Senior diver Whitney Stern knows that saying goodbye to four years in the pool will be difficult.
In her final stretch, she will strive for her best, hoping to leave a mark on UF's swim program.
The Gators swimming and diving teams will face three opponents this Friday and Saturday at the O'Connell Center in their final home meets this season.
"I'm excited, but I'm really sad at the same time," Stern said. "This has been the best experience of my life, and I wouldn't trade it for anything."
On Saturday, the seniors will be honored at a breakfast and a pre-meet ceremony before swimming against Indian River Community College and Florida Gulf Coast at 1 p.m. In the evening, the seniors and their parents will enjoy a celebration dinner.
Stern will compete in the 1-meter and 3-meter dives on Saturday.
The No. 8 UF men (6-2, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) will face No. 10 Tennessee on Friday at 2 p.m., and the women will face the No. 7 Volunteers at 7 p.m. The ferocious Volunteers have bested the Gators men in 20 out of 35 tries. The No. 5 women (7-2, 3-1 SEC) have made a habit of snatching victory from Tennessee: They have never lost to the Volunteers.
"Tennessee is a real good opponent, and there will be close races the whole way through," coach Gregg Troy said. "We are racing the top of the conference and seeing how the younger people respond in pressure situations."
The Gators will have to shift their routines and preparations for Friday since the teams' showdowns are at different times than usual.
"It will be a great experience because it forces the women not to lean on the men and vice-versa," Troy said. "They have to create their own dynamic and energy."
With Troy finalizing his selections for athletes to represent the Gators in the SEC Championships, the pressure is on and emotions run high: UF has less than three weeks until the Feb. 18-21 championships.
