Florida wins all three individual events on day two of SEC championship

No. 1 Florida, No. 10 Auburn at SEC championships

ATHENS, Ga. -- The top-ranked Florida men kept up the Southeastern Conference championship momentum after winning the opening night two relays by winning all three individual swimming events on day two. The Florida program has broken two SEC records and five school records in 10 possible events so far.

Not only did the Gators win the 500 freestyle and 200 individual medley to open up the second day of the meet, but the Orange and Blue secured gold in silver in both events. Junior Dan Wallace captured his first career SEC title with a 500 freestyle SEC meet and UF record time of 4:10.73. Wallace’s time bested the SEC record set in 2011 by Conor Dwyer and represented the first Gator victory in that event since Dwyer’s triumph. Freshman Mitch D’Arrigo, the top seed heading into finals, delivered UF’s third fastest all-time swim of 4:12.73 for second.

A pair of Olympic seniors led a 1-2 finish for Florida in the 200 IM. Sebastien Rousseau out-touched teammate Marcin Cieslak 1:42.22-1:42.34 for the SEC crown. The 200 IM victory represented the eighth time in the past 10 years that the Gators have won the event. Rousseau’s win marked the first time the South African has won an SEC individual gold after finishing with silver three separate times in his career.

Senior Brad deBorde became the first Florida swimmer in program history to break the 19-second barrier in the 50 freestyle en route to his second career SEC title in the event. deBorde’s win in a time of 18.88 represents the second UF win in the event in the last 21 years. He native finished a spectacular .30 ahead of a pair of Auburn swimmers.