2024 SEC Championships: Day 5 Finals Live Recap

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
• Championship Central
• 2023 SEC Championships Box Score
• Major Conference Roster Limits and Scoring Rules
• Psych Sheets
• 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 Live Recap | Day 3 Finals Live Recap
• Day 4 Prelims Live Recap | Day 4 Finals Live Recap
• Day 5 Prelims Live Recap

Day 5 Finals Heat Sheets 

Folks, we’ve reached the final session of the 2024 SEC Championships. We kick things off with the fastest heats of the 1650 free before turning our attention to the 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke, women’s platform diving, and the 400 freestyle relay.

Florida is ahead in both team races and barring a total collapse, both their men and women should repeat as SEC team champions. But particularly in the men’s standings, the race behind them is a nail-biter. The Georgia men had a huge morning that should catapult them into 2nd place but Auburn and Texas A&M aren’t out of the race yet.

Of note, the Texas A&M men went 1-2-3 in the 200 breaststroke this morning. If they can maintain those seeds they could do a lot of damage, though both Georgia and Auburn have their strengths as well (Georgia has four ‘A’ finalists in the 200 back). The Volunteers are going to have to do something special to get back into that mix but expect the race for 2nd to not be sorted out until the end of the men’s 400 free relays.

TEAM SCORES THRU DAY 4

WOMEN:

1. Florida — 1051.5
2. Tennessee — 837
3. Texas A&M — 664.5
4. Auburn — 625.5
5. Georgia — 617
6. Alabama — 473
7. South Carolina — 459
8. LSU — 392
9. Kentucky — 307
10. Missouri — 281.5
11. Arkansas — 260
12. Vanderbilt — 162

MEN:

1. Florida — 1198.5
2. Auburn — 837
3. Tennessee — 822
4. Georgia — 791
5. Texas A&M — 757.5
6. LSU — 431
7. Missouri — 415
8. Alabama — 366
9. South Carolina — 324
10. Kentucky — 319

Women’s 1650 Freestyle — Timed Final

• NCAA Record: 15:03.31 — Katie Ledecky, Stanford (2017)
• SEC Record: 15:27.84 — Brittany McLean, Georgia (2014)
• SEC Championship Record: 15:36.52 — Brittany McLean, Georgia (2016)
• Pool Record: 15:38.74 — Stephanie Peacock, UNC (2012)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 15:52.41
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 16:13.73

Top 8:

1. Abby McCulloh (UGA) — 15:40.96
2. Emma Weyant (FLOR) — 15:54.62
3. Hayden Miller (TAMU) — 16:02.35
4. Aly Breslin (TENN) — 16:03.92
5. Liberty Williams (BAMA) — 16:06.49
6. Kate McCarville (TENN) — 16:10.44
7. Averee Preble (AUB) — 16:12.36
8. Mackenzie Brandt (BAMA) — 16:16.97

Abby McCulloh, who was 4th last year, ran away with the final heat of the women’s 1650 freestyle, lapping almost everyone in the field en route to gold. McCulloh clocked 15:40.96, breaking her personal best by almost nine seconds. She improves her NCAA-leading time, lowering it to a mark that would have won at 2023 NCAAs by more than three seconds.

Weyant finished silver in a personal best of her own, breaking 16 minutes for the first time in her career. Her previous best stood at 16:01.59 from her 13th place finish at 2023 NCAAs. Weyant hung around with McCulloh through the first part of the race but McCulloh was able to be more consistent than Weyant in the middle of the race. She was consistently splitting 28-mids compared to Weyant jumping around in the 29-low to mid range. Through the heart of the race, McCulloh just kept putting more distance between her and Weyant.

McCulloh and Weyant were the only two swimmers in the race to break 16 minutes; Hayden Miller rounded out the podium with a season-best 16:02.35 for bronze, improving from her 5th place finish last year.

Out of the early heats, former ACC champion Liberty Williams swam 16:06.49, a big season best, for 5th.

