2026 SEC Championships: Day 1 Finals Live Recap

2026 SEC Championships

• Dates: Monday, February 16–Saturday, February 21
• Location: Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center, Knoxville, TN
• Live Results
• Live Video: SEC Network+
• Psych Sheet (UPDATED)
• Schedule of Events
• Championship Central
• Teams: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M
• SwimSwam Fan Guide
  • Women
  • Men

The 2026 SEC Swimming and Diving Championships got off to a quick start earlier today with the men’s and women’s 1650 freestyles, where Jillian Cox took the women’s win for Texas in 15:32.75. On the men’s side, Florida’s Ahmed Jaouadi was victorious in 14:25.14, setting a new pool record in the process.

Tonight we will see the first bit of relay action as the 200 medley and 800 free relays will be contested in Knoxville. In addition to the relays, the championship final of the women’s 1-meter diving will also be competed in between the two relays.

Women’s 200 Medley Relay

• NCAA Record: 1:31.10- Virginia (Curzan, A Walsh, G Walsh, Parker), 2025
• SEC Record: 1:33.29- Alabama (White, Wiseman, Scott, Antoniou), 2022
• SEC Championship Record: 1:33.84- Texas (Sticklen, Enge,  Arens, Cooper), 2025
• Pool Record: 1:31.51- Virginia (G Walsh, A Walsh, Cuomo, Douglass), 2023
• 2026 NCAA Qualifying Time (Qualifying/Provisional): 1:36.09/1:36.57

Top 8:

1. Tennessee- 1:32.80 *SEC, SEC Champs Record
2. Alabama- 1:33.63
3. Texas- 1:34.52
4. LSU- 1:34.71
5. Auburn- 1:35.07
6. Texas A&M- 1:35.78
7. Florida- 1:35.81
8. Missouri- 1:36.38

Alabama’s Emily Jones put her team into a great position early for the Crimson Tide, opening up in a 23.22. But the next three legs for Tennessee would prove to be major factors in the Volunteers taking home the SEC title in SEC and Meet Record fashion.

McKenzie Siroky lit a fire under this Volunteers relay, charging to the front of the pack in 25.84 on the breaststroke leg. She then handed over to Ella Jansen who carried the momentum into the wall in 22.85, and the anchor leg, Tennessee’s sprint free ace Camille Spink, who scorched home in 20.46, Putting a stamp on the win in 1:32.80.

The two key legs from the first heat was Georgia’s Charlotte Headland who threw down a quick 27.08 to put Georgia into the lead at the halfway point. But Arkansas’ Harriet Rogers powered the Razorbacks ahead with her 23.05 fly leg. But the Bulldogs would take the win in heat one. But just missing the top 8 in 1:36.67.

Men’s 200 Medley Relay

• NCAA Record: 1:20.15- Florida (Chaney, Smith, Liendo, McDuff), 2024
• SEC Record: 1:20.15- Florida (Chaney, Smith, Liendo, McDuff), 2024
• SEC Championship Record: 1:20.22- Tennessee (Taylor, Houseman, Caribe, Crooks), 2025
• Pool Record: 1:20.56- Arizona State (Chaney, Dobrzanski, Kharun, Kulow), 2025
• 2026 NCAA Qualifying Time (Qualifying/Provisional): 1:23.61/1:23.85

Top 8:

1. Florida- 1:20.03 *NCAA, SEC, SEC Champs, Pool Record
2. Texas- 1:20.85
3. LSU- 1:21.23
4. Kentucky- 1:21.80
5. Auburn- 1:22.41
6. Tennessee- 1:22.48
7. Georgia- 1:22.61
8. Missouri- 1:23.27

Keeping the momentum high after a successful 1650 showing earlier today, the Florida men’s 200 medley relay blasted the fastest ever 200 medley relay in 1:20.03, besting their own 2024 mark by .12 seconds.

All eyes were on the 50 back American Record Holder Will Modglin of Texas, who set that record in 20.00 at the Texas Hall of Fame Invite. Opening up this relay in 20.17 just off of that record time. The race went from a body length lead for the Longhorns following Nate Germonprez‘s 22.49 split, to a very competitive final 100 yards.

Scotty Buff and Josh Liendo were stars here, with Buff closing the gap to give Liendo a chance to work his magic. Buff popped a 19.32 fly split, that then helped fuel Liendo’s heroic anchor of 17.58, the 5th fastest 50 freestyle split in history.

LSU’s Jere Hribar also turned in an historic anchor leg for the Tigers, anchoring the 3rd place relay in 17.59, now the 6th freestyle leg in history.

Women’s 1-meter Diving

• SEC Record: 375.53- Brooke Schultz (Arkansas), 2019
• SEC Championship Record: 364.30- Lauren Reedy (Missouri), 2017
• NCAA Qualifying Score: 265* / 220**

*Qualifying point total in any 6 dive list with standard DD

**Qualifying point total in any 5 dive list with standard DD

Top 8:

1. Sophie Verzyl (SCAR)- 342.35
2. Bayleigh Cranford (TEX)- 319.50
3. Lotti Hubert (ARK)- 315.00
4. Alejandra Estudillo (TEX)- 312.85
5. Desharne Bent-Ashmeil (TENN)- 295.80
6. Joslyn Oakley (TAMU)- 289.60
7. Chloe Brothers (AUB)- 271.20
8. Camyla Monroy (FLA)- 262.40

At the halfway point through the competition, the top six divers were all separated by less than three points. By the end of the 4th round, it was Arkansas’ Lotti Hubert leading a pair of Longhorns in Alejandra Estudillo and Bayleigh Cranford and South Carolina’s Sophie Verzyl, with less than seven points separating the top four.

