2021 Women’s SEC Championships: Day 2 Prelims Live Recap

SEC – WOMEN SWIMMING & DIVING + MEN’S DIVING

  • Wednesday, February 17 – Saturday, February 20, 2021
  • W Swimming: Gabrielsen Natatorium – Athens, GA (Eastern Time Zone)
  • W&M Diving: Mizzou Aquatics Center – Columbia, MO (Central Time Zone)
  • Defending Champion: Tennessee (1x) (2020 results)
  • Live results
  • Live Video – SEC Network
  • Championship Central
  • Psych Sheets (UPDATED)

This morning will be the first full prelims session of the 2021 Women’s SEC Championships. Last night, Alabama and Kentucky won a relay each, while Auburn and Georgia stumbled with DQ’s in the 200 medley relay.

THURSDAY PRELIMS HEAT SHEETS

500 FREE – PRELIMS

  • SEC meet record – 4:33.10, Brittany Maclean (Georgia) 2016
  • 2020 NCAA invite time – 4:41.20
  • 2020 champion – Courtney Harnish (Georgia), 4:36.40

Top 8

  1. Kristen Stege (Tennessee) – 4:39.35
  2. Peyton Palsha (Arkansas) – 4:39.94
  3. Courtney Harnish (Georgia) – 4:40.57
  4. Elise Bauer (Florida) – 4:41.26
  5. Kensey McMahon (Alabama) – 4:42.10
  6. Tylor Mathieu (Florida) – 4:43.25
  7. Jillian Barczyk (Georgia) – 4:43.43
  8. Olivia Anderson (Georgia) – 4:43.44

Tennessee sophomore Kristin Stege was out fast in 1:49.21 in heat five, the East Carolina transfer already making a name for herself in the conference distance ranks. She would go on to win the heat with a 4:39.35, beating Alabama junior Kensey McMahon (4:42.10) who finished third in this race last year. For Stege, that’s a lifetime best by four seconds, and she’s come a long way since her high school best of 4:58.89 just two years ago.

Peyton Palsha of Arkansas and Courtney Harnish of Georgia went head-to-head in the final heat of the 500 free prelims, both out in 1:49-mids at the 200. Palsha was able to get under 4:40, going 4:39.94 for her third sub-4:40 swim ever, while Harnish will lurk in third (4:40.57), not showing her full potential as the defending champion (4:36.40).

Florida freshman Elise Bauer had another huge swim, clocking a lifetime best of 4:41.26 to snag the fourth spot in the A-final. She was 4:47.34 in high school, and 4:44.76 mid-season before shaving an additional 3.5 seconds this morning.

In the first circle-seeded heat, Florida sophomore Tylor Mathieu battled with Georgia sophomore Jillian Barczyk and Auburn junior Emily Hetzer. Mathieu was 4:43.25 to get the win, ahead of Barczyk (4:43.43) and Hetzer (4:43.63). For Barczyk, that’s a lifetime best, while Hetzer was off of her prelim-leading 4:38.56 from the 2020 SEC Champs. Mathieu and Barczyk both get into the A-final after swimming in the C-final last year, knocking Hetzer down to ninth and out of the A-final.

Florida and Georgia are the big winners in terms of getting swimmers into scoring position– Florida has 2/2/2 in the A/B/C finals and Georgia has 3/1/0. Tennessee and Kentucky also had strong showings, as the Lady Vols have 1/2/0 and the Wildcats 0/2/2.

200 IM – PRELIMS

  • SEC meet record – 1:51.62, Meghan Small (Tennessee) 2019
  • 2020 NCAA invite time – 1:57.31
  • 2020 champion – Meghan Small (Tennessee), 1:52.14

Top 8

  1. Zoie Hartman (Georgia) – 1:54.35
  2. Danielle Dellatorre (Georgia) – 1:55.29
  3. Vanessa Pearl (Florida) – 1:55.40
  4. Lauren Poole (Kentucky) – 1:55.56
  5. Alexis Yager (Tennessee) – 1:55.88
  6. Izzy Gati (Kentucky) – 1:56.25
  7. Bailey Bonnett (Kentucky) – 1:56.40
  8. Hannah Ownbey (Auburn) – 1:56.73

Georgia sophomore Zoie Hartman is the top seed by a good margin going into tonight’s final. She won the final heat this morning at 1:54.35, winning her heat by over a second ahead of Tennessee’s Alexis Yager (1:55.88).

In heat seven, Danielle Dellatorre of Georgia and Lauren Poole of Kentucky battled to the wall, both going bests as Dellatorre won in 1:55.29 ahead of Poole’s 1:55.56. For Poole, it was her first time under 1:57. The heat after, Vanessa Pearl of Florida dropped a 1:55.40 for the win in the penultimate heat.

