2024 SEC Championships: Day 3 Ups/Mids/Downs — Men’s Battle For 2nd Heats Up

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 Live Recap

For those unfamiliar with swimming terminology, the concept of “Ups” and “Downs” is a good way to track which teams performed best at prelims. In prelims, swimmers qualify for one of three finals heats: the top 8 finishers make the A final, places 9 through 16 the B final and places 17 through 24 the C final. In finals, swimmers are locked into their respective final, meaning a swimmer in the B heat (spots 9-16) can only place as high as 9th or as low as 16th, even if they put up the fastest or slowest time of any heat in the final.

With that in mind, we’ll be tracking “Ups,” “Mids” and “Downs” after each prelims session. “Up” refers to swimmers in the A final, “Mid” to swimmers in the B final and “Down” to swimmers in the C final.

Diving is included.

TEAM SCORES — THRU DAY 2

Women:

1. Tennessee — 475
2. Florida — 440
3. Georgia — 363
4. Auburn — 312.5
5. Texas A&M — 256.5
6. Alabama — 250.5
7. LSU — 230
8. South Carolina / Kentucky — 173
9. (tie)
10. Missouri — 168.5
11. Arkansas — 132
12. Vanderbilt — 94

Men:

1. Florida — 622
2. Texas A&M — 468
3. Tennessee — 392
4. Georgia — 381
5. Auburn — 373
6. LSU — 266
7. Kentucky — 191
8. Alabama — 187
9. South Carolina — 183
10. Missouri — 176

DAY 3 UPS/MIDS/DOWNS — WOMEN

Credit to Andrew Mering for running the numbers.

Scored Prelims — Women

1. Florida, 307
2. Texas A&M, 191
3. Auburn, 160.5
4. South Carolina, 146
5. Tennessee, 144
6. Georgia, 129
7. LSU, 118
8. Alabama, 79
9. Kentucky, 68
10. Arkansas, 51
11. Mizzou, 39.5
12. Vanderbilt, 15

POINTS PER EVENT – WOMEN

The Florida women established their presence as the team to beat on Thursday, putting seven swimmers and two divers into ‘A’ finals including four in the 400 IM.

Tennessee had pulled ahead after last night’s 50 free performance, but now find themselves projected to trail by more than 100 points after the Gators’ morning. It’s not a great day for the Lady Vols  with zero 400 IM points (and only one swimmer in the event), but they salvaged things by putting three up in the 200 free.

Auburn should close the gap on Georgia after putting three into ‘A’ finals and five into the consols, highlighted by the 100 fly where Meghan Lee grabbed the top seed and Ellie Waldrep cracked the championship heat.

Texas A&M impressively put one swimmer into each final in all three swimming events, plus going 1/1/0 in the diving event to project to score the 2nd-most points on the day and solidify 5th place with Georgia and Auburn not too far off.

LSU’s diving helped push them past Alabama in the projections.

Day 2 Scores + Prelim Projections — Women

1. Florida — 747
2. Tennessee — 619
3. Georgia — 492
4. Auburn — 473
5. Texas A&M — 447.5
6. LSU — 348
7. Alabama — 329.5
8. South Carolina – 319
9. Kentucky — 241
10. Mizzou — 208
11. Arkansas — 183
12. Vanderbilt — 109

DAY 3 UPS/MIDS/DOWNS — MEN

Credit to Andrew Mering for running the numbers.

Scored Prelims — Men

1. Florida, 260.5
2. Georgia, 197.5
3. Tennessee, 177
4. Auburn, 164.5
5. Texas A&M, 80
6. Alabama, 68.5
7. Kentucky, 55
8. South Carolina / LSU, 31
9. –
10. Mizzou, 21

POINTS PER EVENT – MEN

Georgia had a big morning, matching Florida with six ‘A’ finalists including going three up in the 200 free. The Gator depth saw them add five more swimmers into ‘B’ finals, so they’ll extend their lead in the team race, but the Bulldogs figure to challenge for the 2nd spot tonight after they were sitting down in 4th entering the day.

Tennessee also had a strong showing with at least one ‘A’ finalist in each event, and Jordan Crooks should be in the title hunt after what he did in the 200 free prelims. The Vols outdid Texas A&M, as the Aggies project to lose the 76-point buffer they had on Tennessee after last night. A big part of that is having no diving event today.

Auburn performed well with four ‘A’ finalists, putting them right in the thick of things with Georgia, Tennessee and Texas A&M.

Day 2 Scores + Prelim Projections — Men

1. Florida — 882.5
2. Georgia — 578.5
3. Tennessee — 569
4. Texas A&M — 548
5. Auburn — 537.5
6. LSU — 297
7. Alabama — 255.5
8. Kentucky — 246
9. South Carolina — 214
10. Missouri — 197