Jillian Crooks Drops Over A Second To Win 100 Backstroke SEC Title In 50.50

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
  • Finals: Day 1 Distance | Day 1 | Day 2

Women’s 100 Backstroke — Finals

• NCAA Record: 48.10 — Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (2024)
• SEC Record: 49.20 — Bella Sims, Florida (2025)
• SEC Championship Record: 49.20 — Bella Sims, Florida (2025)
• Pool Record: 48.26 — Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (2023)
• 2026 NCAA Championships Qualifying Time: 52.65

Top 8 Finishers

1. Jillian Crooks (TENN) — 50.50
2. Emily Jones (BAMA) — 50.59
3. Zoe Carlos-Broc (LSU) — 51.14
4. Catie Choate (FLOR) — 51.36
5. Emma Kern (TEX) — 51.81
6. Mizuki Hirai (TENN) — 51.82
7. Lora Komoroczy (AUB) — 51.97
8. Kaitlyn Owens (TAMU) — 51.99

Tennessee’s Jillian Crooks swam to a huge lifetime best in the 100 backstroke, touching in a 50.50 for the SEC title. That also marked her first ‘A’ final ever as she was 12th in the event at last year’s 2025 SEC Championships during her freshman season.

Crooks was the #6 ranked recruit coming out of high school and made three ‘B’ finals at the 2025 SEC Championships. She finished 10th in the 100 free (48.31), 11th in the 50 free (22.12), and 12th in the 100 back (51.95).

She entered the meet with a lifetime best 51.54 in the 100 backstroke. That has stood since December 2023 at Winter Juniors-East, before she arrived at Tennessee.

The swim marked Crooks’ first SEC title as she was only on the team’s 3rd place 200 free relay at last year’s meet and she was not on the team’s winning 200 medley from last night. Teammate Mizuki Hirai led that relay off in a 23.65. Crooks was out tonight in a 24.45 at the turn before touching in a 50.50 for her win. Hirai was 6th in the individual 100 back tonight in a 51.82.