by more than a second in the 100 free, touching in 47.02.
Jansen had the first individual win for Tennessee, holding off Spink down the stretch in the 200 free. Jansen clocked 1:42.62 to beat Spink (1:42.65) by three hundredths. Meanwhile, Brown took first in the 200 fly in 1:52.39, jumping from sixth to fourth in the national standings, and she returned to finish first in the 200 IM (1:55.02).
Regan Rathwell went 52.27 for the win in the 100 back while Simone Moll beat a competitive field for first in the 100 breast (1:00.14). Mizuki Hirai dominated the 100 fly in 51.49. Desharne Bent-Ashmeil won 1-meter diving (305.85), and Lynae Shorter was first on 3-meter (299.40). Hirai, Emily Armen, Spink and Jansen won the 400 free relay in convincing fashion with a time of 3:11.40.
While her team fell at home, freshman Kennedi Dobson had three big-time performances in her individual races. She finished third in the 200 free despite clocking 1:42.97, and then she won the 200 back in 1:53.25. Finally, Dobson unleashed a time of 4:32.96 in the 500 free, surpassing her previous best time of 4:33.61 from midseason. Dobson’s time is No. 2 in the national rankings, four hundredths behind defending national champion Jillian Cox (4:32.92).
Georgia’s Clarke Neace took first in the 1000 free (9:42.29), and Katie Belle Sikes won the 50 free (22.29). Elizabeth Nawrocki took first in the 200 breast (2:09.90).
