SEC Championships, Day 3 Prelims: Texas Distance Depth a Little Sluggish in 500
One of the stories of the 2025 SEC Championships, upon the inclusion of the University of Texas, would be how its vaunted distance program in particular shook up the status quo.
The first returns, in the men’s 500 freestyle, were mixed.
Texas put two in the A final and four in the B final of the men’s 500 freestyle in prelims Wednesday morning at the University of Georgia’s Gabrielsen Natatorium. But that included American record holder Rex Maurer in just seventh place, and Coby Carrozza and Luke Hobson, both A finalists at NCAAs last year, in the B final.
A recap of the morning:
- SEC Swimming News
- SEC Championships Hub
- SEC Championships Live Results
- SEC Swimming Night 1 Recap
- SEC Swimming Night 2 Recap
Wednesday’s night session will also include the 200 free relay and women’s 3-meter diving. The team scores as they sit after the action Tuesday night.
Women - Team Rankings - Through Event 5 1. University of Texas 238 2. University of Florida 140 3. Texas A&M University 130 4. Louisiana State University 126 5. University of Tennessee 120 6. South Carolina, University of, 118 7. Auburn University 115.5 8. Kentucky, University of 115 9. Georgia, University of 104.5 10. University of Alabama 86 11. University of Arkansas 85 12. Missouri 84 13. Vanderbilt University 56
Men - Team Rankings - Through Event 6 1. University of Texas 176 2. Georgia, University of 158 3. University of Tennessee 153.5 4. University of Florida 152 5. Louisiana State University 132 6. University of Alabama 118 7. Texas A&M University 111 8. South Carolina, University of, 110 9. Kentucky, University of 102 10. Auburn University 63 11. Missouri 62.5
Women’s 500 freestyle
Jillian Cox flew the Longhorn flag ably in the morning, going 4:35.18 to cruise into the top seed. She had set the conference record at 4:30.68 in November.
Wednesday, she led a trio of 4:35s, with Georgia’s Dune Coetzee finishing second and Emma Weyant of Florida third. Cox is joined by Erin Gemmell, who finished seventh, in the A final. Georgia has three in the A final, with Abby McCulloh fourth and Rachel Stege sixth.
Tennessee’s Ella Jansen, who entered as the third seed with a 4:35.85 to her name, finished 10th.
Event 9 Women 500 Yard Freestyle
==================================================================
NCAA: N 4:24.06 3/16/2017 Katie Ledecky, Stanford
SEC: S 4:30.68 11/20/2024Jillian Cox, Texas
SEC Meet: M 4:33.10 2016 Brittany MacLean, Georgia
Pool: P 4:30.85 12/4/2015 Leah Smith, Virginia
4:36.89 A
4:47.20 B
Name Year School Seed Prelims
==================================================================
=== Preliminaries ===
1 Cox, Jillian SO Texas 4:30.68 4:35.18 qA
r:+0.68 25.50 52.85 (27.35)
1:20.54 (27.69) 1:48.18 (27.64)
2:15.91 (27.73) 2:43.91 (28.00)
3:11.76 (27.85) 3:39.87 (28.11)
4:07.83 (27.96) 4:35.18 (27.35)
2 Coetzee, Dune JR UGA 4:39.89 4:35.53 qA
r:+0.68 25.60 53.09 (27.49)
1:20.92 (27.83) 1:49.08 (28.16)
2:17.14 (28.06) 2:45.45 (28.31)
3:13.30 (27.85) 3:41.40 (28.10)
4:09.18 (27.78) 4:35.53 (26.35)
3 Weyant, Emma J SR FLOR-FL 4:37.62 4:35.58 qA
r:+0.68 25.72 53.05 (27.33)
1:20.66 (27.61) 1:48.70 (28.04)
2:16.66 (27.96) 2:44.60 (27.94)
3:12.47 (27.87) 3:40.29 (27.82)
