NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Vanderbilt swimming will begin its final push preparing for the postseason when it travels to Athens, Georgia, to take on two of the top programs in the nation on Saturday.
The Commodores, who will be competing each of the next four weekends to close out the regular season, will face both host Georgia—currently ranked 11th in the nation—and Florida State at Gabrielsen Natatorium. The tri-meet will begin at 10 a.m. CT.
“We are looking to continue to gain confidence in our races and keep up that level of compete as we enter the home stretch of the season” head coach Jeremy Organ said. “This weekend is going to be a really exciting meet.”
Faith Knelson enters the meet the highest ranked Dore on the SEC’s season performance list, currently sitting 19th in the 100 breaststroke. She has finished first or second in the event in three of Vandy’s four dual meets thus far in 2023-24. Kailia Utley was runner-up in both the 100 and 200 butterfly last time out at Miami (Fla.), and is ranked among the top 40 in the conference in both events.
Ellie Taliaferro is among the top 30 in the SEC in the 200 individual medley entering the competition, and both she and Mercedes Traba pace the Commodores in multiple freestyle events with the former first on the team in the 100 and 200 and the latter having posted the top mark in the 500 and 1,000. Sophia Kosturos and Grace Ciaramitaro are currently among the top 50 in the league in the 100 and 200 backstroke, respectively, as well.
Vanderbilt will be visiting Georgia for the first time since opening the 2014-15 campaign against the Bulldogs in Athens. The Commodores have previously faced the Seminoles just once in program history, on Jan. 26, 1991, in Athens.
