Alabama
Georgia
Alabama Swimming and Diving Edged by Georgia in SEC Opener
10/4/2019 3:56:00 PM | Swimming & Diving
Crimson Tide sophomore Rhyan White led the women with a trio of individual wins, while the Tide men won both the opening and closing relays
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Alabama swimming and diving opened its conference schedule with some big performances against Georgia in the first Southeastern Conference dual meet of the season Friday at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, Ala.
Despite winning eight individual events and the final relay, the Alabama women were edged 163.5-136.5, while the men won both relays and earned six individual wins but were clipped 157-143.
Sophomore Rhyan White led the way for the women, winning both the 100 and 200 backstrokes as well as the 100 butterfly, while sophomore Kevin Li grabbed two individual wins for the men, taking top honors off the 1-meter and 3-meter springboards.
Head Coach Coley Stickels Said
"We had the opportunity to be competitive against a very good Georgia team today. They got us in some tight ones, so we missed out on some very close opportunities. We were right there throughout the meet, particularly on the men's side. Overall, we looked better than we did at Delta State and I think we're heading in the right direction."
Meet Highlights
- Sophomore Rhyan White had a very big day, winning both the women's 100 (53.78) and 200 (1:55.51) backstrokes as well as the 100 butterfly (54.15)
- Sophomore Kevin Li doubled up in the men's springboard diving events, winning the 1-meter (324.75 points) and 3-meter (312.45 points)
- Sophomore Kensey McMahon also won a pair of evets, taking top honors in the women's 500 and 1,000 freestyles, stopping the clock at 4:47.04 and 9:42.96, respectively
- Senior Zane Waddell and freshman Liam Bell combined with juniors Tyler Sesvold and Sam DiSette to win the opening 200 medley relay, stopping the clock at 1:27.54
- The first three legs of the men's 200 medley relay also won individual titles, with Waddell taking first in the 100 backstroke (47.83), Bell winning the 100 breaststroke (54.57) and Sesvold taking top honors in the 100 freestyle (44.83)
- Sophomore Jonathan Berneburg won the men's 50 freestyle (20.49)
- Sophomore Kalia Antoniou won the women's 50 freestyle in a time of 23.35 while freshman Tanesha Lucoe won the women's 1-meter springboard with a score 264.45
- Senior Alexis Preski picked up Alabama's final individual win of the day, posting a 4:18.18 to take first in the 400 individual medley
- Alabama closed the meet by winning the women's and men's 400 freestyle relays – women, Kalia Antoniou, Allie Surrency, Flora Molnar and Morgan Scott (3:21.17) and men, Jonathan Berneburg, Tyler Sesvold, Sam DiSette, Zane Waddell (2:59.31)
Up Next
- Following the Georgia meet, Alabama's women continue on to Nashville, Tenn., to take on SEC foe Vanderbilt Saturday at 10 a.m., while the men return to Tuscaloosa (the Commodores only field a women's team)
- After opening the season with back-to-back (or in the women's case, back-to-back-to-back) dual meets, Alabama returns to action with the Georgia Tech Invitational Nov. 22-24 in Atlanta, Ga.
- Alabama closes the fall semester with a pair of trips to Auburn, Ala., taking on the Tigers in a dual meet on Dec. 5, before returning Dec. 17-19 for the Auburn Diving Invite
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Players Mentioned