Men’s 1650 Freestyle — Timed Final

• NCAA Record: 14:12.08 — Bobby Finke, Florida (2020)
• SEC Record: 14:12.08 — Bobby Finke, Florida (2020)
• SEC Championship Record: 14:12.08 — Bobby Finke, Florida (2020)
• Pool Record: 14:12.08 — Bobby Finke, Florida (2020)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 14:37.31
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 14:53.84

Top 8:

1. Andrew Taylor (FLOR) — 14:38.41
2. Giovanni Linscheer (FLOR) — 14:38.78
3. Levi Sandidge (UKY) — 14:44.24
4. Mason Mathias (AUB) — 14:46.50
5. Carson Hick (UKY) — 14:47.84
6. Jake Mitchell (FLOR) — 14:48.21
7. Oskar Lindholm (FLOR) — 14:51.28
8. Grant Davis (AUB) — 14:43.68

There’s something that you don’t see every day: freshman Andrew Taylor just won the men’s 1650 free title out of the early heats. This afternoon, Taylor swam a massive personal best of 14:38.41, taking a whopping 25.92 seconds off his personal best. Coming into today, Taylor had never broken 15 minutes before; now, he’s well clear of the barrier and has launched himself up NCAA’s top times list this season.

He won the race by .37 seconds as Giovanni Linscheer won the fastest heat in 14:38.78. Linscheer made his move around the 1200-yard mark, gaining ground quickly on Jake Mitchell and the leader Levi Sandidge. Mitchell led through the early part of the race but Sandidge, the defending champ, caught him shortly after the first 500 yards.

Linscheer made his catch quickly and powered away from the field for the heat win and the silver medal. That gives the Gators another 1-2 this meet. As always, they showed off their freestyle depth in this event, going 1-2-6-7.

Sandidge earned bronze in 14:44.24, taking about six-tenths off his season-best.

Women’s 200 Backstroke — Final

• NCAA Record: 1:47.24 – Beata Nelson, Wisconsin (2019)
• SEC Record: 1:48.06 —  Rhyan White, Alabama (2020)
• SEC Championship Record: 1:48.06 —  Rhyan White, Alabama (2020)
• Pool Record: 1:48.06 —  Rhyan White, Alabama (2020)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 1:50.50
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 1:53.34

Top 8:

1. Bella Sims (FLOR) — 1:49.04
2. Josephine Fuller (TENN) — 1:49.75
3. Miranda Grana (TAMU) — 1:51.06
4. Amy Riordan (SCAR) — 1:52.05
5. Aviv Barzelay (TAMU) — 1:52.89
6. JoJo Ramey (FLOR) — 1:53.68
7. Grace Frericks (UKY) — 1:53.93
8. Catherine Choate (FLOR) — 1:54.76

So in her first SEC Championships, Bella Sims goes three-for-three in her individual events. Sims led the race from start to finish, taking the win in a season-best 1:49.04. Her best sits at 1:48.32 from 2022 Winter Juniors.

Though she led from the start, Josephine Fuller made her work right up until the final touch. Fuller made a charge on the final 50-yards, splitting 27.93 to Sims’ 28.23. The Volunteer ate into Sims lead and was gaining quickly on her but ran out of room to chase her down, earning another silver medal in 1:49.75. It’s a big personal best for Fuller, who’s had another excellent SEC Champs. Fuller’s swim marks her first under 1:50 (her previous best was 1:50.12).

In the 100 back, Fuller and Grana earned the silver and bronze medals and they repeated those finishes here in the 200. Grana swam another best time, taking an additional .63 seconds off the personal best she swam this morning in 1:50.06. She did the same thing in the 100 back, swimming a best in prelims and another in finals.

Amy Riordan came into this meet with a 1:54.05 PB. She was the ‘C’ final winner in 2023. She’s leaving 2024 SECs as the 4th place finisher and a new PB of 1:52.05–a full two second drop.

