2025 SEC Championships
- Dates: Tuesday, February 18–Saturday, February 22
- Prelims: 9:30 am EST/ Finals 5:30 pm EST (Tuesday-5:00 EST)
- Location: Gabrielsen Natatorium — Athens, GA
- Defending Champions: Florida women (2x); Florida men (12x)
- Live Results
- Live Video: SEC Network+
- Championship Central
- Fan Guide (Men)
- Fan Guide (Women)
- Psych Sheets
- Teams: Alabama, Arkansas (women), Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas*, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt (women)
- Live Recaps
Prelims on the fifth day of the 2025 SEC Championships started with a bang, as two championship meet records fell in as many events to kick off the morning. The records came courtesy of Emma Sticklen and Luca Urlando, who lowered the championship records in the women’s and men’s 200 butterfly.
Sticklen posted a 1:50.01 to lead the women’s prelims, smashing the championshps record Bella Sims swam last season by 1.44 seconds. Sticklen already holds the SEC record in this event after swimming a lifetime-best 1:49.54 at the Texas Hall of Fame Invitational in November.
She was under her SEC record pace from the first 50 yards, opening her race in 23.84 compared to 24.13 in November. She continued to lead her record pace at the halfway point and was still .82 seconds under pace with 50 yards remaining. Sticklen backed off on the final 50, splitting 30.10 after anchoring her race in 28.81 in November. Given that she shifted into cruise control on the last 50, it’s safe to assume we’ll be back on SEC record watch in finals.
Women’s 200 Fly SEC Championship Record Split Comparison
| Emma Sticklen – SEC record | Emma Sticklen – SEC Championship Record | Bella Sims – Former SEC Championship Record | |
| 50 | 24.13 | 23.84 | 24.53 |
| 100 | 51.93 (27.80) | 51.14 (27.30) | 52.81 (28.28) |
| 150 | 1:20.73 (28.80) | 1:19.91 (28.77) | 1:22.08 (29.27) |
| 200 | 1:49.54 (28.81) | 1:50.01 (30.10) | 1:51.45 (29.37) |
Sticklen stopped the clock in 1:50.01, just missing putting up her fifth 1:49-point swim of the season. She’s been under the 1:50 mark more times in her career than any other performer.
While Sticklen jumped on her prelims swim, Urlando built into his. He was about a half-second off his championship record pace at the 100-yard mark, splitting 47.02 after opening in 46.51 during his title-winning swim three years ago.
Urlando split 25.14 on the third 50, making up nearly all of the gap and turning two-hundredths off his record pace. He continued to out-split his 2022 pace on the final 50, turning in a final split of 26.70. Urlando stopped the clock at 1:38.86, lowering his SEC Championship record by .14 seconds.
Men’s 200 Fly SEC Championship Record Split Comparison
| Luca Urlando – SEC Championship Record | Luca Urlando – Former SEC Championship Record | |
| 50 | 22.10 | 21.76 |
| 100 | 47.02 (24.92) | 46.51 (24.75) |
| 150 | 1:12.16 (25.14) | 1:12.14 (25.63) |
| 200 | 1:38.86 (26.70) | 1:39.00 (26.86) |
Last month, Urlando swam 1:37.17 at a dual meet, breaking the NCAA, American, and U.S. Open records in the men’s 200 butterfly. So, it seems we’ll remain on record watch for the men’s 200 fly and the women’s race.
Sticklen is searching for a third individual SEC title at this meet. She’s already won the 200 IM (1:52.42) and 100 butterfly (49.40). Urlando won silver in the 100 butterfly (43.99) and placed sixth in the 200 IM already at these championships (1:41.46).
