Dive into Competition: UK Swimming and Diving Teams Take on Vanderbilt and Georgia!

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky swimming & diving kicks off the new year away from home as the team divides for competition this weekend. The women’s swim team travels to Vanderbilt for a dual meet on Friday in Nashville, while the Wildcat divers will participate from Friday to Sunday at the Georgia Diving Invite held at UGA’s Gabrielsen Natatorium.

Returning to competition for the first time since December 13, the UK women’s swim squad will seek their third dual meet triumph of the season against the Commodores on Friday. The event is set to commence at 12:30 p.m. local time and 1:30 p.m. E.T., with streaming accessible on SEC Network+.

So far this season, nine women swimmers have accomplished NCAA B-standard times across a total of 13 events. Samantha Hamilton, Grace Frericks, Bridget Engel, and Hayden Penny lead the Wildcats with two cuts each.

Vanderbilt enters the meet with an 0-5 record this season, having suffered defeats to other SEC rivals, South Carolina and Georgia. The squad most recently finished sixth out of 10 teams at the midseason Gamecock Swimming Invitational.

NCAA B-Standards this season:

• Lauren West – 200 free
• Libby Grether – 500 free
• Samantha Hamilton – 500 free, 1650 free
• Grace Frericks – 100 back, 200 back
• Torie Buerger – 200 back
• Bridget Engel – 100 breast, 200 breast
• Billie Sherratt – 200 fly
• Hayden Penny – 200 IM, 400 IM
• Fernanda de Goeij – 400 IM

On the diving boards, Kentucky’s divers will visit the venue for the 2025 SEC Championships as they arrive at Gabrielsen Natatorium for three days of events.

Both men and women will have the opportunity to compete on the 1-meter and 3-meter springboards, as well as in platform diving. Prelims will start at 11:30 a.m. each day, with qualifying divers moving on to finals in the afternoon. Streaming is available on SEC Network+, and live results can be viewed on DiveMeets.

This season, seven out of Kentucky’s 10 divers already possess at least one NCAA zone cut, with Sam Duncan, Avery Giese, and Kristy Pfaff qualifying for zones in two events.

Georgia Diving Invite Schedule:

Friday, Jan. 3

• Women 3-meter
• Men’s 1-meter

Saturday, Jan. 4

• Women’s Platform
• Men’s 3-meter

Sunday, Jan. 5

• Women’s 1-meter
• Men’s Platform

 

 NCAA Zone Cuts this season:

• Sam Duncan – 1-meter, 3-meter
• Gavin Hang – 3-meter
• Devynn Bishop – 3-meter
• Abby Devereaux – 1-meter
• Avery Giese – 1-meter, 3-meter
• Claire McDaniels – 1-meter
• Kristy Pfaff – 1-meter, 3-meter

For the latest updates on UK Swim & Dive, follow the Wildcats on X and Instagram at @UKSwimDive, and on Facebook at Kentucky Swimming and Diving.