Men’s 200 Backstroke — Final

• NCAA Record: 1:35.73 — Ryan Murphy, Cal (2016)
• SEC Record: 1:35.75 — Shaine Casas, Texas A&M (2021)
• SEC Championship Record: 1:36.85 — Shaine Casas, Texas A&M (2021)
• Pool Record: 1:37.20 — Shaine Casas, Texas A&M (2020)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 1:39.13
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 1:40.62

Top 8:

1. Jonny Marshall (FLOR) — 1:36.68
2. Bradley Dunham (UGA) — 1:37.80
3. Aidan Stoffle (AUB) — 1:38.78
4. Ian Grum (UGA) — 1:39.36
5. Nate Stoffle (AUB) — 1:39.43
6. Ruard van Renen (UGA) — 1:41.12
7. Tommy Hagar (BAMA) — 1:41.20
8. Sam Powe (UGA) — 1:41.52

Jonny Marshall has swept the backstrokes at these championships. The Florida freshman jumped on the race from the beginning, turning after the first 50 in 22.16. He continued to lead for the rest of the race, putting up 23.92/24.59/26.01 on the remaining three 50s.

Marshall earned gold in a personal best 1:36.68 which makes him the second-fastest freshman in NCAA history behind Destin Lasco. The time takes down the SEC Championship and pool records but there was another record that mattered more to Marshall: the Florida school record, held by Ryan Lochte. Marshall broke that record of 1:37.68 with this swim–a mark that had stood since 2006. Marshall celebrated in appropriate fashion dropping a “JEAH!” in his post-race interview that immediately made me flash back to 2012.

Last year’s champion Bradley Dunham swam his second personal best of the day, hitting a 1:37.80 for the silver medal. Aidan Stoffle, a fifth-year like Dunham, improved from 4th in 2023 to bronze this year in 1:38.78.

Replay of Jonny Marshall's School record, Meet record AND pool record swim ⏮️#GoGators pic.twitter.com/5lkNXXW2SO

— Gators Swimming & Diving (@GatorsSwimDv) February 25, 2024

Women’s 100 Freestyle – Final

• NCAA Record: 45.16 — Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (2024)
• SEC Record: 45.83 — Erika Brown, Tennessee (2020)
• SEC Championship Record: 45.83 — Erika Brown, Tennessee (2020)
• Pool Record: 45.83 — Erika Brown, Tennessee (2020)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 47.18
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 48.37

Top 8:

1. Camille Spink (TENN) — 46.69
2. Micayla Cronk (FLOR) — 47.61
3. Brooklyn Douthwright (TENN) — 47.76
4. Chloe Stepanek (TAMU) — 47.77
5. Helena Jones (UGA) — 48.27
6. Polina Nevmovenko (AUB) — 48.70
7. Diana Petkova (BAMA) — 48.84
8. Sierra Smith (UMIZ) — 48.94

Camille Spink claimed the women’s 100 freestyle by almost a second, giving the freshmen their fourth-straight win of the session. Spink earns the sweep in the women’s sprint events as well as she won the 50 free earlier in the meet.

Spink split 22.07/22.62, speeding to the win in 46.69. It’s her first swim sub-47 seconds as she’d set her best at 47.11 in prelims this morning. Her time makes her the second-fastest in the NCAA this season behind only Gretchen Walsh and her new NCAA record.

Micayla Cronk held onto her 2nd place seed, earning silver in 47.61. Her time takes .16 seconds off her personal best. Brooklyn Douthwright joins Spink on the podium, giving the Volunteers a 1-3 finish. Douthwright swam a new personal best as well, dropping a 47.76 and lowering the time she posted in prelims. Before today, she had never broken 48 seconds. She beat Chloe Stepanek for the last spot on the podium by a hundredth.

