Jordan Crooks Breaks SEC Meet Record with 4th Career 17-Second 50 Free

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)
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• Teams: Alabama, Arkansas (women), Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas*, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt (women)
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  • Finals: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
  • Prelims: Day 3

Jordan Crooks broke his own SEC meet record in the 50 free to wrap up the swimming events on night three, etching his name onto the all-time list for the second time tonight.

Crooks showed shades of Dressel tonight, firing off two 17-point swims to open and close the session. First, he led the Tennessee men to a new NCAA record in the 200 free relay, swimming what was then the #4 all-time performance (17.96). Now, he’s knocked that down to #5 as he blasted 17.85 (#3) to defend his title in the individual event. That gives him a perfect four-for-four record in the 50 free on the SEC stage. He remains the #2 performer all-time behind Caeleb Dressel.

Top 6 Performances, Men’s 50-Yard Freestyle

1. Caeleb Dressel – 17.63 (2018 NCAAs)
2. Caeleb Dressel – 17.81 (2018 NCAAs)
3. Jordan Crooks – 17.85 (2025 SECs) (Individual Final)
4. Jordan Crooks – 17.93 (2023 SECs)
5. Jordan Crooks – 17.96 (2025 SECs) (Relay Lead-off)
6. Jordan Crooks – 17.99 (2024 SECs)

Both of Dressel’s 17-second performances were achieved at the 2018 NCAA DI Championships. Like Crooks, he swam them in the same session. First, he clocked 17.81 leading off Florida’s 200 free relay before dropping the mind-boggling 17.63 record that still stands today. In contrast, all of Crooks’ best 50 swims have been done at SECs. He won the national title in 2023, but was edged by Josh Liendo in the 2024 final.

Liendo finished 2nd in the heat tonight, adding a few hundredths from his prelims effort (18.35).

It was a strong event for the Vols, as Gui Caribe hit a best time for 3rd (18.42). Lamar Taylor, a fifth-year transfer from DII Henderson State, broke 19 seconds for the first time to win the B-final (18.82).

Crooks capped off his 2024 with a World Record in the 50-meter freestyle (SCM). He became the first man under 20-seconds at the 2024 Short Course Worlds, breaking the record formerly held by Caeleb Dressel.