Hubert, who entered this championship final 8th after prelims, continued to execute high 50 point dives to keep herself in contention. A big dive from Verzyl in round five sat her atop the leaderboard wit  en point cushion.

Cranford  closed with a massive dive to jump to the top with Estudillo and Verzyl still to dive. Estudillo’s final dive was not able to get her into the top two, as Verzyl’s final dive score of 72.00 flew her to the win in 342.35. Earning her a old after finishing 2nd in this event last season.

Women’s 800 Freestyle Relay

• NCAA Record: 6:44.13- Virginia (G Walsh, A Walsh, Canny, Curzan), 2025
• SEC Record: 6:48.59- Florida (Sims, Ivey, Weyant, Cronk), 2024
• SEC Championship Record: 6:49.65- Florida (Sims, Ivey, Weyant, Cronk), 2024
• Pool Record: 6:49.82- Virginia (Canny, A Walsh, Tiltmann, Nelson), 2023
• 2026 NCAA Qualifying Time (Qualifying/Provisional): 7:00.86/7:05.18

Top 8:

1. Texas- 6:50.59
2. Georgia- 6:53.71
3. Tennessee- 6:54.56
4. Florida- 6:59.86
5. South Carolina- 7:03.23
6. Auburn- 7:03.86
7. LSU- 7:04.13
8. Alabama- 7:04.64

The Longhorn women’s 800 claimed the win in 6:50.59, just missing the pool and meet records, but earning gold in a commanding victory.

Off the start it was Texas’ Nikolett Padar (1:4.36) and Tennessee’s Ella Jansen (1:42.26) battling at the front of the pack, but the Longhorns quickly asserted their dominance once Lillie Nesty dove in for the second leg, continuing the speed from Padar in 1:42.28.

At the 500 yard mark, Texas held the lead over the field by four and a half seconds. Campbell Chase (1:44.27) handed the reigns over to anchor leg Erin Gemmell, who continued to extend the Longhorns multi-body length lead over the field, splitting a strong 1:42.68.

The battle for the silver came down to anchors Emily Brown for Tennessee and 1650 runner-up Kennedi Dobson of Georgia, as it would be Dobson getting the better of Brown in 1:42.06 to 1:42.62, helping the bulldogs finish runners-up.

Auburn dominated the first heat, clocking a more than four second win a season-best 7:03.86; Julia Strojnowska, who finished 15th inthe 1650 earlier today, contributed a major anchor leg for the Tigers in 1:44.93, nobody else on the relay was better than 1:46.21.

Men’s 800 Freestyle Relay

• NCAA Record: 5:59.75- Cal (Alexy, Jett, Lasco, Henveaux), 2025
• SEC Record: 6:00.08- Texas (Hobson, Guiliano, Maurer, Carrozza), 2025
• SEC Championship Record:6:02.50- Florida (Painter, Liendo, Smith, Mitchell), 2025
• Pool Record: 6:08.00- Florida (Smith, Freeman, Lindholm, Mestre), 2022
• 2026 NCAA Qualifying Time (Qualifying/Provisional): 6:14.67/6:16.79

Top 8:

1. Texas- 6:06.24 *Pool Record
2. Tennessee- 6:10.31
3. Auburn- 6:12.02
4. Georgia- 6:12.55
5. Florida- 6:13.60
6. Alabama- 6:14.14
7. LSU- 6:19.38
8. South Carolina- 6:19.51

The opening legs of this relay saw Tomas Koski (1:32.76) for Georgia, Rex Maurer (1:32.73) for Texas, and Alex Painter (1:33.19) for Florida all battle for the opening leg of this relay. But opening up the relay was Tennessee’s Koby Bujak-Upton showing his sprint strength, taking his first 100 out in 44.50, and holding a body length lead over all three with a major 1:30.77 opening leg to give the Volunteers an early lead.

Luca Urlando (1:32.03) and Camden Taylor (1:30.59) each worked to try and catch Nikoli Blackman (1:32.67) and Tennessee on the 2nd leg. Taylor made up massive ground on the middle 100, and overtook the Volunteers by the halfway point.

The 3rd Longhorn in the water was Rafael Fente-Damers (1:30.81) and he was tasked with staying ahead of Gabe Nunziata of Tennessee, who held on as long as he could, splitting a strong 3rd leg of 1:33.31, but Fente-Damers grew the lead to more than two and a half seconds before handing it over to the final leg of the relay.

Baylor Nelson (1:32.11) anchored the Texas relay with nothing but clean water ahead of him, cruising to a four second win in 6:06.24.

With a 50 left to go, Auburn’s anchor Luke Bedsole (1:32.61)out of lane 1, put together a gritty final 100 to overtake Georgia and secure their spot in the podium in 6:12.02.

Team Standings After Day 1 of Swimming:

Women:

1. Texas- 232
2. Florida- 190
3. South Carolina- 175
4. Auburn- 169
5. Georgia- 160
6. Tennessee- 153
7. Texas A&M- 139
8. Alabama- 133
9. Kentucky- 126
10. Missouri- 122
11. LSU- 114
12. Arkansas- 81
13. Vanderbilt- 58

Men:

1. Florida- 274
2. Tennessee- 213
3. Texas-190
4. LSU- 177
5. Kentucky- 175
6. Georgia- 155
7. Auburn- 146
8. Alabama- 136
9. Missouri- 105
10. South Carolina- 102
11. Texas A&M- 91