Florida Swim & Dive Faces Georgia

Florida swim and dive will welcome Georgia to Gainesville for a two-day dual meet to open SEC competition. Florida enters this year No. 4 in men’s and 6 in women’s, while the Bulldogs rank Nos. 8 and 12.  

The Gators are coming off a matchup with Virginia. Florida’s men’s team won 191.5-159.5, while the women’s team had a tough loss 224-127, splitting the contest.

The men’s squad had eight event victories throughout their matchup, with 16 different swimmers contributing points to the team’s win. Ahmed Jaouadi and Nil Cadevall led the team scoring a team-high 22 points apiece, giving Florida two first-place finishes and one second-place finish. 

On the women’s side, Florida had four event victories and 13 top-three finishes, highlighted by the 400-medley relay team posting the third fastest time in program history.

In the Gators last matchup vs Georgia in 2024, they swept the Bulldogs, taking both the men’s and women’s slates. The men won 172.5-127.5, with the women’s team winning 158-142. 

The Bulldogs have a strong roster this season, although they fell to NC State falling 443-314 in their last matchup. Swimmers from their roster received SEC Honors this past week: Luca Urlando won men’s Swimmer of the Week for the seventh time in his career, and freshmen tandem Kennedi Dobson on the women’s team and Sean Green on the men’s team won SEC Freshmen of the Week.

A few Gators to keep an eye on are Josh Liendo, who’s coming off a world record in the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup, and Ahmed Jaouadi, who posted a strong performance against Virginia in Florida’s season opener.

Florida’s men’s team is eager to continue its winning streak against Georgia, while the women’s team will look to rebound following a disappointing loss to top-ranked Virginia. Events start Thursday at 5 p.m.

Category: Gator Sports, Gators Swimming and Diving