2018 SEC CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Wednesday, February 14 – Sunday, February 18
- Rec Center Natatorium, College Station, TX (Central Time Zone)
- Prelims 10AM / Finals 6PM
- Defending Champion: Florida (5x) (results)
- Championship Central
- Psych Sheet
- Live results
- Live Video (finals)
Tennessee swimmer Erika Brown has taken another step into the national consciousness. As a sophomore, she’s gone from “relay contributor” to “national star” in the sprint freestyle and butterfly events, continued by her 49.85 in the 100 yard fly on Friday in finals at the 2018 SEC Championships.
That makes her the 2nd swimmer in history to go under 50 seconds in the race, and she’s behind only former Louisville Cardinal Kelsi Worrell, who had the 6-fastest times in history, and after Brown’s swim now has just the 2 fastest times in history.
Brown goes out a little faster than Worrell did when swimming similar times – for example, Worrell was out in 23.58 en route to a 49.81 at the 2015 NCAA Championships, and Brown was out in 23.43 on Friday.
Fastest Performers in History, 100 yard fly:
- Kelsi Worrell, 49.43
- Erika Brown, 49.85
- Natalie Coughlin, 50.01
- Farida Osman, 50.05
- Rachel Komisarz, 50.10
Brown spent time in California (Pleasanton Seahawks) and North Carolina (SwimMAC Carolina) in high school. Her progression highlights how impressive this time is. As a high school junior, she swam 55.94. Her progression then stalled out – she didn’t improve as a high school senior, and only dropped to 55.12 as a freshman at Tennessee.
This year at Tennessee, she’s not only dropped over 5 seconds, but has gone the 9 fastest times of her career.
Officially, she broke her own Pool and SEC Meet Records of 50.49 from prelims, the old SEC Meet Record set by US Worlds team member Sarah Gibson at last year’s meet, and her own unofficial SEC Record of 50.33 from December. Coming into the year, the overall SEC Record was Gibson’s 50.61 from the 2016 NCAA Championship meet.
What were her freestyle times in hs?
22.84 in February, 2016
48.94 in December, 2015
1:45.32 in December, 2015
Also a 55.05 100 back in December, 2015.
Maybe she didn’t really focus on fly until she got to Tennesee.
I love stories like this…hope this new found speed can translate to LCM and consistency…big addition to USA depth.
Big shout out to Kredich and Asti and the UT crew for whatever they are doing with that sprint group!
Wow–that is a progression of Andrew Wilson proportions…
By the way, and I wouldn’t be Bobo Gigi if I didn’t make the remark, but why swimming so fast right now? I just fear she peaked too early. Either she’s tapered for that meet and that’s dumb. The goal is to peak when it counts the most. And in US college swimming that’s at NCAAs. Or I’m wrong to worry and she’s just rested and will break the American record in a few weeks.
Let’s hope it’s the later and she has something else in the tank for NCAAs. I love events that are wide open like this and have many contenders.
Well, considering she had a 55 in this event before this meet: she wouldn’t have even considered going to NCAAs before this meet, which means she is definitely going balls to the wall here
Chase – that’s incorrect, she had a 55 before this SEASON, but she had a 50-point from mid-season.
That’s probably the craziest progression I’ve ever seen in one year.
The last time she swam a 100 fly in long course was in March 2016 in 1.03.39 while she was in 56.89 in SCY.
Since then she has improved by 7.04s her SCY record.
So if that’s logical and unless she’s just another short course beast unable to convert into the big pool, she will swim 56.35 in long course next summer! 😆
Very interesting to see if she can help the American 4X100 relays in the future.
She had incredible undies… Not sure her stroke will hold for a 100m yet. Apparently she trained in a 3 lane 25y pool last summer on her own. LC base may not exist yet.
I could see her as a possible winner in the 50m fly LC this summer for 2019 worlds selection. 2nd spot in the 100 looks pretty open rn too.
I thought women’s 100 fly was wide open with Noemi Thomas, Louise Hansson, Janet Hu and others as possible contenders. . . She looks very strong and I think the bigger question is if she can convert this to LCM a la Kelsi Worrell. This could shake many things up!!!
I’m so confused. How is this even possible?