Men’s 100 Freestyle — Final

• NCAA Record: 39.90 — Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
• SEC Record: 39.90 — Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
• Meet Record: 40.87 — Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
• Pool Record: 40.95 — Josh Liendo, Florida (2024)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 41.50
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 42.32

Top 8:

1. Josh Liendo (FLOR) — 40.82 (SEC Meet + Pool Record) 
2. Jordan Crooks (TENN) — 40.90
3. Gui Caribe (TENN) — 40.99
4. Macguire McDuff (FLOR) — 41.30
5. Reese Branzell (UGA) — 41.86
6. Logan Tirheimer (AUB) — 42.15
7. Jere Hribar (LSU) — 42.16
8. Julian Smith (FLOR) — 42.29

It was an excellent race in the men’s 100 freestyle as Josh Liendo, Jordan Crooks, and Gui Caribe battled for gold. All three broke 41 seconds and at the touch, it was Liendo who took down Caeleb Dressel‘s meet record with a 40.87. That makes him the 2nd-fastest swimmer in the NCAA this season behind Chris Guiliano‘s 40.62 performance at ACCs.

Caribe held the lead after 25 yards, but Liendo made his move on the second 25 and took the lead at the halfway mark, going out in 19.62 to the feet. Liendo carried the lead through the back half of the race, splitting 21.20. Both Caribe and Crooks were charging though.

Liendo got his hand on the wall first, eight-hundredths ahead of Crooks to outlast his 21.02 back 50 split. Crooks swam 40.90, knocking two-hundredths off his personal best. Caribe swam a lifetime best for bronze as well, getting under 41 seconds for the first time.

Finishing fourth, Macguire McDuff swam a personal best of his own. He swam 41.30, cutting .27 seconds off his old mark from 2023 SECs.

Women’s 200 Breaststroke — Final

• NCAA Record: 2:01.29 —  Kate Douglass, Virginia (2023)
• SEC Record: 2:03.26 — Bethany Galat, Texas A&M (2018)
• Meet Record: 2:04.62 — Sydney Pickrem, Texas A&M (2018)
• Pool Record: 2:04.76 — Caitlin Leverenz, Cal (2012)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 2:05.73
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 2:09.68

Top 8:

1. Mona McSharry (TENN) — 2:03.84 SEC Meet + Pool Record) 
2. Emelie Fast (TENN) — 2:07.02
3. Zoie Hartman (UGA) — 2:07.26
4. Alessia Ferraguti (UARK) — 2:07.69
5. Avery Wiseman (BAMA) — 2:08.45
6. Jocelyn Fisher (BAMA) — 2:10.89
7. Molly Mayne (FLOR) — 2:11.47
8. Laura Goettler (SCAR) — 2:11.51

For the second year in a row, Mona McSharry has swept the breaststrokes at the SEC Championships. She set another SEC Championship record here, speeding to the win in 2:03.84. The time is a personal best for McSharry, marking her first sub-2:04 performance. She set her previous best at 2:04.59 during 2023 NCAAs.

McSharry took control of the race at at the 75-yard mark. She continued to grow her lead from there, turning at the 100 in 59.74. She came back in 1:04.10, winning the race by more than three seconds.

In the 100 breast, the Volunteers went 1-3. Here in the 200, they’ve made it a 1-2 finish and freshman Emelie Fast earned silver in a personal best 2:07.02. Fast is from Sweden and this is her first full season in yards. She’s continued to drop time throughout the season and she dropped another 2.26 seconds from her best coming into the meet over the course of the day.

After winning silver last year, Zoie Hartman made it back onto the podium this year, taking bronze in 2:07.36 and holding off Alessia Ferraguti.

Men’s 200 Breaststroke — Final

• NCAA Record: 1:46.91 — Leon Marchand, Arizona State (2023)
• SEC Record: 1:50.08 — Aleksas Savickas, Florida (2023)
• Meet Record: 1:50.08 — Aleksas Savickas, Florida (2023)
• Pool Record: 1:51.18 — Alex Sanchez, Texas A&M (2024)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 1:51.09
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 1:52.94

Top 8:

1. Alex Sanchez (TAMU) — 1:50.36 (Pool Record)
2. Aleksas Savickas (FLOR) — 1:50.42
3. Baylor Nelson (TAMU) — 1:52.43
4. Vincent Ribeiro (TAMU) — 1:53.19
5. Jacques Rathle (AUB) — 1:54.37
6. Will Goodwin (UMIZ) — 1:54.44
7. Peter Brentzmann (FLOR) — 1:55.41
8. Alejandro Flores (AUB) — 1:57.91

It came down to the touch between Alex Sanchez and defending champ Aleksas Savickas who swam two different races. Savickas, who won the 100 breast last night, took the race out hard: he turned at the 50 in 24.50, then at the 100 in 52.27, making his second 50 a 27.77.

