PENSACOLA, Fla.- After an impressive week in the pool, the No. 6 West Florida Swimming and Diving team is set to host senior day at the UWF Aquatic Center on Saturday, January 7^th at 1 p.m. The Argonauts will compete against Birmingham-Southern, Montevallo, and Texas Permian Basin (divers only).

Five seniors will be honored at the meet on Saturday including Katelyn Balent, Anna Jaworski, Stefanie Markwardt, Kathryn Mipro, and Brooke Simila.

ABOUT UWF
The Argonauts enter their second meet of 2023 as the No. 6 team in the nation based on the CSCAA's latest poll. Against Indian River State and Rochester Institute of Technology, UWF won the meet and had eight first place finishes on the day. Senior Markwardt had four of those first place wins including relays. Nina Imboden came in first in the 100 back (59.83) and second in the 50 back (28.21). West Florida championed the last event of the meet in the 200 free relay (1:38.53) with Markwardt, Aimee Patterson, Brooke Dorr, and Morgan Despres.

On the platform, the UWF divers had Jade Fontenelle and Olivia Nelson place first and second on the 1-meter boards (270.85), Nelson makes for the fifth diver this season to earn a national qualifying score. Nelson is joined by Fontenelle, Adriana Mieses-Sanchez, Michelle Mejia, and Daniela Reyes, who have all hit NCAA qualifying scores and will be traveling to Indianapolis, Ind. in March for the NCAA Diving Qualifier.

ABOUT BSU
This will be the second meet up between these two teams as UWF defeated the Panthers 233-96 earlier in October. The Argonauts finishes first in every event on the day to take down BSU. In their biggest meet of the season at the Wabash College Invite, the Panthers earned a third-place finish out of six teams after three days of competition. Senior distance swimmer Mary Miller Goldberg had three second place finishes in the 400-medley relay, 400 IM, and 1650 free. In late October, the Panthers had two student-athletes receive Athlete of the Week awards including swimmer Samantha Feild and diver Mallory Wilson. Feild had a dominating two-day performance with wins in two relay (200 and 400 medley) and four individual events (400 IM, 100 back, 200 breast, and 200 IM). Wilson highlighted the 1-meter event and won with a score of 201.60.

The Panthers are under the direction of Toby Wilcox as he has been with the Panthers since 2011. Wilcox is a four-time SAA Coach of the Year.

ABOUT UM
At the Delta State Invite, the Falcons came in fourth overall and set eight school records. Freshman Tahlia Micallef broke a school record in four individual events and as a part of two relays. Sophomore Emily Sauer set a new school record in the 1000 free in 10:56.22. The last time the Argonauts faced the Falcons was in the 2019-20 season as UWF's 202 points towered over the Falcons 35 points.

This week Montevallo fell to Ouachita Baptist 113-35 in their first dual meet of 2023 as Molly Hansen and Beth Balent led the charge for the Falcons. Aaron Mahaney has been head coach of the Falcon's swimming and diving program since the program started in 2018.

ABOUT UTPB
The Falcons will be bringing their divers to the UWF Aquatic Center for the meet on Saturday. Freshman Delany Murphy had two second place finishes against Division I opponent New Mexico State in the 1- and 3- meter boards in early December. The Huntington Beach native earned the top spot in the Trinity Invite on the 1-meter boards with a score of 464.05.

Jennifer Mangum is in her fifth season as the first head diving coach in program history.

Fans are encouraged to come out for senior day, but for those not able to attend, live updates will be available on the Meet Mobile App.

For the latest information on UWF athletics, visit goargos.com or follow UWF Swimming and Diving on social media on Instagram @uwfswimdive or twitter @UWFSwimDive.