2019 SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Tuesday, February 19 – Saturday, February 23
- Gabrielsen Natatorium, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia (Eastern Time Zone)
- Defending Champion: Texas A&M Women (3x), Florida men (6x)(results)
- Live results
- Live Video – SEC Network
- Championship Central
Day 3 of the 2019 SEC Championships have gone underway. Tonight’s program will feature finals in the 400 IM, 100 FL, and 200 FR. Headlining the session are Tennessee’s Erika Brown and Florida’s Maxime Rooney, who both have broken pool records in the 100 fly.
In the 400 IM, South Carolina’s Emma Barksdale comes in as the top seed. The men’s side features Florida teammates Grant Sanders and Kieran Smith in the top 2 after prelims.
Auburn’s Erin Falconer is the top seed in the 200 FR. Yet UGA’s Courtney Harnish, 500 free champ, and Tennessee’s Meghan Small, who broke the 200 IM NCAA record, are also contenders. Mikel Schreuders of Mizzou leds a pack of 6 guys in the 200 FR, however, Schreuders already broke the SEC record in the 800 free relay with a 1:31.61.
WOMEN’S 400 IM
- SEC Meet Record – 3:58.35, Elizabeth Beisel
- NCAA Record – 3:54.60, Ella Eastin
- Emma Barksdale (South Carolina)- 4:01.52
- Vanessa Pearl (Florida)- 4:03.56
- Monika Gonzalez-Hermosillo (Texas A&M)- 4:05.55
Emma Barksdale, after taking second last year in the event, dominated the event with a 4:01.52. That time ranks #2 in the NCAA this year. Barksdale was 3rd in the 200 IM last night.
Taking second in the event was Florida freshman Vanessa Pearl, whose 4:03.56 is now #4 in the NCAA. Third went to Texas A&M’s Monika Gonzalez-Hermosillo with a 4:05.55, which ranks #8 in the NCAA.
MEN’S 400 IM
- SEC Meet Record – 3:35.76, Hugo Gonzalez
- NCAA Record – 3:33.42, Chase Kalisz
- Robert Finke (Florida)- 3:40.94
- Kieran Smith (Florida)- 3:41.50
- Grant Sanders (Florida)- 3:42.87
In the 400 IM, the Florida men swept the top 3, led by Robert Finke (3:40.94). His time is number #2 in the NCAA behind Michigan’s Charlie Swanson. Kieran Smith, who won the 200 IM last night, took second with a 3:41.50, ranking #3 behind Finke. Two two Florida freshmen appeared to be in the top ten or so high school recruits in the class of 2018, and so far they seem to be thriving under Florida’s new-look program, as those were lifetimes bests for both men. Grant Sanders sealed the 1-2-3 finish with a 3:42.87 after taking 8th in the 200 IM.
Georgia may not looking completely on top of their game this week, but this is an event where they’ve had a lot of success, to put it mildly, so it was no surprise to see four Bulldogs in the A-final, although only one, Clayton Forde, managed to improve on his time from this morning.
WOMEN’S 100 FLY
SEC Meet Record – 49.85, Erika Brown- NCAA Record – 49.43, Kelsi Worrell
- Erika Brown (Tennessee)- 49.85
- Alyssa Tetzloff (Auburn)- 50.94
- Ann Ochitwa (Mizzou)- 51.25
Breaking her second SEC record of the meet was Erika Brown, who tied her own SEC record with a 49.85. Her time bumps her to #2 in the NCAA behind Louise Hansson and keeps her at #5 all-time in the NCAA.
Taking second place and achieving an NCAA A cut was Auburn’s Alyssa Tetzloff (50.94), who ranks #6 in the NCAA. Third went to Missouri’s Ann Ochitwa with a 51.25, ranking 8th in the NCAA.
All three of those women, plus Georgia’s Veronica Burchill, LSU’s Haylee Knight, Georgia’s Olivia Carter, and Tennessee’s Maddy Banic, were well under last year’s NCAA invite time of 52.41.
MEN’S 100 FLY
- SEC Meet Record – 44.21, Caeleb Dressel
- NCAA Record – 42.80, Caeleb Dressel
- Maxime Rooney (Florida)- 45.06 (pool record)
- Liam McCloskey (Auburn)- 45.11
- Camden Murphy (UGA)- 45.26
This evening’s 100 fly race produced the top 3 times in the NCAA, all eclipsing the pool record from this morning (45.32). Liam McCloskey was out the fastest in a blistering 20.97, with the rest of the field nearly simultaneous. It became a 3-man race between McCloskey, Maxime Rooney, and Camden Murphy.
Rooney was able to out-touch McCloskey by 0.05 to re-break his hours-old pool record with a 45.06. Rooney’s time maintained his #1 time in the NCAA this year and his #10 position on the all-time performers list in NCAA history.
