Kentucky swimming & diving had a strong showing at the Tennessee Invitational, with Ryan Merani and Grace Frericks both earning podium finishes. The men’s team finished in fourth place overall, scoring a total of 512 points, while the women’s team finished in fifth place with a score of 436.
Head coach Bret Lundgaard praised the team’s performance, saying, “It was a great three days of racing for our team. We competed well and showed our personalities as we continue to build our competitive identity.” Lundgaard also expressed excitement about using the information gained from the invitational to prepare for the second half of the season and work towards their end of season goals.
Ryan Merani, a sophomore from Maryland, earned a silver medal in the men’s 200 butterfly with a time of 1:43.28. Grace Frericks, also a sophomore, achieved a podium finish of her own, placing third in the women’s 200 backstroke with a time of 1:54.73. These podium finishes, along with Sam Duncan’s win in the men’s 1-meter diving earlier in the week, highlighted Kentucky’s success at the invitational.
Additionally, several Kentucky swimmers qualified for “A-final” swims in the morning prelims, including Torie Buerger, Zane Rosely, Max Berg, and Lance Johnson. Caroline Benda and Carson Hick both achieved NCAA B-standards in the women’s 1650 freestyle and men’s mile swim, respectively. Grace Frericks’ podium finish in the 200 backstroke was one of three NCAA B-standards achieved by Kentucky swimmers in the event.
The women’s 1-meter diving event also saw strong performances from Claire McDaniels and Abby Devereaux, who both advanced to the final. McDaniels finished in ninth place, while Devereaux placed 11th.
Overall, Kentucky swimmers achieved a total of 15 NCAA B-cuts and set two new program top-10 times during the invitational. The team will now turn their attention to upcoming competitions, with several team members participating in the USA Diving Nationals and the Toyota U.S. Open.
For the latest updates on UK Swim & Dive, fans can follow the Wildcats on X and Instagram at @UKSwimDive, and on Facebook at Kentucky Swimming and Diving.
