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
The final event of the 2025 SEC Championships was one for the record books, literally, as the Tennessee men swam 2:42.41 on the 400 freestyle relay, almost a second under the former NCAA record. They were anchored by Jordan Crooks swimming the fastest relay split in history at 39.52.
Men’s 400 Free Relay — Finals
NCAA Record: 2:43.40 — Arizona State, 2024 NCAA ChampionshipsSEC Record: 2:44.07 — Florida, 2023 NCAA ChampionshipsSEC Championship record: 2:45.31 — Florida, 2024- NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 2:49.79
Full Results:
- Tennessee- 2:42.41 **NCAA Record***
- Florida- 2:43.60
- Texas- 2:46.65
- Alabama- 2:47.67
- UGA- 2:48.30
- Texas A&M- 2:48.39
- LSU- 2:48.56
- Auburn- 2:48.56
- Missouri- 2:50.28
- Kentucky- 2:52.85
- South Carolina- 2:53.95
What. A. Race. Tennessee and Florida swam different relay orders, and it worked out in Tennessee’s favor. The Vols decided to put Jordan Crooks, the co-100 free champion, on the anchor leg of the relay, and he made it completely worth it, swimming the fastest relay split in history at 39.52 to pass Florida.
Florida chose to lead off their relay with Josh Liendo, the other 100 free champion. Liendo swam 40.78 to get the Gators off to a strong start, almost four tenths ahead of Tennessee’s Gui Caribe, who went 41.11
Tennessee was still in 2nd after their 2nd leg Nikoli Blackman‘s split 41.13 before handing it off to 3rd leg Lamar Taylor. Taylor swam a faster split than the Florida 3rd leg, making up enough ground with his 40.65 to put Jordan Crooks in the water only half a second back
The former NCAA record was set at 2:43.40 by Arizona State at last year’s NCAA Championships. In that same race, Tennessee finished 5th at 2:45.38, almost three seconds slower than they went tonight.
Split Comparison
| Leg | Swimmer | Tennessee- 2025 SEC Championships | ASU: 2024 NCAA Championships | Swimmer |
| 100 | Gui Caribe | 41.11 | Leon Marchand | 40.28 |
| 200 | Nikoli Blackman | 41.13 (1:22.24) | Jack Dolan | 41.28 (1:21.56) |
| 300 | Lamar Taylor | 40.65 (2:02.89) | Patrick Sammon | 41.02 (2:02.58) |
| 400 | Jordan Crooks | 39.52 (2:42.41) | Jonny Kulow | 40.82 (2:43.40) |
| Total | 2:42.41 | 2:43.40 |
The biggest difference was Crooks’ relay split, which was seven tenths faster than Leon Marchand‘s leadoff leg for the Sun Devils.
Crooks is the only swimmer who has ever split under 40 seconds on a relay, doing it for the first time in November at the Tennessee Invite when he went 39.89. He now holds the top two splits in history.
Top 5 Relay Splits:
- Jordan Crooks– 39.52, 2025 SEC Championships
- Jordan Crooks– 39.89, 2024 Tennessee Invite
- Caeleb Dressel– 40.15, 2018 NCAA Championships
- Chris Guiliano– 40.17, 2024 ACC Championships
- Caeleb Dressel– 40.20, 2017 SEC Championships
Question for the room: if you’re the Florida coaches what’re you gonna do to try to win this relay next month?
The way I see it they have 3 choices:
Move Liendo to anchor, trusting the other 3 to give him a lead
Keep him on the leadoff and hope he’s faster
Or go old school and have him go second, hoping for a monster split to get you out in front
Did I miss the splits.
Wow
Ummmmm wut? This is insane all around.
And a day after the Florida medley record. I’m not sure which one is more impressive. Both incredible performances.
Both are incredible performances, however I think the Florida 4Medley relay just edges the Tennessee 4Free. Teams had not come close to that 4Medley from ASU, to think how many Olympic medals they have. Kos, Marchand, Kharun then Kulow is an insane quad. They proceeded to get dispatched by the UF quartet in clinical fashion Smith 2nd fastest split and Liendo fastest by miles backed by Marshall and Painter it was unreal. If they go faster at NCs that record could be out of reach for some significant time.
I think I’d agree with that assessment.
Crooks anchor leg is something else. Feel like Florida needs to contemplate putting Liendo on the anchor leg bc they definitely have the horses to keep up
Bruh