University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
Florida
Gators Edge Vols in Tough Dual-Meet
January 30, 2009 | Men's Swimming & Diving
Jan. 30, 2009
After a heated dual-meet in Gainesville Friday afternoon, the UT swimming and diving team fell to the Gators 159.5-140.5.
"Hats off to the Gators," said UT head coach John Trembley. "It was a hard fought meet by two great teams."
Tennessee started with a win in the 200 medley relay. Senior Nolan Morrell, sophomore Mattias Kahlin, junior Jordan Walters and senior Jimmy Dabney made an NCAA B-Cut time of 1:28.16.
In the 1000 freestyle, sophomore Carl Jones boasted a 9:09.88 that puts him fourth in UT's record book. Sophomores Geoff Sanders and Scott Friderichs placed sixth and seventh.
Swimming in his last regular-season dual-meet, senior Stephen Fortney swam a B-Cut time of 1:36.77 and finished in second place by .14 seconds in the 200 freestyle. His time also earns him 12th place in the Big Orange record books. Freshman Anders Storvik finished fourth while sophomore Chris Winchell placed seventh and senior Scott Wherry finished eighth.
Morrell beat out Florida stars Omar Pinzon and Rex Tullius in the 100 backstroke. Freshman Ricky Henehan came in fourth and sophomore Michael Christy finished seventh.
Mr. Clutch Brad Craig led the breaststrokers with a win in the 100 breaststroke. Kahlin, co-captain Barry Murphy and freshman Derek Paul finished third through fifth.
As he has done all year, Olympian Jonas Persson pulled out a win in the 50 freestyle. All-America Michael DeRocco finished fourth. Dabney and Walters placed sixth and seventh.
UT's divers took second through fifth in the one-meter event. Junior-college transfer Michael Wright earned second for the Vols while freshman Ryan Helms, junior Michael Muscari and freshman Brent Sterling rounded out the field.
On the season, Persson has competed in the 100 freestyle seven times. He won the event for the sixth time Saturday against the Gators. Wherry finished fifth and Dabney placed eighth.
In an unusual 200 backstroke, Morrell tied for first place with Florida's Tullius at 1:45.68. Storvik and Christy placed fourth and fifth.
Craig earned his second win of the day in the 200 backstroke with a time of 1:57.85. Freshman Jake Epperson, Kahlin and Fortney finished fourth through sixth.
In the 500 freestyle, Sanders led the distance swimmers in third. Jones placed fifth while Winchell and Friderichs placed seventh and eighth.
Muscari earned the only diving win for the Vols in the three-meter. Helms finished third, Sterling placed fourth and Wright landed in sixth.
Craig battled with the Gators' Pinzon in the 200 individual medley but came up second by .12 seconds. Coming on strong on the home stretch of the season, Fortney placed fourth. Epperson and Paul finished seventh and eighth.
Ending on a high note, the Vols closed the meet with a win in the 400 freestyle relay. Morrell, Storvik, Persson and Christy earned the win and made a B-Cut time.
Florida's O'Connell Center Natatorium provided the kind of environment Trembley is looking for to prepare the Vols for the SEC and NCAA championships.
"It was good for this team to be in a combative environment," said Trembley. "We'll see more of the same when we go to the SEC's in few weeks."
UT will compete in the SEC Championships hosted by Auburn University Feb. 18-21.
Players Mentioned
