The University of Florida Men’s Swimming and Diving team opened the 2005-06 season with a 137-101 win over Virginia on Friday. The Gators combined youth and experience to claim first-place in six swimming events and two diving events.

The team of senior Ryan Lochte (Daytona Beach, Fla.), junior Bill Mrazek (Tallahassee, Fla), senior Nick Borreca (Honolulu, Hawaii) and sophomore Darian Townsend (Pietermaritzburg, South Africa) won Florida’s first event, the 400 MR, in a time of 3:19.37. Three members of the 400 MR team went on to earn individual titles as well.

Townsend, led a group of four current Olympians on this year’s squad by claiming first-place in two individual events. He won the 200 free in a time of 1:38.76 and the 100 free in time of 45.01. Lochte, also an Olympian, claimed the 200 back for the Gators in a time of 1:42.90. Borreca won the 50 free in a time of 21.08.

Freshman Bradley Ally (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), who represented Barbados the 2004 Summer Games, did not disappoint in his collegiate debut. Ally won the 200 IM in a time of 1:50.35 to clinch his first race of the season.

Sophomore J.B. Walsh (Virginia Beach, Va.) rounded out the Olympian parade by winning the 200 fly in a time of 1:51.74. Walsh represented the Philippines at the Olympics last summer.

“They (the Olympians) are very versatile individuals,” Florida coach Gregg Troy said.  “They add a lot of experience and they are used to touching the wall first, so they bring the best out of other people.”

In the diving portion of the competition, freshman Jonathan Wilcox (Bellevue, Wash.) swept both events in his collegiate debut. Wilcox scored 322.58 in the 1M event and 330.98 in the 3M event. Wilcox is the younger brother of former Gator All-American Zach Wilcox, who anchored the diving team last season.

Florida will travel to South Carolina for a meet on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. Results can be found at www.gatorzone.com.

Florida 137, Virginia 101

-UF-