Kentucky looked very good here, with Poole, Izzy Gati (1:56.25) and Bailey Bonnett (1:56.50) all into the A-final and Sophie Sorenson (1:56.92) in the B-final.

Auburn freshman Hannah Ownbey dropped almost two full seconds to get all the way up into the A-final, a key swim for the Tigers.

Alabama had a couple big initial heat wins, with freshman Diana Petkova taking heat one (1:58.13) and junior Cat Wright picking up heat two (1:57.67). Also dropping a big swim was Kentucky sophomore Jodi Ogle, an East Carolina transfer, who dropped over two seconds from her old best with a 1:59.13 to win heat five and nab the last spot in the C-final.

Kentucky and Georgia are the big movers in this event. UK has 3 up, 1 mid, 1 down, while UGA has 2 up, 3 mid and 1 down.

50 FREE – PRELIMS

  • SEC meet record – 21.03, Erika Brown (Tennessee) 2020
  • 2020 NCAA invite time – 22.21
  • 2020 champion – Erika Brown (Tennessee), 21.03

Top 8

  1. Katie Mack (Florida) – 21.82
  2. Kalia Antoniou (Alabama) – 21.91
  3. Gabi Fa’amausili (Georgia) – 21.99
  4. Maxine Parker (Georgia) – 22.07
  5. Megan Keil (Mizzou) – 22.09
  6. Cora Dupre (Alabama) – 22.12
  7. Bailey Grinter (Tennessee) – 22.13
  8. Emily Barclay/Kobie Melton (Arkansas) – 22.18 *TIE*

Katie Mack of Florida, an NC State transfer, destroyed her old best of 22.34 en-route to a huge 21.82 in heat eight of ten. She leads the way going into tonight’s final.

Blasting a 21.91 out of lane eight in heat one (with a NT entry), Alabama’s Kalia Antoniou rocked a 21.91 to easily get into the A-final tonight. Her old best was 22.11, and she nearly broke the Alabama school record of 21.84 held by Bailey Scott. Antoniou was an A-finalist in the 100 free last year at this meet, but only made the B-final in this race.

Alabama looked good here, with IU transfer Cora Dupre also getting into the A-final at 22.09, while Georgia again put two swimmers up between Gabi Fa’Amausili (21.99) and freshman Maxine Parker (22.07).

Mizzou, Tennessee and Arkansas each got one swimmer into this A-final, with #2 seed Megan Keil for Mizzou, Tennessee’s Bailey Grinter and Arkansas’s Emily Barclay and Kobie Melton tying.

Sarah Thompson, the top seed at 21.76, fell to the B-final with a 22.22, a big blow to Mizzou.

Alabama goes 2/1/1, Georgia 2/0/1, Tennessee 1/2/1, Florida 1/2/0, Mizzou 1/1/3 and Arkansas 1/1/0. Kentucky had no scorers after big showings in the previous two events.

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swimfan210_
3 years ago

Any word on the 50 free swim-off?

Admin
Reply to  swimfan210_
3 years ago

Kobie Melton – 22.20
Emily Barclay – 22.21

So Melton into the A, Barclay into the B.

WPS
3 years ago

Arkansas sends 3 divers to top 8, 3 meter finals tonight!

Agree?
3 years ago

petition to get college swimming to be shown on regular espn tv just like every other college sport instead of just a livestream

RTR
3 years ago

Who will take 1st in the 2 Free Relay tonight?

With 4 swimmers getting second swims in the 50 Free, maybe another Bama relay victory is in the cards?

seminoles
3 years ago

HUGE morning for the Gators especially without their top distance swimmer Leah Braswell!

Captain Ahab
3 years ago

Wish ole Miss and Mississippi State University had swimming.

swimfan210_
3 years ago

Great swimming from Stege and Palsha. After a 200 free PB can Harnish bring the fireworks in finals? Looking forward to a good race.
Hartman tying her seed time to the hundredth! Teammate Dellatorre has been having a great season, can UGA go 1-2?
Transfer working out well for Mack. Also Dupre on the way to returning to 2020 form with a 22.1 in prelims. Was 21.9 last year. Swimswam photo curse working again with Thompson missing finals.

Mizzwho?
3 years ago

Wow the swimswam photo curse strikes again

About Karl Ortegon

Karl Ortegon

Karl Ortegon studied sociology at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, graduating in May of 2018. He began swimming on a club team in first grade and swam four years for Wesleyan.

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