The No. 5 Gators opened up the 2009 NCAA Championship meet Thursday at the Student Rec Center Natatorium on the Texas A&M University campus with five finals-qualifying swims and dives. Three individuals and two Gator relays are set to return to Thursday evening swimming and diving consolations and finals.
Leading the way for UF, junior Gemma Spofforth recorded a sixth-place (1:55.85) preliminaries finish in the 200-yard IM, while senior Laurabeth Guenthner will return in the 500-yard free after a 4:41.06, 16th-place performance Thursday morning.
Both of Florida's relays, the 200-yard free and 400-yard medley relays secured top-16 finishes. The Gators 200-yard free relay will enter consolation finals after recording the ninth-fastest time in preliminaries with a time of 1:28.80. UF's 400-yard medley relay, composed of Spofforth, freshman Lindsay Rogers , freshman Jemma Lowe and junior Liz Kemp Thursday morning tied Texas' quartet for 10th place heading into finals.
In the one-meter diving competition, junior Kara Salamone led the way for the Orange and Blue, solidifying a 12th place finish (275.60), while sophomore Monica Dodson dove to a score of 255.60 in prelims of the event to place 28th overall. Salamone is set to compete in the consolation final Thursday afternoon.
Several Gators, including freshman Kirsten Smith, swam career-best performances on the first day of the 2009 championship meet. Smith tapped in at 1:58.22 in the 200-yard IM, good for a 22nd-place finish and season-best mark. Likewise, Lowe touched at 1:58.53 in the 200 IM, her fastest time of the season so far.
In 50-yard freestyle action, Kemp swam the best time of her three years at UF, clocking a 22.53, tying for 52nd overall.
