Kentucky swim and dive made a statement against West Virginia as both the men’s and women’s teams swept the Mountaineers 168-132 and 222-77 respectively. 

An interesting dynamic seems to be revealing itself so far in this 2024-25 season for the Wildcats, as the veterans seem to be guiding the men’s team while the women’s wins are being paved by the younger athletes.

Junior Ryan Merani had a standout performance for the men, taking first in the 400-yard medley relay with a time of 3:17.80 and in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:39.17. 

Along with his first-place finishes, Merani got two second place finishes, one in the 500-yard free with a time of 4:35.99 and another in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 1:50.16.

“I’ve been blessed to be successful in the sport, and I care more about making sure our team is successful, rather than myself,” Merani said. “I’m going to do my part, but [there’s] so much talent, and so many great guys and girls who just have a heart for the sport. I just want to cultivate greatness.”

Sam Duncan, in his fifth year with the Wildcats, helped lead the men’s team with his victory in the one meter diving event, scoring 319.88 points. His second-place finish in the three-meter diving event also helped his team as he scored 331.73 points. 

“Ted has invested so much in me, and the people kind of brought me back,” Duncan said regarding his return to the team this year. “[I] wasn’t ready to say goodbye to the sport and the people; the community around here is awesome.”

Adding her name into the diving mix was freshman Avery Giese, who also took first in the one-meter diving event, as well as in the three-meter event. 

A huge part of her mindset was passed down to her by the seniors on the team.

“I tried to change my mentality coming in. Just be positive, and whatever happens,” Giese said. “Just enjoy the moment, because I’ve learned a lot from the seniors that time goes by fast, and to just soak in that time you have and make the most of it.” 

This new mentality from Giese was evident when compared to her performance at Ohio State the week prior. Against the Mountaineers, Giese garnered 15.55 more points than she did against the Buckeyes and Zips in the one-meter dive, and 53.70 more than she did in the three-meter dive.

Giese wasn’t the only Wildcat to make changes, as Freshman Sammie Hamilton said the changes she made in the home meet were technical. They led her to the top in the 1,650-yard freestyle and the 500-yard freestyle. 

Hamilton looked most impressive in the stands, where she waited for 33.65 seconds for the second-place swimmer to finish during the 1,650-yard freestyle. Although the event started neck-and-neck, the freshman’s edge to pull forward deep into the long-distance event is sure to make her a key component to the Cats’ team moving forward.

With the men’s first win of the season, and the women’s second, there’s a mutual consensus among the Wildcats that this win is merely a building block to a strong season ahead. 

Kentucky swim and dive’s next meet will see it travel to Knoxville, Tennessee to compete in the Tennessee Invitational, which lasts from Wednesday, Nov. 20, to Friday, Nov. 22.