McCloskey finished with a 45.11 while Murphy was closely behind with a 45.26. Both those times are #2 and #3 in the NCAA behind Rooney, respectively.
WOMEN’S 200 FREE
- SEC Meet Record – 1:41.82, Shannon Vreeland
- NCAA Record – 1:39.10, Missy Franklin
- Erin Falconer (Auburn)- 1:43.05
- Meghan Small (Tennessee)- 1:43.37
- Courtney Harnish (UGA)- 1:43.53
Erin Falconer picked up her first conference title with a 1:43.05, which is an A cut and #4 in the NCAA this year, swimming 0.38s faster than she did leading off Auburn’s 800 free relay Tuesday night. Meghan Small (1:43.47) and Courtney Harnish (1:43.53), picked up their second individual medals, after Small won the 200 IM and Harnish the 500 free yesterday. Their times are #6 and #9 in the NCAA this year as well.
Texas A&M’s Claire Rasmus took 4th in 1:43.96, pretty well in line with her 1:43.06 split from Tuesday night. Kentucky didn’t have anyone in the A-final despite finishing 3rd in the 800 free relay, but Geena Freriks, who split 1:43.30 anchoring that relay, won the B-final with a time of 1:44.84.
MEN’S 200 FREE
SEC Meet Record – 1:31.61, Mikel Schreuders- NCAA Record – 1:29.50, Townley Haas
- Mikel Schreuders (Mizzou)- 1:31.27
- Joey Reilman (Tennessee)- 1:32.35
- Khader Baglah (Florida)- 1:32.71
Mikel Schreuders kept his top spot and his own SEC record in the 200 free. His finishing time of 1:31.27 broke his 2-day old SEC record, and now holds the #1 and #2 fastest 200 free times in SEC history. He also maintained his #2 time in the NCAA this year behind Cal’s Andrew Seliskar. A 2nd time under 1:32 means that Schreuder should be a favorite to at least A-final in this event at NCAAs, assuming he can repeat that time once again in prelims there.
Taking second was Joey Reilman of Tennessee with a 1:32.35, which also keeps him at #4 in the NCAA and makes him look likely a likely scoring prospect at NCAAs, where last year he finished 24th in prelims. Khader Baqlah of Florida rounded out the top 3 with a 1:32.71, keeping his #6 time in the NCAA this year as well. Last year, Baqlah was 1:31.96 here, and then swam a 1:31.98 at NCAAs, taking 5th overall.
Scores After Day 3
With two days remaining, the Texas A&M women have built a sizable, although not insurmountable lead, while it looks like it’ll be Florida and Tennessee tussling for 2nd. Meanwhile, only 11 points separate the Florida and Missouri men.
Women
1. Texas A&M- 618.5 2. Florida- 561.5 3. Tennessee- 557.5 4. Georgia- 471.5 5. Auburn- 447 6. Kentucky- 364 7. Arkansas- 346 8. Missouri- 329.5 9. South Carolina- 278 10. Louisiana State- 273.5 11. Alabama- 209 12. Vanderbilt- 90
Men
1. Florida- 636 2. Missouri- 625 3. Texas A&M- 492 4. Tennessee- 442 5. Alabama- 441.5 6. Georgia- 436 7. Kentucky- 386.5 8. Auburn- 343 9. South Carolina- 292 10. Louisiana State- 265
Sooooo, you could basically go 49 in the women’s 100 Fly at NC’s and get 3rd. . . .
Who in the world expected Bobby Finke to win the 400 IM?? That swim signaled a major momentum shift for Florida. They came back and won the A,B, and C finals of the men’s 100 fly. It’s going to be a nail biter on the men’s side, but Florida’s milers can make all the difference, especially with how well Finke and Freeman have been swimming. Their men’s divers also tend to be better on platform. The women’s team is swimming lights out. Vanessa Pearl is the real deal.
Zeng is the definition of clutch.
For me the big story is how strong Florida looks. The women are back and the men are leading even after losing that unreal senior class.
Yes, but, Missouri….
I agree. There’s data points on both sides that are really positive for both programs, especially the women.
Where’s Grant Norgan at for this meet?
Do these scores reflect diving? The scores match meet mobile but the app doesn’t count the 9-24 points in their total, or at least assign points to the divers that scored them in the team score page.
They do. After event 21, South Carolina men had 276 points. Their only scoring diver was 11th for 16 points. After event 22, they had 292. Based on the web results.
Curious where Mabel Zavaros is for UF? She’s had an incredible freshman year so far!
She’ll be swimming the next 2 days….
44.2 on the way out for Robert Chandler Howard… reminds me of way back when Bob, David Copperfield, and Rod Stewart would tear up a dance floor in Atlantic City… it was it Vegas? Can’t quite remember. Those days are such a blur for me now. You’ve got to remember, this was back when Bieber was legal.