2026 SEC Championships: Day 5 Prelims Live Recap

2026 SEC Championships

• Dates: Monday, February 16–Saturday, February 21
• Location: Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center, Knoxville, TN
• Defending Champions: Texas (1x)
• 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, Vanderbilt (women only), Arkansas (women only)
• Live Recaps
  • Prelims: Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4
  • Finals: Day 1 Distance | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4

Day 5 Prelims Heat Sheets

The 200 IM and 200 backstroke now fall on the same day at the SEC and NCAA Championships, giving IM/backstroke specialists a difficult choice about how to spend their day. Hubert Kos, the defending NCAA champion in both events, has decided to test run the double here on the final day of the 2026 SEC Championships in the leadup to the big show next month. Teammate Will Modglin faced a similar choice and opted for the 200 backstroke; he could not do the double as he’s already raced the 100 backstroke and 100 butterfly. Meanwhile, Luca Urlando unsurprisingly chose the 200 IM.

In addition to the 200 IM and 200 backstroke this morning, there’s also the 100 freestyle on tap. After swimming a 20.87 50 freestyle last night, Tennessee’s Camille Spink looks to put herself in strong position to sweep the 50/100/200 freestyle for the second-straight season. The 100 freestyle may be the toughest event on that front (at least on paper). Texas freshman Eva Okaro is the top seed (46.49) to Spink’s 46.54. They’re well ahead of the rest of the field on the psych sheet as the only sub-47 second swimmers but names like Erin Gemmell, Cadence Vincent, and Nikolett Padar should not be discounted either.

The men’s 100 freestyle will see Josh Liendo aim to complete his 50 freestyle/100 freestyle/100 butterfly three-for-three. As in the 50 freestyle, Gui Caribe and Jere Hribar will be his main competition. Caribe brings the fastest entry time into the meet (40.91) with Liendo sitting at (41.11) and Hribar (41.15). Even without Crooks anymore, the 100 freestyle still projects as a big event for the home team; Tennessee has three men in the top six seeds and that doesn’t include Koby Bujak-Upton (9th, 42.26) who has been having an excellent meet.

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)
• Pool Record: 1:48.37 — Kate Douglass, Virginia (2023)
• 2026 NCAA Qualifying Time: 1:57.88

Top 8: 

1. Campbell Stoll (TEX) — 1:55.06
2. Campbell Chase (TEX) — 1:55.46
3. Emily Brown (TENN) — 1:55.59
4. Ieva Maluka (UGA) — 1::55.82
5. Angie Coe (TEX) — 1:56.79
6. Lainy Kruger (FLOR) — 1:56.84
7. Grace Rabb (FLOR) — 1:57.07
8. Chloe Cheng (LSU) — 1:58.09

The 200 IM is one of the events with the biggest turnover from last season on the women’s side, as only three of the ‘A’ finalists from the 2025 SEC Championships return. That’s probably a factor in the regression the ‘A’ final qualifying time saw this year, but another major factor is likely this event’s move from one of the first events of the championships to one of the last. It took a 1:55.65 to make it back to the ‘A’ final in eighth last year and only a 1:58.09 this season.

Campbell Stoll, last year’s silver medalist, is the top qualifier this year with a season-best 1:55.06. She won the first circle-seeded heat to secure that honor, with her teammates Angie Coe and Campbell Chase winning the next two heats in 1:56.79 and 1:55.46, respectively. Both Chase and Coe qualified for the championship final along with Stoll as the second and fifth seeds, giving the Longhorns three swimmers in the ‘A’ final. Last year, the Longhorns went 1-2-8 and look set to improve that finish tonight.

Georgia’s Ieva Maluka is the only 2025 ‘A’ finalist besides Stoll and Chase to return to the championship final this year. Maluka swam a season-best 1:55.82, qualifying fourth overall.

LSU’s Chloe Cheng had a 2.51 second drop from her entry time, swimming 1:58.09 to make it through to the championship final in eighth. The swim is a lifetime best for Cheng, improving on the 1:58.14 she swam in 2024 and her standing as the fourth-fastest swimmer in LSU history.

Men’s 200 IM — Prelims

• NCAA Record: 1:36.34 — Leon Marchand, Arizona State (2023)
• SEC Record: 1:37.91 — Hubert Kos, Texas (2025)
• SEC Championship Record: 1:38.13 — Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2021)
• Pool Record: 1:41.19 — Luca Urlando, Georgia (2022)
• 2026 NCAA Qualifying Time: 1:44.13

Top 8: 

1. Camden Taylor (TEX) — 1:41.52
2. Baylor Nelson (TEX) — 1:41.75
3. Hubert Kos (TEX) — 1:42.25
4. Luca Urlando (UGA) — 1:42.31
5. Campbell McKean (TEX) — 1:42.37
6. Drew Hitchcock (UGA) — 1:42.53
7. Logan Brown (TAMU) — 1:43.06
8. Munzy Kabbara (TAMU) — 1:43.34

The Longhorns controlled the men’s 200 IM prelims this morning, putting four swimmers into the championship final including the three top qualifiers. 200 freestyle champion Camden Taylor qualified first overall, swimming a 1:41.52 that comes .22 seconds from the lifetime best he swam at the 2025 NCAA Championships. Taylor’s time is a 1.88-second drop from his entry time.

