It marked the first time Kentucky has defeated Tennessee in a dual meet since 1999
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Graphic from UK Athletics
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The No. 14 University of Kentucky women’s swimming and diving team upset No. 7 Tennessee, the defending Southeastern Conference Champions, in a 152-148 finish that came down to the last race on Thursday evening inside the Lancaster Aquatic Center. It marked the first time the Wildcats have defeated the Volunteers in a dual meet since November 13, 1999 (124-121).
The triumph is just one year after the Kentucky women’s swimming and diving team defeated Indiana, another powerhouse program, in a dual meet for the first time since 2007.
“That was a great win for the team,” said head coach Lars Jorgensen. “Tennessee has an excellent program, and they are the defending SEC Champions, so it was a lot of fun to see our group earn that win together. I think this team has been itching to race for a long time since last season got cancelled, and they ended up stepping up to the plate against the conference champs. There was a lot of people involved in that win, it was a team effort for sure, and that’s what makes coaching so fun.”
The Wildcats put the pedal to the medal in the first race, earning a first- and third-place finish in the 200 medley relay to earn a quick advantage, and didn’t let off the gas until the last race. Touching the wall in that event first was a unique lineup of Caitlin Brooks, Bailey Bonnett, Riley Gaines and Kaitlynn Wheeler, earning a top time of 1:39.67.
Kentucky collected 10 first-place finishes in 16 events total during the meet, including 13 individual races, one relay event and both diving events. Furthermore, five swimmers are responsible for recording nine NCAA “B” cut times, while diver Kyndal Knight earned Zone “C” qualifying scores in each of the springboard events.
Per usual, Knight, a junior diver from Stanley, North Carolina, blew her competition out of the water. The defending conference champion swept the springboard events, both on scores more than 14 points ahead of second place. Knight logged 291.08 points on the 1-meter springboard and 302.5 points on the 3-meter springboard, which are both well above the NCAA Zone “C” Diving Championship qualifying standards.
The Wildcats held a lead for over 90 percent of the meet, but the scores tightened as the last race approached. Sophie Sorenson, a junior from Ames, Iowa, competed in the last individual race of the dual meet, putting together a notable win in the 200 IM on a NCAA “B” cut time of 1:59.89 to help UK stretch its lead ahead of the last event. Sorenson also logged a NCAA “B” standard of 53.61 in the 100 backstroke to finish in second place.
Gaines, a junior from Nashville, Tennessee, added to the success she found in the season opener, recording a pair of NCAA “B” cuts in the 100 freestyle (49.26) and the 200 freestyle (1:46.35), earning top times in each of those events.
Leading the team with NCAA “B” standards during the meet was Caitlin Brooks, a sophomore from Gainesville, Florida. She scored top times and NCAA “B” cut times in both the 100 backstroke (52.32) and the 200 backstroke (1:54.71), while she also secured second place and another NCAA “B” cut time in the 100 butterfly (53.37).
Junior Izzy Gati logged a top time in her traditional event, touching the wall in 1:57.70 in the 200 butterfly, another NCAA “B” standard. Meanwhile, sophomore Gillian Davey got her share of 2021 NCAA Championship considerations, earning a “B” standard in the 200 breaststroke on a top time of 2:11.51.
In the program’s next outing, the RV Kentucky men’s swimming and diving team will host No. 12 Tennessee tomorrow, Friday, October 30, at 4 p.m. ET inside the Lancaster Aquatic Center.
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