ATLANTA (January 19) – The 25th-ranked Georgia Tech men’s swimming and diving team renewed acquaintances with its in-state rival Georgia on Friday afternoon after a seven-year hiatus, but came up on the short end of a 122-108 score at the Gabrielson Natatorium in Athens, Ga.
The Yellow Jackets (9-3) won only three swimming events in the meet, while the 12th-ranked Bulldogs captured the remaining nine and the two clubs split honors in the diving well.
Georgia set the tone for the meet early by winning the top two spots in the 400-yard medley relay with times of 3:20.60 and 3:24.99, defeating Tech’s relay team of David Laitala, Tomonori Tsuji, Brady Skaggs and Brendan Forbes, which finished with a time of 3:26.62, by just over six seconds.
Tech sophomore Shilo Ayalon turned in another strong outing in the distance freestyle events as he placed second in the 1,650-yard freestyle with a time of 15:27.42, which was his second NCAA Provisional Qualifying time of the year. He was just out-touched at the wall by Georgia freshman Andre Mahaney (15:27.33). Ayalon was the winner of the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:38.46. That time was bettered in the heat by Mahaney’s 4:34.0 in an exhibition swim that did not count towards UGA’s team score.
Jacket sophomore Tomonori Tsuji won the 200-yard breaststroke with his time of 2:01.55 to record Tech’s second individual-event win of the meet. The Bulldogs Kyle Salyards competed in an exhibition swim and won the heat with a time of 2:00.85.
In the diving competition, Tech freshman Paul McCarty scored nine points in the three-meter competition with a score of 284.62, while senior Dustin Thorn finished with a score of 196.87 to record four points for Tech. Georgia’s Kris Daugherty and Jud Campbell exhibitioned their scores of 341.47 and 358.57 respectively and did not count towards Georgia’s team score. McCarty also placed third in the one-meter competition with a score of 252.75. Campbell and Daugherty took the top two spots with scores of 322.57 and 308.17.
The Jackets’ team of Brendan Forbes, David Laitala, Eddy Oliver and Josh Hersko closed out the meet by winning the 400-yard freestyle in a time of 3:07.60. Georgia had the top time in the heat, just beating out Tech with an exhibition time of 3:07.5.
Tech will return to action next Saturday, as it travels to Emory for a dual meet beginning at 10 a.m.
