They actually went 1-2 in the 400 free relay, including a 2:55.67 winning mark that was 3.3 seconds better than Georgia’s “A” relay. In both cases, Florida won by substantial margins. That included sweeps of both relays: the 200 medley relay in 1:25.71 to open the meet and the 400 free relay in 2:55.67 to end the meet. The Florida men won 10 out of 16 events over Georgia.
The Florida women won a much-tighter matchup by just 6 points. In spite of the absence of two of their biggest stars, the Florida men had no problem knocking off Georgia in a battle of the #1 and #2 teams from last year’s SEC Championship, and the #3 and #4 teams from last year’s NCAA Championship. She also raced to a 1:42.80 in the men’s 200 yard freestyle event, also racing in a separate exhibition heat. That time is the 24th-fastest performance in the history of the event, which incidentally makes it the 21st-fastest performance of her personal career. That’s her first official 500 yard free swim since the 2018 NCAA Championships, which was the last of her collegiate career at Stanford. Ledecky, swimming as an exhibition athlete, raced in the men’s 500 free, where she swam 4:30.55. But entered in that 500 free was the University of Florida’s new volunteer assistant coach, and the fastest woman ever in the 500 free, Katie Ledecky. Kieran Smith and Bobby Finke, who both finished in the top 6 in the 500 yard free at last year’s NCAA Championship meet, both missed Friday’s meet. The Florida Gators were swimming without two of their biggest stars on Friday, racing against traditional rivals Georgia, but the men’s 500 free still had a very, very big name.
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