Whether it’s the twenty-three times their names have been written into the record books – being a part of Kentucky’s first-ever SEC Championship in 2021 – or the thirty-four times these athletes were recognized with SEC Awards, Kentucky swim and dive’s seniors left their mark on the program.
This Friday eleven swimmers and two divers will be suiting up for the final time in their senior season inside the Lancaster Aquatic Center at 4 p.m. as the dual-meet season comes to a close.
With that in mind, the Kernel decided to take readers through the thirteen men and women who have represented the Blue and White over their careers not only in the pool and on the diving board but also in the classroom and community.
Max Berg
Hometown: Montpellier, France
Position: Freestyle / Individual-Medley (IM)
Max Berg’s four years as a Wildcat have made him one of the most successful swimmers to suit up in Kentucky blue.
He currently holds the fastest time in program history across five events (100-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle, 100-yard backstroke, 200-yard IM and the 800-yard freestyle relay) as well as the second fastest time in the 500-yard freestyle and the seventh fastest time in the 200-yard IM.
As a sophomore he became an SEC bronze medalist in the 800-yard freestyle relay, breaking the previous school record time. He was named to the All-SEC Second Team, competed in the NCAA Championship for the 800-yard freestyle relay and concluded the dual-meet season with fifteen top-five finishes.
His first ever individual NCAA Championship appearance was during his junior season, racing the 100-yard and 200-yard freestyle. He took another program record time in the 100-yard freestyle at the SEC Championships, was named on the SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll and rounded out his season with the Wildcat of the Year Award at the end-of-season banquet.
Berg also competed for France at the 2023 Worlds last summer and will participate in this year’s Olympic trials for a chance to represent France at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Sam Duncan
Hometown: Oakton, Virginia
Position: Diver
As a freshman, Sam Duncan proved his talent with his All-SEC Freshman Team placement and appearance in the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials.
He competed at the NCAA Championships for the one-meter and earned the Most Improved Diver Award and the Booster Club Award at the annual program annuity. Following his impressive year, he was named to the SEC First-Year Honor Roll and College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-America First Team.
Duncan competed in the NCAA Championship in both his sophomore and junior years as well. As a sophomore, he was awarded the Captain’s Award and the Diving Booster Club Award by the program.
He was also named SEC Diver of the Week (Jan. 31) and competed in the USA Diving Winter Nationals last season and ended the season with the Captain’s, Most Improved Diver and Mike Lynden MVP awards.
Zane Rosely
Hometown: White Lake, Michigan
Position: Butterfly / IM
Zane Rosely holds five times in the UK record book: No. 3 in the 1,000-yard freestyle, No. 4 in the 400-yard IM, No. 5 in the 1,650-yard freestyle, No. 6 in the 500-yard freestyle and No. 10 in the 200-yard butterfly.
Rosley put his name in the history books his first year as a Wildcat, becoming the first U.K. male freshman swimmer since 2013 to earn an NCAA Championship bid.
He was named to the All-SEC Freshman Team and the SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll and recorded ten top-five finishes during the dual-meet season, earning the Freshman Award at the banquet and was named to the CSCAA Scholar All-America First Team.
His sophomore season ended with thirteen top-eight finishes in dual-meet competitions and was awarded the Bob Bradley Scholarship Award at the annual banquet. He also achieved an SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll Status and was named a 2022 CSCAA Scholar All-America Honorable Mention.
The following season, he swam in the NCAA Championship for the 800-yard freestyle relay, clocked in seven top three finishes in the dual season and was again awarded the Bob Bradley Scholarship Award and the Swim and Dive Booster Award.
He was awarded the 2022-2023 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District, 2023 CSCAA Scholar All-America First Team and 2023 SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll.
Kaitlyn Bacik
Hometown: Beavercreek, Ohio
Position: Freestyle
Following an impressive season, the freestyle specialist was named to the SEC First-Year Honor Roll. She has appeared on the 2022 and 2023 SEC Winter Academic Honor Rolls.
Torie Buerger
Hometown: Wexford, Pennsylvania
Position: Backstroke and IM
Torie Buerger holds the ninth-fastest time in U.K. history in the 200-yard backstroke.
She qualified for the Olympic trials her freshman season, winning the B-Final in 200-yard backstroke during trials.
During the dual-meet competition, she compiled seven top-six finishes and split a 50.71 on the 400-yard freestyle relay at the SEC Championships, leading Kentucky to its first-ever SEC title.
She was named to the All-SEC Freshman Team and the SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll.
The following season, she won the C-Final in the 200-yard backstroke and finished with six top-five placements in the dual-meet season. She was Named to the Winter Academic Honor Roll and was a 2022 CSCAA Scholar All-American Honorable Mention.
Last season, Buerger took ten top-ten finishes during the dual-meet season and competed in the U.S. Open Championship in the 200-yard backstroke. She made three finals at the SEC Championship.
Sofia Davis
Hometown: Lovettsville, Virginia
Position: Backstroke / Breaststroke
During Davis’ freshman season, she was named to the 2021 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll.