Baylor Nelson was the other swimmer to break 1:42 in prelims, swimming a 1:41.75. It’s a solid bounce back after he missed the 200 breaststroke championship final yesterday. Kos rounded out the top three with a 1:42.25, both he and Nelson added about a second and a half from their season-bests this morning.

Freshman Campbell McKean is the final Longhorn in the championship final contingent. He qualified 5th (1:42.37). Texas’ 100/200 breaststroke champion Nate Germonprez missed out on the ‘A’ final, qualifying 10th in 1:44.37. He was the 5th seed and finished 8th last year.

Georgia put pair of men through to the final. Luca Urlando is their highest-placed qualifier with a 1:42.31 for 4th and Drew Hitchcock made it back 6th (1:42.53). Cale Martter leads the way into the ‘B’ final as the 9th place qualifier (1:43.38). Hitchcock’s time is a lifetime best, moving him into 7th all-time in Georgia history. Martter’s 1:43.38 puts him 10th on the list.

Meanwhile, Logan Brown (1:43.06) and Munzy Kabbara (1:43.34) will be outside smoke for the Aggies after qualifying 7th and 8th overall.

Women’s 100 Freestyle — Prelims

• NCAA Record: 44.71 — Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (2025)
• SEC Record: 45.83 — Erika Brown, Tennessee (2020)
• SEC Championship Record: 45.83 — Erika Brown, Tennessee (2020)
• Pool Record: 45.61 — Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (2023)
• 2026 NCAA Qualifying Time: 48.60

Top 8: 

1. Camille Spink (TENN) — 46.47
2. Eva Okaro (TEX) — 47.09
3. Cadence Vincent (BAMA) — 47.53
4. Michaela De Villiers (LSU) — 47.74
5. Erin Gemmell (TEX)/Lisa Klevanovich (AUB) — 47.92
6.  —
7. Nikolett Padar (TEX) — 48.05
8. Emily Armen (TENN) — 48.19

Spink kept the party going in the women’s 100 freestyle prelims following an electrifying 50 freestyle win last night. She tore to the top time of the session, winning the penultimate heat in 46.47. It’s a season best for Spink and puts her just .22 seconds off her lifetime best of 46.25, swum at the 2025 SEC Championships. Last year, Spink became the first woman since Kara Lynn Joyce to sweep the sprint freestyle events at an SEC Championships.

Spink was the lone woman to crack the 47-second barrier this morning. Texas freshman and school record holder Eva Okaro moved through to the final in second after a 47.09 for the final heat win. Behind the pair of them there are a handful of 47-mid/high swims from Cadence Vincent (47.53), Michaela De Villiers (47.74), Erin Gemmell (47.92), and Lisa Klevanovich (47.92). De Villiers time was huge for her–it’s her first time breaking the 48-second mark, erasing her previous PB of 48.03. She’s the fourth LSU swimmer in school history to clear the barrier and becomes the second-fastest Tiger in school history behind Maggie MacNeil.

Tennessee has Spink and Emily Armen in the championship final. They will also have lanes four and five in the ‘B’ final as Jillian Crooks and Mizuki Hirai swam 48.37 and 48.39 in heat seven.

Men’s 100 Freestyle — Prelims

• NCAA Record: 39.83 — Jordan Crooks, Tennessee (2025)
• SEC Record: 39.83 — Jordan Crooks, Tennessee (2025)
• SEC Championship Record: 40.45 — Jordan Crooks, Tennessee/Josh Liendo, Florida (2025)
• Pool Record: 40.91 — Gui Caribe, Tennessee (2025)
• 2026 NCAA Qualifying Time: 42.55

Top 8: 

1. Jere Hribar (LSU) — 41.16
2. Gui Caribe (TENN) — 41.20
3. Josh Liendo (FLOR) — 41.21
4. Nikoli Blackman (TENN) — 41.75
5. Alex Painter (FLOR) — 41.81
6. Garrett Gould (TEX) — 41.86
7. Luke Nebrich (UMIZ) — 41.87
8. Devin Dilger (FLOR) — 41.90

Jere Hribar‘s 41.16 from the first circle-seeded heat lasted as the top time of the morning in the men’s 100 freestyle prelims. The top three are all bunched together with another close group from 4th through 8th.

