2025 SEC Championships: Day 3 Prelims Live Recap

2025 SEC Championships

• Dates: Tuesday, February 18–Saturday, February 22
  • Prelims: 9:30 am EST/ Finals 5:30 pm EST (Tuesday-5:00 EST)
• Location: Gabrielsen Natatorium — Athens, GA
• Defending Champions: Florida women (2x); Florida men (12x)
• Live Results
• Live Video: SEC Network+
• Championship Central
• Fan Guide (Men)
• Fan Guide (Women)
• Psych Sheets
• Teams: Alabama, Arkansas (women), Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas*, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt (women)
• Live Recaps
  • Finals: Day 1 | Day 2

Day 3 Prelims Heat Sheet 

Good morning swim fans! After an electric first night of swimming finals at the 2025 SEC Championships, this morning will be our first look at the athletes in their individual events at this championship.

• Related: SEC Day 3 Prelims Scratch Report

The Texas women won their first race at their SEC debut, setting a meet record in the 200 medley relay. They’ll look to win their first individual event today and could check that box off in the very first event, as redshirt freshman and SEC record holder Jillian Cox will dive in for the 500 freestyle. She’s already faster than what Sims went to win the 500 freestyle at last year’s NCAAs. Sims’ season-best is too, but she’s opted for the 200 IM today. Without her in the mix in the 500 free, watch for swimmers like Emma Weyant and Rachel Stege–along with the rest of Georgia’s mid-distance freestyle crew–to challenge Cox.

After helping set an American record in the 800 freestyle relay on the opening night of swimming, Rex Maurer, Luke Hobson, and Coby Carrozza will go to work in the 500 freestyle along with teammate David Johnston. Maurer owns the American and SEC record in this event with his 4:04.45 from midseason, which was a huge drop for him. This event will surely be filled with Longhorns, but some more familiar faces aim to return to the ‘A’ final, including defending champion Jake Magahey. Keep an eye on his teammate, Tomas Koski, who turned in the fastest 200 freestyle relay split last night with a 1:29.64.

Amid the record-setting relay swims, in many ways it was Florida’s Julian Smith who turned in the best performance last night. First, Smith swam the fastest 50 breaststroke split in history, 22.15. Then, about 30 minutes later, he split 1:29 on the Gators’ 800 freestyle relay. After being entered in the 200 IM/50 free, he’s gone for the IM. He sits #3 on the psych sheet this season after a lifetime best 1:41.04 at midseason. Like his teammates in the 500 freestyle, he’ll have a handful of Longhorns to contend with along with Luca Urlando.

Speaking of historic relay splits from last night, Jordan Crooks turned in a 17.4 split, the third-fastest performance in history. He’s been on fire in short-course (yards and meters) all season, and leads the way in the 50 freestyle. Between him (18.12)  and Gui Caribe (18.76), the Vols own the top two times on the psych sheet. Josh Liendo, Chris Guiliano, and Jere Hribar are the other two swimmers entered sub-19 seconds, with Liendo, the defending NCAA champion in this event, checking in at 18.80. After joining the Longhorns at midseason, Guiliano is entered in 18.89 and Hribar sits at 18.92.

Tennessee owns the top time on the psych sheet in the women’s 50 freestyle as well, courtesy of sprint star Camille Spink. The sophomore has looked strong all season, and will look to continue that trend in defense of her 50 freestyle title from last season. She’s seeded 21.33, and Emma Sticklen, who had the next best seed time at 21.64, has scratched in favor of the 200 IM. There are still five women, including Spink, entered with sub-22 times; two from Texas (Grace Cooper, Ava Longi), two from Tennessee (Spink, Jillian Crooks), and one from Alabama (Cadence Vincent).

