2024 SEC Championship: Day 3 Prelims Scratches – #1 Seeds Sims (400 IM), Ivey (100 Fly) Out

2024 SEC SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• February 19 – February 24, 2024
• James E. Martin Aquatic Center — Auburn, AL
• Defending Champions:
  • Women: Florida (1x)
  • Men: Florida (11x)
• Start Times (CT): 9:30 am prelims/5:30 pm finals
  • Day 1 (diving only): 11 am prelims/4:20 pm finals
  • Day 2: 11 am prelims (diving only)/ 5 pm (relays only)
• Championship Central
• 2023 SEC Championships Box Score
• Major Conference Roster Limits and Scoring Rules
• Psych Sheets
• Women’s Fan Guide
• Men’s Fan Guide
• Live Results
• Live Video (SEC+ Network)
• Day 1 Diving Recap
• Day 1 Finals Live Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Live Recap
• Day 2 Finals Live Recap

Day 3 Prelims Heat Sheets

Florida freshman Bella Sims has scratched out of both of her events on Day 3 of the 2024 SEC Championships after winning her first individual SEC Championship Title in the 200 IM on night 2. 

On Day 3, Sims was entered as the top seed in the women’s 400 IM (4:01.47) and the second seed in the women’s 200 freestyle (1:43.04), putting herself in the position to win either of the two events. However, she will contest neither of those events, leaving the 200 butterfly, 200 backstroke, and 100 freestyle as her remaining potential events.

It was expected that Sims would have to significantly reduce her schedule to a maximum of 3 events after entering the meet with 7 individual entries. She will still have to scratch one additional event over the next few days of competition based on her remaining schedule. 

With her scratch in the 400 IM, Sims’ Florida teammate Emma Weyant now enters the race as the top seed with an entry time of 4:03.65, almost 3 seconds ahead of the field. Weyant also scratched an event for day 3, opting out of the 200 freestyle where she was the 10th seed (1:45.16). 

The top seed in the women’s 200 freestyle belongs to another Florida swimmer, 5th year Isabel Ivey (1:43.03). Ivey finished 2nd to Sims in the 200 IM on day 2 (1:52.50) and now is the heavy favorite to win the 200 freestyle. With that, Ivey scratched the 100 butterfly on Day 3, where she was also the top seeded swimmer in the event (50.60). Ivey’s scratch leaves Florida  junior Olivia Peoples as the top seed in the event (51.59). 

On the men’s side there were also multiple scratches, with 5 men scratching out of the 200 freestyle, including 5th seed Jake Magahey from UGA (1:32.80) and 7th seed Josh Liendo from Florida (1:32.96). Magahey already won the men’s 500 freestyle on day 2 with a time of 4:09.38 and he enters as the 6th seed in the 400 IM (3:42.76). Liendo, meanwhile, finished 3rd in the 50 freestyle on day 2 (18.83) and he currently holds the top seed in the 100 butterfly (44.39), making his decision to drop this event a logical one. 

Tennessee sprinter Jordan Crooks, the winner of the men’s 50 freestyle, has decided to scratch out of the 100 butterfly. Crooks was seeded 3rd in the event (45.18), but he will instead swim the 200 freestyle, where he is also seeded 3rd (1:32.07).

ALL TOP-24 SCRATCHES

• Women’s 400 IM 
  • #1 Bella Sims (Florida) – 4:01.47
  • #23 Abby Grottle (Texas A&M) – 4:17.79
• Men’s 400 IM 
  • #20 Tommy Hagar (Alabama) – 3:49.51
• Women’s 100 Butterfly
  • #1 Isabel Ivey (Florida) – 50.60 
  • #22 Brooklyn Douthwright  (Tennessee) – 53.35 
• Men’s 100 Butterfly 
  • #3 Jordan Crooks (Tennessee) – 45.18
  • #10 Bradley Dunham (Georgia) – 46.34
• Women’s 200 Freestyle
  • #2 Bella Sims (Florida) -1:43.04
  • #10 Emma Weyant (Florida) – 1:45.16
  • #12 Zoie Hartman (Georgia) – 1:45.33
  • #16 Josephine Fuller (Tennessee) – 1:45.60
• Men’s 200 Freestyle 
  • #5 Jake Magahey (Georgia) – 1:32.80
  • #7 Josh Liendo (Florida) -1:32.96
  • #14 Baylor Nelson (Texas A&M) – 1:33.97 
  • #15 Julian Smith (Florida) – 1:34.10
  • #19 Zach Hils (Georgia) – 1:34.75