She was named on the 2022 and 2023 Winter Academic Honor Rolls and took the UK Swim and Dive Booster Club Award in her sophomore year. During both her sophomore and junior years she was awarded the Bob Bradley Scholarship Award at the program banquet.
Megan Drumm
Hometown: Forest Hill, Maryland
Position: Freestyle
Megan Drumm holds program records with a No. 4 record time in the 100-yard freestyle and the No. 5 time in the 1,650-yard freestyle.
Drumm made the Olympic trials in the 200-yard freestyle in her freshman season and anchored the 400-yard freestyle relays, contributing to Kentucky’s first-ever SEC Championship title.
She ended the season by being named to the SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll and was a CSCAA Scholar All-America Honorable Mention.
She Qualified for her first NCAA Championship sophomore year in the 1,650-yard freestyle, had eleven top-eight finishes during dual-meet competition and was put on the SEC Academic Honor Roll.
Her junior season qualified her for another NCAA Championship in the 1,650-yard freestyle and 500-yard freestyle and she was named to the CSCAA All-America First Team and the SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll.
Bridget Engel
Hometown: Springfield, Ohio
Position: Breaststroke
Bridget Engel holds the fastest and fourth fastest time in the 100-yard breaststroke and the seventh fastest time in the 200-yard breaststroke.
Her Freshman season began with a first-place time in the 100-yard breaststroke in the season opener and she was named to the SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll.
She competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials for the 100-yard breaststroke and was named a CSCAA Scholar All-America Honorable Mention.
Sophomore year, she took the C-final in the 200-yard breaststroke at SECs and concluded her dual meet season with ten top-five finishes. She was named to the SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll and won the Bridget Alexander 100% Award at the annual banquet.
Last season, she qualified for her second NCAA Championships following her SEC Championships performance, where she set personal bests in all of her events. She was named on the CSCAA All-America First Team and the SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll.
Leah Luckett
Hometown: South Lebanon, Ohio
Position: Backstroke / Freestyle / IM
Luckett’s first season as a Cat ended with her placement on the CSCAA All-America Honorable Mention list and SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll.
She was awarded the SEC Academic Honor Roll and the Bob Bradley Scholarship award in both her sophomore and junior years.
Claire McDaniels
Hometown: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Position: Diver
A Pitt transfer, McDaniels is competing in her second year as a Wildcat. She came to Kentucky as a two-time ACC Academic Honor Roll member and competed in the NCAA Championships for platform diving in 2021.
Last season, she competed in the NCAA Zone C Championships for the Cats on the platform one-meter and three-meter. She placed ninth in the SEC Championship in the one-meter and was named to the SEC Winter Sports Academic Honor Roll.
Tori Orcutt
Hometown: Ft. Walton Beach, Florida
Position: Breaststroke / IM
Tori Orcutt was named to the SEC Community Service Team and the SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll as a freshman.
She was awarded the 2022 CATSPY Award, named to the SEC Community Service Team for the second straight year and placed on the SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll.
Last season she took home the Bob Bradley Scholarship Award and the Community Service Award at the team banquet along with another 2023 Winter Academic Honor Roll placement.
Anna Havens Rice
Hometown: Greenville, South Carolina
Position: Butterfly / Breaststroke / IM
Anna Havens Rice currently holds four top-ten record times: No. 5 in the 200-yard butterfly, No. 6 in the 400-yard IM, No. 7 in the 200-yard IM and No. 10 in the 100-yard Breaststroke.
As a freshman, Havens Rice was a part of Kentucky’s first-ever SEC Championship team and qualified for three events at the NCAA Championships. She competed in the U.S. Olympic trials and was named on the CSCAA All-America Honorable Mention for the 400-yard IM, CSCAA Scholar All-America First Team and the SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll.
She placed top five five times during the dual meet season and was awarded the Freshman Award at the program banquet.
In her sophomore year she clocked in ten top six finishes during the dual-meet seasons. She secured a win in the B-Final at the SEC Championships in the 200-yard butterfly and was named to the SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll and given the Bob Bradley Scholarship Award at the program banquet.
Last season, Havens Rice achieved five top three times during the regular season and successfully reached two finals in the SEC Champs, where she took first in the B-final for the 200-yard butterfly.
She was named to the SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll as well as the CSC Academic All-District Team and Academic All-American Team. She also took home her second Bob Bradley Award at the end of the season.
Kristyn Sabol
Hometown: Dublin, Ohio
Position: Freestyle / Butterfly
Kristyn Sabol holds the eighth fastest time in program history in the 200-yard butterfly.
Sabol also earned a CSCAA All-America Honorable Mention as well as placement on the SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll.
The following year, she took twelve top-six times through the dual season, swimming an impressive five top 12 times at a dual meet versus Auburn and NC State. She was awarded Most Improved at the annual banquet and gained her second CSCAA Scholar All American Honorable Mention.
All 13 athletes will have their final home meets of their senior season on Friday, Feb. 2, at 4 p.m. ET, when the Kentucky Wildcats face off against the Cincinnati Bearcats. UK will honor all 13 during the “Senior Day” festivities.