Sanchez, said post-race that his strategy was to “back-half the race”, a similar strategy to his 200 IM (where he split 27.41 on the breaststroke leg). He made his move on the third 50, putting up a 28.16 to pick up half a second on Savickas. He brought it home in 28.70, putting up the only sub-29 final 50 split in the ‘A’ final.

That gave him just enough room to get his hands on the wall first with a new personal best time of 1:50.36, breaking his own pool record from this morning. Savickas earned silver in 1:50.42. He broke up the Aggies grip on the 1-2-3 seeds they had coming in. The Aggies still managed to go 1-3-4, racking up huge points. 200 and 400 IM champion Baylor Nelson earned bronze with a new personal best 1:52.43, resetting his mark from prelims. Vincent Ribeiro clocked 1:53.19 for fourth, well ahead of the 4th place finisher Jacques Rathle (1:54.37).

WOMEN’S PLATFORM DIVING — FINAL

• SEC Record: 356.10, Victoria Lamp (TENN) – 2014 SEC Championships
• SEC Championship Record: 356.10, Victoria Lamp (TENN) – 2014 SEC Championships

Top 8:

1. Camyla Monroy (FLOR) — 312.70
2. Montserrat Lavenant (LSU) — 304.80
3. Ashlynn Sullivan (AUB) — 273.85
4. Tanesha Lucoe (TENN) — 260.90
5. Helle Tuxen (LSU) — 251.25
6. Elle Renner (TENN) — 247.30
7. Maggie Buckley (LSU) — 236.70
8. Abigail Farrar (AUB) — 217.05

After an average first dive, freshman Camyla Monroy found her groove and didn’t look back. She took over the lead and held on for the win, becoming the first Gator to win the women’s platform finals in 13 years. She beat defending champion Montserrat Lavenant by 7.9 points, amassing 312.70 points for her title.

There was another close battle for the bronze as Ashlynn Sullivan did enough to pick up the last spot on the podium, finishing 12.95 points ahead of Tennessee’s Tanesha Lucoe.

Women’s 400 Freestyle Relay — Final

• NCAA Record: 3:05.84 — Virginia (K. Douglass, A. Walsh, M. Parker, G. Walsh) (2023)
• SEC Record: 3:08.97 — Georgia (O. Smoliga, V. Burchill, M. Raab, C. Van Landeghem) (2017)
• SEC Championship Record: 3:09.18 — Auburn (J. Meyen, C. Fisch, R. Clevenger, A. Webb)
• Pool Record: 3:09.18 — Auburn (J. Meyen, C. Fisch, R. Clevenger, A. Webb)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 3:14.10
• 2024 NCAA ‘B’ Standard: 3:16.25

Top 8:

1. Florida (Ivey, Sims, Kruger, Cronk) — 3:08.00 (SEC Record) (NCAA ‘A’ Standard)
2. Tennessee (Douthwright, McSharry, Fuller, Spink) — 3:08.97 (NCAA ‘A’ Standard)
3. Georgia (Jones, Roberson, McCarty, Hartman) — 3:12.12 (NCAA ‘A’ Standard)
4. LSU — 3:12.17 (NCAA ‘A’ Standard)
5. Auburn — 3:14.12
6. Alabama — 3:14.61
7. South Carolina — 3:14.62
8. Arkansas — 3:14.91

Florida put an exclamation mark on their meet by earning the win in the women’s 400 freestyle in SEC record fashion. Isabel Ivey kicked things off for them in 46.61, which would’ve won the individual 100 freestyle earlier tonight by eight-hundredths. She turned it over to Sims, who kept things rolling with a 46.54. Lainy Kruger split 48.43 and the 100 free silver medalist, Cronk, anchored in 46.42.