Women’s 500 Freestyle — Prelims

• NCAA Record: 4:24.06 — Katie Ledecky, Stanford (2017)
• SEC Record: 4:30.68 — Jillian Cox, Texas (2024)
• SEC Championship Record: 4:33.10 — Brittany Maclean, Georgia (2016)
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 4:36.89

Top 8: 

1. Jillian Cox (TEX), 4:35.18
2. Dune Coetzee (UGA), 4:35.53
3. Emma Weyant (FLOR), 4:35.58
4. Abby McCulloh (UGA), 4:36.29
5. Julie Brousseau (FLOR), 4:36.78
6. Rachel Stege (UGA), 4:37.58
7. Erin Gemmell (TEX), 4:38.21
8. Kate McCarville (TENN), 4:39.02

Jillian Cox, the SEC record holder, secured the top seed for the women’s 500 freestyle, winning the final heat in a 4:35.18. That sets her up well for tonight, though she’ll look to put more distance between herself and the rest of the field. Neither Georgia’s Dune Coetzee nor Florida’s Emma Weyant let Cox get out of sight during their heat, and they touched in season-bests of 4:35.53 and 4:35.58 for the second and third fastest times overall.

Olympian Erin Gemmell took control of the first circle seeded heat, shaving seven-hundredths from the lifetime best she swam earlier this season and touching in 4:38.21. It took until this heat to get the first sub-4:40s of the day but then the floodgates were open, as the top five swimmers in the heat, Gemmell, Kate McCarville (4:39.02), Breckin Gormley (4:39.03), Ella Jansen (4:39.12), and Kate Hurst (4:39.21) all got under the barrier in their four-way race for 2nd in the heat. With so many women in the conference carrying season-bests sub-4:40 into SECs, this finish order will be quite impactful as to who ends up in which final later today.

Indeed, when the results went official at the end of the event, only Gemmell and McCarville made it into the ‘A’ final. After finishing a hundredth behind McCarville, Gormley will take lane four for the ‘B’ final. There were 12 women under the 4:40 barrier in prelims this year. Last year, it took a 4:41.97 to make the ‘A’ final.

Gemmell’s time was quickly overtaken by Canadian Olympian Julie Brousseau. The Florida first-year clocked a 4:36.78 to win the penultimate heat, blowing past her previous lifetime best of 4:37.19 from midseason. She won her heat by eight-tenths, with Rachel Stege, an SEC champion in this event, grabbing second with a 4:37.58. Stege has been as fast as 4:34.27 this season.

As expected, the 500 freestyle was a strong first event for the host team. The Dawgs put three women into the ‘A’ final–Coetzee, McCulloh, and Stege–the most of any school. Florida and Texas both have two ‘A’ finalists.

LSU’s Grace Palmer had a big swim in the first heat of the women’s 500 freestyle, pulling away from the field to win in a lifetime best 4:44.24. Her previous standard stood at 4:52.06 from the UGA Fall Invitational, making this a 7.82-second drop for her as she sailed under the NCAA ‘B’ cut.

Her time held up as the fastest of the morning until heat three, won by Tennessee’s Lauren Wetherell in 4:43.86. The swim is a season-best for Wetherell and just off the lifetime best 4:43.45 she swam at the 2023 SEC Championships.

Men’s 500 Freestyle — Prelims

• NCAA Record: 4:02.31 — Leon Marchand, Arizona State (2024)
• SEC Record: 4:04.45 — Rex Maurer, Texas (2024)
• SEC Championship Record: 4:06.32 — Kieran Smith, Florida (2020)
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 4:10.64

Top 8: 

1. Tomas Koski (UGA), 4:09.92
2. Jake Magahey (UGA), 4:10.01
3. David Johnston (TEX), 4:10.44
4. Charlie Hawke (BAMA), 4:10.95
5. Giovanni Linscheer (FLOR), 4:11.03
6. Mason Mathias (AUB), 4:11.03
7. Rex Maurer (TEX), 4:11.27
8. Jake Mitchell (FLOR), 4:11.49

After ripping the fastest 200 freestyle split in the field yesterday, Tomas Koski followed up with a big lifetime best in the 500 freestyle this morning. He swam 4:09.92, breaking 4:10 for the first time in his career. The swim was a 2.04-second drop for Koski, cutting from the 4:11.96 lifetime best he swam earlier this season. He also won his heat, edging out his teammate and former NCAA champion Jake Magahey.

