The Florida women’s swimming and diving team (3-0, 1-0) notched a close victory over Southern Methodist (0-1) Thursday, winning by only seven points with a 125-118 score.  With the win the Gators moved their all-time record against the Mustangs to 6-1.

Head coach Gregg Troy was pleased the team was able to claim victory over a “very good SMU team.”

“We got off to a slow start,” said Troy.  “SMU came out and put us in a hole early.  We didn’t swim very well in the freestyle events, but we did see some nice swims from Vipa Bernhardt and Mandy Huff in the breaststroke.  It was encouraging to see the team bounce back after our slow start and come through with the win.”

The young Gator diving squad notched first-place finishes in both the one- and three-meter diving events for the first time during the 2005-06 season.  As a team the Gator women claimed first place finishes in six of the 13 events, with one event each in which the Orange and Blue dominated with a one-two and a one-two-three finish.  UF entered the dual meet with 14 NCAA provisional qualifying times posted by six student-athletes, but raised that total to 22 times by eight swimmers against SMU.

The 400 medley relay of Samantha Vanderbilt (Nashville, Tenn.), Vipa Bernhardt (Bad Hersfeld, Germany), Candace Weiman (Castro Valley, Calif.) and Natalie Pike (Boca Raton, Fla.) started off the meet with a first place finish in an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 3:43.74.

In the 200 freestyle Pike and Dana Vollmer (Granbury, Texas) each recorded NCAA provisional qualifying times, as Pike posted a second place finish with a 1:49.30 and Vollmer notched a 1:50.18 to claim third.  In the 50 freestyle Caroline Burckle (Louisville, Ken.) touched the wall in 24.11 to finish third, while Vanderbilt and Colleen Healy (Cape Coral, Fla.) tied for fourth place with a time of 24.23.

The 200 IM saw Bernhardt capture first place with a 2:04.39, while Ashley Carusone (High Springs, Fla.) claimed third in a time of 2:04.54 and Jamie Reid (Orlando, Fla.) notched a 2:05.77 to finish fourth.

Carusone, Weiman and Brittany Johnson (Winston Salem, N.C.) recorded the only one-two-three finish for the Gators of the meet in the 200 butterfly.  Carusone won the event in her first NCAA provisional qualifying time of the season with a 2:01.12, while Weiman posted a 2:02.07 to take second and Johnson finished third in a time of 2:05.79.

Vollmer notched an NCAA provisional qualifying time in the 100 freestyle with a second place 50.92 effort, while Pike finished right behind with a 51.53 for third place.  In the 200 backstroke Kelsy Smith (Cary, N.C.) posted her first NCAA provisional qualifying time of the season with a 2:00.05 to finish second, while Reid took third with a 2:02.22 and Vanderbilt finished fourth in a time of 2:03.34.

In the 200 breaststroke Bernhardt and Mandy Huff (Gold Hill, N.C.) finished first and second, in times of 2:16.12 (NCAA provisional qualifying) and 2:18.30, respectively.  The 400 freestyle relay team of Vollmer, Weiman, Smith and Burckle notched an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 3:24.66, good for a second place finish.

In the diving portion of the meet, the Gator divers took first place in both the one- and three- meter diving events for the first time during the 2005-06 season.  Alicia Miller (Hobie Sound, Fla.) recorded a score of 249.30 to win the one-meter, while Jeana Bartell (Boca Raton, Fla.) finished third with 223.12 and Sarah Ellerby (Oldsmar, Fla.) posted 201.67 for fifth-place.

Ellerby took top honors in the three-meter, with a score of 243.14, while Miller posted a 221.25 for fourth and Bartell finished in fifth with 186.07.  Coach Troy was pleased with the effort of the young diving trio and credited the diving events with keeping the team in the meet.

“It was key for us to win the diving events today,” said Troy.  “SMU came out and put us in a hole early, but the win in the one-meter came at a crucial time to put us back in the meet.  The three-meter win was just as important because it maintained what little control we were able to have toward the end.”

Florida will stay in Dallas, Texas to compete in the Dallas Classic, hosted by SMU, on Friday and Saturday.  The Orange and Blue last competed in the Dallas Classic during the 2003-04 season, when it took first place of the six participating teams.  SMU, Florida, South Carolina, UCLA, Washington and Wisconsin make up this year’s field of teams.

Friday’s event line-up includes the 400 medley relay, 400 individual medley, 200 freestyle, 100 butterfly, 100 backstroke, 100 breaststroke, 50 freestyle and 800 freestyle relay.  The Classic is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. (CT) and will take place in the Perkins Natatorium.  An event recap and full results will be available at the conclusion of each day on www.gatorzone.com, while live results will be available at the following web address:

smumustangs.collegesports.com/sports/w-swim/spec-rel/05-w-swim-classic.html

Florida, 125-118

-UF-