Swimming & Diving Secures Eight Wins on Day One against Alabama

Kentucky Swimming & Diving had a strong showing on the first day of their two-day dual against SEC rivals Alabama. The Wildcats emerged with eight victories, keeping the women’s competition close with a 96-92 lead, while the men’s competition is currently led by Alabama with a score of 110-78.
Sophomore Ryan Merani was the standout performer for Kentucky, securing two individual wins in the 200 IM and 400 IM, and scoring a team-high 18 points for the day. Additionally, sophomore Grace Frericks had an impressive showing, earning 17 points by winning the 200 freestyle and placing as the runner-up in both the 500 freestyle and 100 backstroke.
In the morning session, several Wildcats posted strong performances. Frericks and Caroline Benda placed second and third respectively in the 500 freestyle, each with season-best times. In the men’s 500 free, freshman Carson Hick finished second with a time of 4:24.43.
The UK women dominated the 200 IM, securing a podium sweep with freshman Marie Belli finishing first, followed by senior Anna Havens Rice and senior Torie Buerger. Merani earned his first win of the day in the men’s 200 IM.
In the evening session, Benda and Belli continued their strong performances, finishing first and second respectively in the 400 IM. Rice and Daly also had notable swims, placing second and third in the women’s 100 butterfly. Frericks secured her second win of the day, finishing first in the women’s 200 freestyle.
The diving portion of the competition saw success for Kentucky, with senior captain Sam Duncan winning the men’s 1-meter and junior Abby Devereaux winning the women’s 3-meter.
Kentucky and Alabama will face off again tomorrow morning for the final session of the dual.
Overall, it was a successful day for Kentucky Swimming & Diving, with strong individual performances and multiple NCAA B-standards and zone cuts achieved.