Gui Caribe, the top seed heading into the event, won the final heat in 41.20, stopping the clocking a hundredth ahead of Josh Liendo‘s time from the previous heat. They are the second and third seeds for the final. While we may have seen the schedule change affect qualifying times in the 200 IM, that hasn’t necessarily been the case in the 100 freestyle, an event that has historically fallen on the last day of championship competition. It took a 41.87 to make it back in lane eight last year and Devin Dilger secured that spot in 41.90 this season.

Nikoli Blackman joined his teammate Caribe in the championship final. He swam a lifetime best 41.73, qualifying fourth and moving into fifth all-time in Volunteer history. Liendo has a pair of teammates joining him as well; in addition to Dilger, Alex Painter returns to the championship final after swimming 41.81 this morning.

Garrett Gould made it back for the Longhorns with a lifetime best 41.86, breaking 42 seconds for the first time in his career.

Women’s 200 Backstroke — Prelims

• NCAA Record: 1:46.82 — Claire Curzan, Virginia (2025)
• SEC Record: 1:47.11 — Bella Sims, Florida (2025)
• SEC Championship Record: 1:48.06 — Rhyan White, Alabama (2020)
• Pool Record: 1:46.87 — Claire Curzan, Virginia (2024)
• 2026 NCAA Qualifying Time: 1:54.80

Top 8: 

1. Catie Choate (FLOR) — 1:50.85
2. Sarah Rodrigues (TEX) — 1:51.95
3. Amy Riordan (SCAR) — 1:52.60
4. Regan Rathwell (TENN) — 1:52.84
5. Haley McDonald (TEX) — 1:52.94
6. Emily Jones (BAMA) — 1:52.98
7. Lillie Nesty (TEX) — 1:53.21
8. Lexi Stephens (TENN) — 1:53.55

Catie Choate, last year’s fourth-place finisher, is the top qualifier for the women’s 200 backstroke final. Choate logged a 1:50.85, winning heat seven with a time that’s just off her lifetime best 1:50.66. She logged that time in January of this year.

Choate leads the field by over a second as Texas freshman Sarah Rodrigues is the second-fastest qualifier with a 1:51.95. It’s a season best for Rodrigues by .62 seconds, who owns a lifetime best of 1:51.14 from before college. She’s one of three Longhorns in the championship final as Texas continues to close the final day of the meet strong. Her classmate Haley McDonald qualified 5th (1:52.94) while Lillie Nesty returns to the championship final with a 1:53.21. Nesty placed 5th in the event last year.

After the top two swimmers, the field gets tighter. South Carolina’s Amy Riordan qualified third in 1:52.60, the first of four 1:52-point swims. Riordan finished 11th in the event last year with a 1:52.82.

Regan Rathwell is the last 2025 ‘A’ finalist to return to the championship final this year. She placed 8th last year (1:54.36) and sits 4th after prelims this year (1:52.84).

Men’s 200 Backstroke — Prelims

• NCAA Record: 1:34.21 — Hubert Kos, Texas (2025)
• SEC Record: 1:34.21 — Hubert Kos, Texas (2025)
• SEC Championship Record: 1:35.85 — Jonny Marshall, Florida (2025)
• Pool Record: 1:37.87 — Arkady Vyatchanin, NY Aquatics (2013)
• 2026 NCAA Qualifying Time: 1:42.14

Top 8:

1. Tommy Hagar (BAMA) — 1:37.92
2. Hubert Kos (TEX) — 1:38.18
3. Jonny Marshall (FLOR) — 1:38.35
4. Nick Simons (TENN) — 1:39.07
5. Will Modglin (TEX) — 1:39.16
6. Cole Witmer (BAMA) — 1:39.64
7. Aiden Norman (FLOR) — 1:39.96
8. Kyle Peck (TEX) — 1:40.10

Alabama’s Tommy Hagar shattered his lifetime best on the way to the top time of men’s 200 backstroke prelims. Hagar swam a 1:37.92, breaking 1:39 for the first time in his career. At midseason, Hagar took over the Alabama program record with a 1:39.03, and dropped 1.11 seconds from that time with his swim today.

On the back half of his 200 IM/200 backstroke double, Kos was right on his season-best with a 1:38.18 for the second-fastest qualifying time. The top three finishers from last year are all back in the mix this year. Jonny Marshall, the defending champion, qualified third (1:38.35) and Will Modglin, the bronze medalist, touched fifth overall (1:39.16).

Texas also has Kyle Peck joining the ‘A’ final, moving up from a 13th place finish last season. Peck swam 1:40.10, qualifying 8th overall. Last year’s ‘B’ final winner Aiden Norman also made the jump to the championship final, qualifying 7th in 1:39.96. Tennessee’s Nick Simons bypassed the ‘B’ final entirely, moving up from the ‘C’ final to the ‘A’ final this year with a 1:39.07. Simons ‘ time is a lifetime best that improves his standing as the third-fastest 200 backstroker for Tennessee. He was 23rd in this event last year.