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
Women’s 500 Freestyle — Finals
- NCAA Record: 4:24.06 — Katie Ledecky, Stanford (2017)
SEC Record: 4:30.68 — Jillian Cox, Texas (2024)- SEC Championship Record: 4:31.54 — Jillian Cox (2025)
- Pool Record: 4:33.09 — Paige Madden, Virginia (2020)
- 2026 NCAA Qualifying Time: 4:43.70
Top 8 Finishers
- Jillian Cox (TEX) — 4:30.53
- Kennedi Dobson (UGA) — 4:30.70
- Ella Jansen (TENN) — 4:34.10
- Julie Brousseau (FLOR) — 4:36.33
- Nikolett Padar (TEX) — 4:37.33
- Kate Hurst (TEX) — 4:39.33
- Lillie Nesty (TEX) — 4:40.39
- Erin Gemmell (TEX) — 4:45.50
Jillian Cox broke her own SEC record with a 4:30.53 500 freestyle en route to her win. Cox previously set the record with a 4:30.68 from midseason back in 2024. She also broke her own meet record that stood at a 4:31.54 that she swam a year ago.
Cox was in a tight race with Georgia’s Kennedi Dobson who also got under the old meet record as Dobson touched in a 4:30.70.
Split Comparison (Cox vs Dobson)
| Cox Cumulative – 2026 SECs | Cox Splits – 2026 SEC | Dobson Cumulative – 2026 SECs | Dobson Splits – 2026 SECs | Cox Cumulative – 2024 Midseason |
Cox Splits – 2024 Midseason
|
|
| 50 | 25.27 | 25.27 | 24.81 | 24.81 | 25.15 | 25.15 |
| 100 | 52.18 | 26.91 | 51.92 | 27.11 | 51.94 | 26.79 |
| 150 | 1:19.42 | 27.24 | 1:19.29 | 27.37 | 1:19.36 | 27.42 |
| 200 | 1:46.89 | 27.47 | 1:46.85 | 27.56 | 1:46.87 | 27.51 |
| 250 | 2:14.50 | 27.61 | 2:14.45 | 27.6 | 2:14.53 | 27.66 |
| 300 | 2:41.92 | 27.42 | 2:42.06 | 27.61 | 2:42.13 | 27.6 |
| 350 | 3:09.29 | 27.37 | 3:09.47 | 27.41 | 3:09.67 | 27.54 |
| 400 | 3:36.52 | 27.23 | 3:36.84 | 27.37 | 3:37.08 | 27.41 |
| 450 | 4:03.79 | 27.27 | 4:04.06 | 27.22 | 4:04.18 | 27.1 |
| 500 | 4:30.53 | 26.74 | 4:30.70 | 26.64 | 4:30.68 | 26.5 |
Cox was out slower than Dobson but was able to use a strong back half to pass Dobson and hold her off on the final 100 to earn the win. Cox will look to defend her NCAA title next month, after winning last year’s title in a 4:31.58.
Compared to her old SEC record, Cox was faster tonight from the 150 until the 400 mark of the race.
