Mitch Barnhart, left, took a leap into the pool to celebrate with the UK women's swim team after it won its first SEC Championship Saturday
A week before the SEC Swimming & Diving Championships junior Riley Gaines told me she thought she could win the 200-meter freestyle gold medal and Kentucky could win the team championship for the first time ever. Guess what? She was right even if she now admits she was not all that sure either could happen.
“When we talked I told you all those things but I still almost doubted if we could and I was pretty skeptical (about her win and the team title),” Gaines said. “Doing those things was huge and it was so special to be part of this team. It was just incredible.”
Gaines won the 200 freestyle in a school record 1 minute, 42.7 seconds and was also part of the 800 freestyle relay team that took gold in a school record 6:58.8.
Kentucky beat more traditional SEC swim powers Florida, Tennessee and Alabama to win its first team title thanks to its incredible depth in the finals.
“We got our trophy and all jumped in the pool to celebrate,” Gaines said on WLAP Sunday Morning Sports. “Last year we got to see Tennessee do it and we were kind of bitter. It was awesome that we got to do it.”
It got even better when a totally unexpected UK official joined the splash part. Athletics director Mitch Barnhart showed up in Athens, Georgia, for the finals Saturday night When the Cats won, he jumped in the pool with coach Lars Jorgensen, other coaches and the UK swim team.
“We had no clue he was coming and it was super special seeing him there” Gaines said. “To see him jump in the pool was so cool.”