Heat four was the first circle-seeded heat and the times dropped sharply as five men went under 4:13. The Dawgs went 1-2, while Jake Mitchell grabbed third, stopping the clock at 4:11.49 for a new season-best. LSU’s Jovan Lekic touched fourth in the heat with a lifetime best 4:12.26.

Koski’s time held up as the fastest 500 freestyle of the morning. David Johnston won heat five in 4:10.44 and American record holder Rex Maurer clocked 4:11.27 in heat six, sliding into the ‘A’ final in 7th overall.

Many expected this to be a big event for Texas and they did put two swimmers into the ‘A’ final, but the team did get a shock as former NCAA champion Luke Hobson missed the ‘A’ final, as did Coby Carrozza. The two placed 9th and 10th overall, with Carrozza swimming 4:11.65 and Hobson clocking 4:11.68. It’s a mark of how much faster the men’s 500 freestyle has gotten compared to last season. At last year’s SEC Championships, those swims would have been the fastest out of prelims, as Mason Mathias led the way into the ‘A’ final with a 4:12.26. In 2024, it took 4:14.84 to make the men’s 500 freestyle ‘A’ final; this year, it’s a 4:11.49.

Auburn fifth-year Michael Bonson had a big swim out of heat two, dropping 8.26 seconds from his season-best time. He swam 4:14.18, winning the heat by over three seconds. Behind him, Trey Dickey and Connor Fry were in a close race for second in the heat. Dickey got his hand on the wall first, swimming 4:17.28 and one-upping Bonson’s time drop by cutting 8.27 seconds from his season-best.

Bonson’s time held up as the morning’s fastest until the circle-seeded heats, as Florida’s Oskar Lindholm swam 4:15.05 to win heat three.

Women’s 200 IM — Prelims

• NCAA Record: 1:48.37 — Kate Douglass, Virginia (2023)
• SEC Record: 1:51.62 — Megan Small, Tennessee (2019)
• SEC Championship Record: 1:51.62 — Megan Small, Tennessee (2019)
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:53.66

Top 8: 

1. Emma Sticklen (TEX), 1:53.22
2. Campbell Stoll (TEX), 1:54.24
3. Bella Sims (FLOR), 1:54.46
4. Josephine Fuller (TENN), 1;54.48
5. Sara Stotler (TENN), 1:54.72
6. Ieva Maluka (UGA), 1:55.13
7. Campbell Chase (TEX), 1:55.18
8. Zoe Dixon (FLOR), 1:55.65

The Texas women have been strong in the IM events all season and that was on display here, especially with Sticklen opting for the 200 IM over the 50 freestyle. Sticklen will be in lane four tonight as she chases her first individual SEC title. She posted a 1:53.22, adding about a half-second from the 1:52.75 she swam at midseason.

She’ll be joined by two other Longhorns in the ‘A’ final. Campbell Stoll will be right next to her after swimming a lifetime best of 1:54.24 for the second-fastest time of the prelims. Campbell Chase qualified 7th overall, swimming 1:55.18.

Bella Sims and Josephine Fuller are looking to break Texas’ grip at the top of the standings. Sims won the SEC title as a freshman last year, ripping a 1:51.86 that still stands as her lifetime best. Fuller was also on the podium last year, taking bronze. The Gator and the Vol qualified third and fourth for tonight’s final, swimming 1:54.46 and 1:54.48.