Florida won in an overall time of 3:08.00, breaking Georgia’s SEC record from 2017 by .97 seconds.

Tennessee finished second, tying the old SEC record. Douthwright led off in 48.14, then McSharry split 47.92. Fuller split a huge 46.83 on the third leg, closing the gap to the Gators. Spink anchored in 46.08, pulling the Vols closer but the gap was too big for them to close entirely.

Georgia’s squad of Helena Jones (48.10), Bri Roberson (48.14), Eboni McCarty (48.25), and Zoie Hartman (47.63) won a close race with LSU for bronze. They out-touched the Tigers by five-hundredths, 3:12.12 to 3:12.17.

Men’s 400 Freestyle Relay — Final

• NCAA Record: 2:44.07 — Florida (J. Liendo, A. Chaney, J. Smith, M. McDuff) (2024)
• SEC Record: 2:44.07 — Florida (J. Liendo, A. Chaney, J. Smith, M. McDuff) (2024)
• SEC Championship Record: 2:46.03 — Auburn (J. Andkjaer, G. Louw, K. Norys, M. Targett) (2009)
• Pool Record: 2:46.03 — Auburn (J. Andkjaer, G. Louw, K. Norys, M. Targett) (2009)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 2:50.44
• 2024 NCAA ‘B’ Standard: 2:51.86

Top 8:

1. Florida (Liendo, Chaney, Smith, McDuff) — 2:45.31 (SEC Meet + Pool Record) (NCAA ‘A’ Standard) 
2. Tennessee (Caribe, Blackman, Chambers, Crooks) — 2:46.11 (NCAA ‘A’ Standard) 
3. Alabama (Alves, Hawke, Korstanje, Wilson) — 2:48.61 (NCAA ‘A’ Standard) 
4. Georgia — 2:48.62 (NCAA ‘A’ Standard) 
5. Auburn — 2:49.17 (NCAA ‘A’ Standard) 
6. Texas A&M — 2:51.22
7. Missouri — 2:51.84
8. Kentucky — 2:53.29

Crooks’ blistering 40.57 split anchoring Tennessee’s relay made things interesting at the end, but it wasn’t enough to stop Florida from completing the relay sweep to finish off their SEC Championships.

Liendo got the Gators the lead with a 41.13, out-touching Gui Caribe‘s 41.28 lead-off for the Vols. Adam Chaney split 41.39, bouncing back from ending up in the ‘C’ final in the individual 100 free. Julian Smith swam 41.22 and McDuff brought them home in 41.57, giving them a winning time of 2:45.31. It’s a new SEC meet record and a pool record, bettering the 2:46.03 mark that Auburn swam in 2009.

Tennessee finished comfortably in second with a 2:46.11. There was an even tighter race for bronze here in the men’s race than in the women’s. The Alabama men beat Georgia by .01 seconds for 3rd, 2:48.61 to 2:48.62. Leading off for the Bulldogs, Reese Branzell destroyed the program record of 41.71 he swam in prelims this morning, clocking 41.44. Alabama got a 41.54 split from Charlie Hawke to help them get in front of Georgia.

Final Scores

Women:

1. Florida — 1391.5
2. Tennessee — 1190
3. Texas A&M — 926.5
4. Auburn — 879.5
5. Georgia — 822
6. Alabama — 686
7. South Carolina — 629
8. LSU — 579
9. Kentucky — 446
10. Arkansas — 373
11. Missouri — 332.5
12. Vanderbilt — 194

Men:

1. Florida — 1584
2. Auburn — 1104
3. Georgia — 1042
4. Texas A&M — 1006.5
5. Tennessee — 992
6. LSU — 553
7. Alabama — 527.5
8. Missouri — 513
9. South Carolina — 442
10. Kentucky — 433