With the likes of former Gator Ryan Lochte hitting the pool this weekend for the USA Swimming Short Course National Championship, the Gators hoped to make statements themselves as they prepare for the approaching spring season.
The meet started Thursday and will continue until Saturday evening, with anywhere from four to six events being contested every evening.
The first day yielded more success for the Gator women than for the men. The women took first in the 4-by-50-yard freestyle relay A-final (1:29.61) and also in the 400-yard medley relay (3:34.66).
The men failed to reach a first-place spot in any of their first-day events.
The UF swim team split up this week for the two biggest meets of the fall season. The more experienced swimmers went to nationals to compete against some of the best swimmers in the country, while the remainder of the team heads to Princeton, N.J., for the Princeton Invitational.
Coach Gregg Troy had stated that he only wanted his strongest and most experienced swimmers to go to nationals, which makes the appearance of a large group of freshmen, especially on the women's side, even more special.
Emerging freshmen Teresa Crippen, Sarah Bateman and Shara Stafford are among the Gators that had a go in Atlanta alongside some with more experience, including junior Gemma Spofforth and senior Laurabeth Guenthner.
The men's side is relying more on their experienced swimmers than the women did, with established senior stars Bradley Ally and Rex Tullius leading the way.
The Gators are looking to gain experience for their swimmers with the ultimate goal of learning who will be able to swim the fastest times at the Southeastern Conference finals in February and, finally, the NCAA finals in March.
The teams competing at Nationals should give the Gators some challenge. Teams such as the Auburn Tigers and University of Michigan Wolverines are also competing in the meet - both teams boast top-20 rankings on the men's and women's sides.
The Gators are facing off against not just other schools, but also Lochte and other professional swimmers who made splashes in Beijing this summer, including gold medalists Cullen Jones and Garrett Weber-Gale.
The Gators will look for faster swims in the days to come in Atlanta, while UF's younger swimmers hit the pool this weekend in Princeton.