Tennessee and Florida have multiple representatives in the ‘A’ final. Zoe Dixon joins Sims for the Gators, while Sara Stotler will be the second Tennessee swimmer in the mix. Ieva Maluka earned a lane for Georgia after clocking 1:55.13 for 6th.

The trend set by the 500 freestyles continued into the women’s 200 IM, as there was another big drop from the 2024 ‘A’ final qualifying time to this year. In 2024, 1:57.12 qualified for the ‘A’ final, while it took 1:55.65 this season. After swimming a 1:55.66, Florida’s Lainy Kruger missed the ‘A’ final by a hundredth and will be the top qualifier for the ‘B’ final.

Tennessee’s Tori Brostowitz became the first swimmer to crack the 2:00 mark in the women’s 200 IM prelims. She swam 1:59.27 to win heat three, dipping under that barrier for the first time in her career. Georgia freshman Elizabeth Tilt joined her, swimming 1:59.86 for second in the heat.

In the next heat, Missouri junior Lina Bank also broke 2:00 for the first time. She neared the barrier earlier this season with a lifetime best 2:00.05 but left no doubt that she would clear it at these championships as she dropped 1.95-seconds and won her heat in 1:58.10.

In the final uncircle-seeded heat, Molly Mayne swam a lifetime best of her own to take over the top of the standings to that point in the meet. She stopped the clock at 1:57.69, bettering the 1:57.83 she swam at the 2024 SEC Championships as a freshman.

Men’s 200 IM — Prelims

• NCAA Record: 1:36.34 — Leon Marchand, Arizona State (2023)
• SEC Record: 1:38.13 — Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
• SEC Championship Record: 1:38.13 — Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:40.75

Top 8: 

1. Will Modglin (TEX), 1:40.94
2. Julian Smith (FLOR), 1:41.50
3. Danny Schmidt (AUB), 1:42.04
4. Nate Germonprez (TEX), 1:42.24
5. Hubert Kos (TEX), 1:42.27
6. Baylor Nelson (TAMU), 1:42.33
7. Camden Taylor (TEX), 1:42.64
8. Luca Urlando (UGA), 1:42.66

Will Modglin continued his strong sophomore season by swimming a lifetime best and qualifying first for the 200 IM final. Modglin shaved three-hundredths from his best, which he’d set at the Texas Hall of Fame Invitational in November.

Lots of eyes were on the 500 freestyle as the event that the Texas men would take over today, but they ended up putting more swimmers into the 200 IM ‘A’ final. Half of the field will have on a Longhorn cap, as Modlin is joined by Nate Germonprez (1:42.24), Hubert Kos (1:42.27), and Camden Taylor (1:42.64).

Julian Smith claimed the first circle-seeded heat in 1:41.50, adding .49 seconds from the lifetime best he swam at midseason. It’s a solid morning swim for the Gator, as he did what he needed to do to earn a lane in this evening’s ‘A’ final. After swimming a 22.15 50 breaststroke split and a 1:29.67 200 freestyle split yesterday, it’s clear that Smith is on form at these championships and we’ll likely see him take a run at his lifetime best in the final.

Junior Baylor Nelson has swept the IMs at the SEC Championships for the past two seasons. That streak is seriously under threat tonight, but he’ll have a chance to defend his titles. Nelson qualified 6th for the final in a season-best 1:42.33.

Luca Urlando also made the ‘A’ final in his first individual event at the SEC Championships since 2022. He swam 1:42.66 and has been as fast as 1:41.86 this season.

Aleksas Savickas is best known for his breaststroke, but the Gator turned in a solid 200 IM to win heat three. He swam a lifetime best 1:44.42, undercutting the 1:45.69 he swam two years ago at 2023 SECs. It held up as the fastest swim through the non-circle seeded heats, as his teammate Caleb Maldari won heat four in 1:45.20.

