College roundup: Stanford, Texas Remain No. 1 In College Rankings

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Written by Sharon Robb

Stanford University women and University of Texas men remain No. 1 in the latest TYR/College Swimming Coaches Association of America Division I Swimming and Diving national poll.

Tennessee men and women made the biggest leap into the Top 10 rankings after knocking off No. 14 Arizona.

The college dual meet season is heating up heading into the final stretch toward the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships.

In the days to come, No. 2 Georgia will meet No. 3 Texas women this weekend and No. 1 Stanford will swim No. 7 Arizona women next weekend. In the men’s competition, No. 1 Texas will face No. 2 Arizona.

University of Florida men’s (3-2, 2-0) and women’s (3-3, 0-1) swimming and diving teams remained at No. 5 and No. 6 respectively. The Gator women are the only team in the nation to compete in five dual meets against Top 25 opponents.

Florida State, led by SOFLO’s Tiffany Oliver and Ashley Hicks, both freshmen, is ranked No. 25 with 96 votes. FSU men’s team, led by SOFLO’s Tyler Sell, is ranked No. 18 with 224 points.

Florida Gulf Coast University earned nine Top 25 votes in the women’s rankings and is listed as also receiving votes ahead of South Carolina, Nebraska and Villanova. FGCU is the only Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association school to receive votes.

In the Division II rankings, Drury University men’s and women’s teams remain No. 1 and in the Division III rankings, Emory women moved into No. 1 while Kenyon College remained No. 1.

The next poll will be released February 17.

Men’s Top 10: 1. Texas, 2. Arizona, 3. Stanford, 4. California, 5. Florida, 6. Auburn, 7. Southern California, 8. Ohio State, 9. North Carolina, 10. Tennessee.

Women’s Top 10: 1. Stanford, 2. Georgia, 3. Texas, 4. Southern California, California, 6. Florida, 7. Arizona, 8. Texas A&M, 9. Virginia, 10. Tennessee.

Gators Top-Ranked In Avidasports Rankings

University of Florida men’s swimming team was ranked No. 1 and Gator women No. 3 in the latest Avidasports rankings.

The Michigan-based Avidasports Performance Index rates teams on two equally-weighted metrics, a team’s rate of improvement over their season-best times and their overall ranking among other NCAA programs.

The Gator men moved into first place and women improved to third after swimming several season-best times in their meet against Georgia Tech. Since API measures improvement of season-best times, Florida improved on its previous ranking after swimming several off-events in wins over the Yellow Jackets.

SOFLO’s Taylor McKnight is a freshman on the UF women’s team.

Men’s Top 10: 1. Florida, 2. Indiana, 3. Tennessee, 4. UNLV, West Virginia, 6. Virginia, 7. TCU, Navy, 9. Cornell, South Carolina, Yale.

Women’s Top 10: 1. Tennessee, 2. UCLA, 3. Florida, 4. Michigan, Utah, 6. Arizona State, 7. Hawaii, 8. South Carolina, 9. Virginia, 10. Indiana, TCU, Toledo.

Gators Dwyer, Dodson Honored By SEC Conference

University of Florida senior Conor Dwyer was named Southeastern Conference Male Swimmer of the Year and senior Monica Dodson was selected SEC Female Diver of the Week.

Dwyer is the only swimmer to earn the honor four times in the same season. Former Gator Ryan Lochte and Auburn swimmers Cesar Cielo and Adam Brown earned the honor four times in their career.

Dwyer won each of his four events this past weekend with NCAA “B” cuts. The U.S. national team member has now won a team-leading 29 events this season (19 individual and 10 relays).

Dodson was named Diver of the Week for the second time in her career after winning two events this past weekend at the Tennessee Diving Invitational and Georgia Tech dual meet.

Dwyer and eight other UF men swimmers will travel to Dallas for the SMU Classic on Friday and Saturday while Dodson and remaining women’s and men’s team will host Florida Atlantic University on Saturday.

2008 Olympian Transfers To FGCU

Sophomore Eva Lehtonen of Rochester Hills, Mich. has transferred from University of Florida to Florida Gulf Coast University. She will be eligible to compete for the Eagles in the 2011-12 season. Lehtonen, who represents Finland internationally, is a distance freestyler. She competed in the 400- and 800-meter freestyle events at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and holds five national records for Finland including the 1500-meter freestyle. 

Sharon Robb can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.