The Gators’ celebration over their dual-meet victory at home against Georgia Tech was cut short by an injury scare from a UF swimmer who had to be pulled from the water during a race and checked on by paramedics.
Shara Stafford, a junior All-American, was in the lead during the butterfly leg of the women’s 400-meter individual medley when she suddenly stopped at the pool’s edge, ripped off her cap and goggles, appeared distressed and tried to leave the water.
She couldn’t get out of the pool under her own strength, so a UF assistant coach helped lift her out of the water and laid her on her back while a University Athletic Association employee called 911.
About 15 minutes after Alachua County Fire and Rescue paramedics began to attend to Stafford she was able to sit up and, soon after, walk on her own.
Following the meet, there was no word on what could have caused her condition in the pool. Both of the Gators’ swimming and diving teams were made unavailable for comment, though UF coach Gregg Troy released a statement saying Stafford would be fine.
“We’re just happy she’s going to be OK,” Troy said.
Before the 400 IM, Stafford, who is known for her sprinting prowess, contributed to the Gators’ victory in the 200-yard medley relay and also won the 50-yard freestyle in 23.18 seconds. Her performance helped the women grab first in all 14 swimming events and was one of six races in which the No. 6 Gators (3-3, 0-1 SEC) swept all three podium spots.
Florida also received a significant contribution from freshman Elizabeth Beisel, who slapped the pool’s edge first in both of her individual races: the 1,000-yard freestyle (9:56.04) and the 200-yard breaststroke (2:17.03). Both were collegiate-best times for Beisel.
Despite not having been in the pool competitively in over a month, Florida racked up 169 points off its swimming and lone diving victory in the 3 meter. The Yellow Jackets finished with 106 points and a diving win in the 1 meter.
“We had a great swim meet against Georgia Tech tonight coming off of the holiday break,” Troy said. “It was nice to see us swim so fast despite the long layoff.”
The No. 5 men’s swimmers were equally dominant early on in the meet after splitting the first two dives with Georgia Tech. When they had their chance in the water, the Gators (3-2, 2-0 SEC) started the meet with six straight wins, losing only the 50-meter freestyle.
Overall, Florida won 13 of 14 swimming events and finished with 164.5 points and a 36-point win over the Yellow Jackets.
The men’s side was led by strong performances from seniors Conor Dwyer and Brett Fraser, who each won an individual event and contributed to the Gators’ sweep of both relay events. Their winning swim of 1:29.86 in the 200-yard medley relay was good for an NCAA “B” qualifying time.
“As we head into the meet against FAU on Saturday, this is exactly where I thought we would be at this point in the season,” Troy said.
