Florida
Florida swim improves at Florida Invitational – The Independent Florida Alligator
From Thursday-to-Saturday, the Florida men’s and women’s swimming team hosted NOVA Southeastern University in the O’Connell Center Natatorium for the Florida Invitational.
Thursday, 11 Gators participated in three events and 10 of those swimmers recorded improved times from their morning preliminary trials.
Florida claimed the top three spots in the men’s 500-yard freestyle, with junior Aryan Nehra placing first. Nehra dropped two and forty-one hundredths of a second from his preliminary time with a finish time of 4 minutes, 19.37 seconds.
Freshman Bobby Dinunzio III followed in second place, dropping 4.25 seconds from his preliminary trial with a final time of 4:21.23. Freshman Amadeusz Knop completed the event in 4:23.01, placing third and finishing .63 seconds faster than his preliminary time.
In the women’s 200 IM, sophomore Grace Gardner placed first for NOVA Southeastern, finishing with a time of 2:08.29. Florida junior Molly Golding followed behind in second with a time of 2:11.71, .55 seconds faster than her preliminary trial.
For the men’s 200 IM, freshman Caleb Maldari secured first place for the Gators with a time of 1:44.99, crushing his preliminary time of 1:48.06. Sophomore Cam Abaqueta followed in second place, dropping .85 seconds after his race in the preliminaries.
Friday, the Gators dominated in the women’s 100 back with freshman Bella Sims placing first with a 50.44 NCAA A-cut time, beating her preliminary time by 1.44 seconds. Freshman Carly Meeting placed second with a time of 54.21.
In the NCAA championships, A-cut times allow swimmers to participate in all events they have B-cut times in.
Thirty-seven of Florida’s swimmers improved their final times following the preliminaries that Friday morning. Senior Adam Chaney, junior Julian Smith, sophomore Joshua Liendo and junior Macguire McDuff swam a 1:22.95 NCAA A-cut time in the men’s 200 relay.
Saturday, the final day of the invitational, freshman Bella Sims set a new program record in the 100 backstroke with a time of 50.44. Senior Isabel Ivey also set a new program record in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:43:03. Nehra, junior Benjamin Cote, and Dinunzio III all achieved NCAA B-cut times in the 1,650-yard freestyle.
The Gators will next compete in Auburn, Alabama, for the SEC Championships from Feb. 20- 24. The men’s team seeks a 12th consecutive championship while the women’s team aims for back-to-back conference titles.
Contact Shaine Davison at sdavison@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @shainedavison.
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Gisele Bündchen and her boyfriend, Joaquim Valente, soaked up the sun during a jet skiing date in Florida.
The model and the MMA athlete appeared in good spirits while on the water near their home in Surfside on Saturday.
They both stayed close to each other and sported life vests.
Bündchen, 35, appeared to be wearing a white one-piece bathing suit underneath her vest.
She accessorized with sunglasses and styled her hair in a ponytail.
As for Valente, he sported black swim trunks.
The couple, who have been romantically linked since 2023, enjoyed some quality time together after welcoming a son together in February.
While Bündchen and Valente have shied away from revealing too much about their infant, they recently took him out on a boat ride in September.
At the time, the former Victoria’s Secret model was seen cradling her son while her beau took the wheel.
Valente then adorably held onto their 10-month-old, as Bündchen watched in awe.
The health guru also shared a rare glimpse of her son alongside her 16-year-old son, Benjamin, in October.
The teenager adorably held onto his little brother while playing the piano.
Bündchen shares Benjamin and her daughter Vivian, 13, with her ex-husband, Tom Brady.
The exes were wed from 2009 to 2022.
The former NFL star also shares an 18-year-old son, Jack, with his ex Bridget Moynahan.
The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) football state championships continued last night down in Miami at Pitbull Stadium as the Raines Vikings upset the Northwestern Bulls for the the Class 3A state championship, provind the most exciting game of the week thus far. Another rematch from last year’s finals pits the American Heritage Patriots versus the Jones Tigers for the Class 4A state championship this afternoon. We preview the sixth of seven FHSAA state championship games as teams begin being crowned as champions of their classifications.
How to Watch American Heritage vs. Jones in Florida 4A state championship game
Date: Saturday, Dec. 13
Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
Location: Pitbull Stadium in Miami, Fla.
TV Channel: NFHS Network
American Heritage Players to Watch
QB Leon Strawder: Strawder is making his second consecutive appearance in a state championship game, this time with a different team, however. The senior has thrown for 2,052 yards and 19 touchdowns.
WR Jamar Denson: Of the star-studded wide receiving corps for American Heritage, its Denson who has been Mr. Reliable thus far this season. Throughout the course of the season, Denson has hauled in 69 passes for 991 yards and 15 touchdowns.
WR Jeffar Jean-Noel: The Georgia Tech commit has been the second option behind Denson on offense, with Jean-Noel catching 57 passes for 795 yards and six touchdowns.
LB Dylan Bennett: Anchoring the front seven of the Patriots’ defense is the senior linebacker, who currently leads the team with 61 total tackles, 17 them going for a loss and five sacks.
Jones Players to Watch
QB Dereon Coleman: The Miami signee is as calm as they come in the pocket as the senior quarterback has thrown for 2,749 yards, 28 touchdowns and only three picks this Florida high school football season.
WR Larry Miles: Coleman’s favorite target to throw to is the Nebraska signee as the senior looks to end his high school career with a state crown. Miles has caught 88 passes for 1,111 and 10 touchdowns.
OL Xavier Payne: The 6-foot-7, 275-pound Colorado offensive tackle signee will have the job of making sure Coleman stands upright throughout the afternoon against American Heritage’s pass rush.
EDGE Frederick Ards: The 2027 four-star EDGE rusher for the Tigers has been superb, racking up 73 tackles, 13 for loss and 11 sacks.
Where to Watch the Florida Class 4A state championship on livestream:
You can watch the American Heritage Patriots take on the Jones Tigers starting at 12:30 p.m. ET on NFHS Network.
For Florida high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the Sunshine State, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the high school football excitement across the state of Florida.
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