Women’s 50 Freestyle — Prelims

• NCAA Record: 20.37 — Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (2024)
• SEC Record: 20.79 — Maggie MacNeil, LSU (2023)
• SEC Championship Record: 20.98 — Maggie MacNeil, LSU (2023)
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 21.58

Top 8: 

1. Camille Spink (TENN), 21.51
2. Cadence Vincent (BAMA), 21.63
3. Grace Cooper (TEX), 21.86
4. Michaela De Villiers (LSU), 21.99
5. Ava Longi (TEX)/Kaitlyn Owens (TAMU), 22.04
6. —
7. Lexie Mulvihill (AUB), 22.05
8. Peyton Curry (SCAR), 22.07

Sophomore Camille Spink put herself in an excellent position to defend her 50 freestyle title from last season, qualifying first for the final with a 21.51. The swim is faster than the 21.77 she clocked to win last year’s title, but she’s already been well under that mark this season, swimming a 21.33 at the Tennessee Invitational.

Last year, she and Mona McSharry went 1-3 in the ‘A’ final. This year, she’ll be the lone Volunteer in the ‘A’ final as McSharry–who returned to the Tennessee roster in January after a post-Olympics trip during first semester–swam a season-best 22.35 to land in the ‘C’ final.

Cadence Vincent swam a lifetime best 21.63 to qualify second for the ‘A’ final. She’s lowered her 50 freestyle lifetime best multiple times this season; this swim shaved a tenth off her time from midseason. She’s also the only swimmer from her team in the ‘A’ final but the Alabama sprint group still had a solid outing as Kailyn Winter  (22.08) and Jada Scott (22.21) also swam lifetime bests and qualified for the ‘B’ final.

LSU junior Michaela De Villiers broke 22-seconds for the first time in her career to make the ‘A” final. She clocked 21.99, improving from the 22.13 she swam at LSU’s January dual meet against Texas A&M.

Grace Cooper and Ava Longi made it through to the ‘A’ final for Texas. Cooper was one of the four sub-22 women this morning, swimming 21.86 while Longi hit 22.04.

Men’s 50 Freestyle — Prelims

• NCAA Record: 17.63 — Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
• SEC Record: 17.63 — Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
• SEC Championship Record: 17.93 — Jordan Crooks, Tennessee (2023)
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 18.72

Top 8: 

1. Jordan Crooks (TENN), 18.12
2. Josh Liendo (FLOR), 18.31
3. Gui Caribe (TENN), 18.62
4. Chris Guiliano (TEX), 18.66
5. Jere Hribar (LSU), 18.72
6. Alex Painter (FLOR), 18.85
7. Connor Foote (TAMU), 18.95
8. Scotty Buff (FLOR), 19.02

Jordan Crooks matched his 18.12 season best exactly this morning as he secured lane four for tonight’s final. Crooks has won the 50 freestyle at SECs for the last three years and put himself in a strong spot to clinch a four-peat tonight.

Tennessee put two swimmers through to the ‘A’ final, as Gui Caribe threw down a season-best 18.62 to move through to the final in third overall.

Olympic medalist Josh Liendo turned in a huge season-best for the second-fastest qualifying time. He clocked 18.31, which is a season-best by .49 seconds as he’d been 18.80 already this season.

Texas added Chris Guiliano to jolt their sprint freestyle group, which was one of their weaknesses heading into the postseason. That decision has paid off here, as he’s the Longhorns only ‘A’ final qualifier. He swam a season-best 18.66, dropping .23 seconds from his previous season-best 18.89.

Seven men were under 19 seconds this morning, as it took a 19.02 to make it back for the ‘A’ final. That includes Florida freshman Alex Painter, who dipped under that barrier for the first time in his career with a 18.85. Painter, a freshman from England, brought a best of 19.24 into this meet. Not only is this a huge swim for him, but it’s a boost to the Florida sprint relays that have taken two hits with the losses of Adam Chaney and Macguire McDuff. 

Tennessee’s Nikoli Blackman and Missouri’s Luke Nebrich tied for 9th in 19.05.