ATHENS, Ga. -- Florida leads the 2014 Southeastern Conference Swimming and Diving Championships following the third day of competition, which took place in front of 1,232 fans on Thursday at the Gabrielsen Natatorium on the campus of Georgia.
Florida won a pair of events on Thursday night and surged into the team lead with 773.5 points. Auburn is second with 721.5, while Georgia is third with 588.
Georgia’s Chase Kalisz defended his title in the 400 individual medley, clocking an SEC-record time of 3:36.89 en route to the victory. He shattered the previous SEC record of 3:37.75, set by Florida’s Conor Dwyer in 2011 and Kalisz’s time went down as one of the fastest in collegiate history. Florida’s Dan Wallace was second in 3:38.96, while teammate Connor Signorin was third in 3:43.34.
Florida’s Marcin Cieslak won the 100 butterfly championship for the third time in four years, doing so in a time of 45.69. Georgia’s Doug Reynolds was second in 45.90, while Tennessee’s Sam Rairden was third in 45.92.
Florida’s Sebastien Rousseau won the 200 freestyle in a time of 1:33.23. That gave the Gators three consecutive titles in the event, accomplished by three different athletes in the past three years. Teammate Mitch D’Arrigo was second in 1:33.95, while Alabama’s BJ Hornikel was third in 1:34.25.
