University of Tennessee Athletics
Tennessee Wins SEC East Dual Meet Extravaganza
10/27/2000
The eighth-ranked Tennessee swimming and diving team kicked off the 2000-2001 season with a bang by winning the Southeastern Conference East Dual Meet Extravaganza Friday at the Student Aquatic Center on the UT campus.
The unique event brought five teams from the SEC East to Knoxville to contest 10 dual meets among the five teams simultaneously.
The Volunteers walked away with a 4-0 record by defeating Florida (184-135), Georgia (176-143), Kentucky (214-105) and South Carolina (259-59).
Georgia finished the event with a 3-1 record by defeating Florida (176-141), Kentucky (199-118) and South Carolina (235-80). Florida finished with a 2-2 record by defeating Kentucky (199-113) and South Carolina (248-68). Kentucky defeated South Carolina (223-93) to finish 1-3 and South Carolina finished with a 0-4 record.
The Vols won six of the 17 events, including four individual events and both relays.
Michael Gilliam led the Volunteer effort by claiming the 100 backstroke in a time of 48.12 and the 100 freestyle in a time of 44.45. Gilliam also turned a 100 backstroke split of 47.92 in leading the 400 medley relay squad to an impressive victory. Gilliam's backstroke and freestyle times bettered the NCAA Championships' provisional qualifying standards.
Other individual winners for the Vols included senior Chris Hussey, who claimed the 50 freestyle in a time of 20.52 and Jeremy McDonnell who finished first in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 55.74.
The Vols also finished first and second in both the 400 medley relay and the 400 freestyle relay. Gilliam, Chris Stewart, Justin Hoggatt and Lance Asti posted a 400 medley relay time of 3:17.10 that provisionally qualifies for the NCAAs.
Asti, Zane DeWitz, Brent Owen and Hussey combined to win the 400 free relay in a time of 3:02.88.
The Vols next action is Nov. 10, as they face Kentucky in a dual meet in Lexington.