4:08.20 (27.91) 4:35.58 (27.38)
4 McCulloh, Abby JR UGA 4:36.18 4:36.29 qA
r:+0.70 25.58 53.08 (27.50)
1:20.96 (27.88) 1:48.91 (27.95)
2:16.99 (28.08) 2:44.92 (27.93)
3:12.92 (28.00) 3:41.12 (28.20)
4:09.21 (28.09) 4:36.29 (27.08)
5 Brousseau, Juli FLOR-FL 4:37.19 4:36.78 qA
r:+0.74 25.44 52.81 (27.37)
1:20.80 (27.99) 1:48.78 (27.98)
2:16.84 (28.06) 2:45.26 (28.42)
3:13.48 (28.22) 3:41.69 (28.21)
4:09.61 (27.92) 4:36.78 (27.17)
6 Stege, Rachel G JR UGA 4:34.27 4:37.58 qB
r:+0.72 25.49 52.84 (27.35)
1:20.67 (27.83) 1:48.87 (28.20)
2:17.05 (28.18) 2:45.29 (28.24)
3:13.75 (28.46) 3:42.10 (28.35)
4:10.01 (27.91) 4:37.58 (27.57)
7 Gemmell, Erin M SO Texas 4:38.28 4:38.21 qB
r:+0.77 25.13 53.05 (27.92)
1:21.19 (28.14) 1:49.53 (28.34)
2:18.02 (28.49) 2:46.30 (28.28)
3:14.61 (28.31) 3:43.08 (28.47)
4:11.33 (28.25) 4:38.21 (26.88)
8 McCarville, Kat Tennessee-SE 4:41.29 4:39.02 qB
r:+0.65 25.79 53.60 (27.81)
1:21.64 (28.04) 1:49.91 (28.27)
2:18.07 (28.16) 2:46.39 (28.32)
3:14.82 (28.43) 3:43.28 (28.46)
4:11.61 (28.33) 4:39.02 (27.41)
Men’s 500 freestyle
Georgia grabbed the top two seeds, with Tomas Koski going 4:09.92 and Jake Magahey 4:10.01. Magahey owns the pool record at 4:09.83 from 2022, which will be in the crosshairs at night.
On to Texas, whose swims are likely a reflection of some of the top swimmers not being fully rested. David Johnston paced the Longhorns in third place in 4:10.44. Rex Maurer, whose 4:04.45 in November stands as the American mark, was seventh in 4:11.27. He was lucky to get into the A final, with teammates Coby Carrozza (seventh at NCAAs last year) ninth in 4:11.65 and NCAA runner-up Luke Hobson .03 back. They join Manning Haskal and Jackson Huckaby in the B final.
It is a daunting field, to be sure. Charlie Hawke, fifth at NCAAs last year, finished fourth in the morning for Alabama. Gio Linscheer of Florida was fifth, with teammate Jake Mitchell eighth. Auburn’s Mason Mathias, another A finalist at NCAAs last year, tied Linscheer for fifth.
Event 10 Men 500 Yard Freestyle
==================================================================
NCAA: N 4:02.31 3/28/2024 Leon Marchand, Arizona State
SEC: S 4:04.45 11/20/2024Rex Maurer, Texas
SEC Meet: M 4:06.32 2020 Kieran Smith, Florida
Pool: P 4:09.83 11/17/2022Jake Magahey, Georgia
4:10.64 A
4:21.28 B
Name Year School Seed Prelims
==================================================================
=== Preliminaries ===
1 Koski, Tomas S SO UGA 4:11.96 4:09.92 qA
r:+0.62 22.53 47.38 (24.85)
1:12.61 (25.23) 1:38.10 (25.49)
2:03.75 (25.65) 2:29.37 (25.62)
2:54.91 (25.54) 3:20.33 (25.42)
3:45.67 (25.34) 4:09.92 (24.25)
2 Magahey, Jake M 5Y UGA 4:10.93 4:10.01 qA
r:+0.72 22.82 47.96 (25.14)
1:13.34 (25.38) 1:38.88 (25.54)
2:04.39 (25.51) 2:30.05 (25.66)
2:55.62 (25.57) 3:20.89 (25.27)
3:46.02 (25.13) 4:10.01 (23.99)
3 Johnston, David SR Texas 4:09.41 4:10.44 qA
r:+0.71 23.07 48.13 (25.06)
1:13.47 (25.34) 1:38.76 (25.29)
2:04.18 (25.42) 2:29.80 (25.62)
2:55.18 (25.38) 3:20.64 (25.46)
3:45.77 (25.13) 4:10.44 (24.67)
4 Hawke, Charlie SR Alabama-SE 4:11.95 4:10.95 qB
r:+0.71 23.25 48.43 (25.18)
1:13.84 (25.41) 1:39.27 (25.43)
2:04.84 (25.57) 2:30.35 (25.51)
2:55.74 (25.39) 3:21.24 (25.50)
3:46.37 (25.13) 4:10.95 (24.58)
5 Linscheer, Giov JR FLOR-FL 4:15.04 4:11.03 qB
r:+0.65 23.35 48.39 (25.04)
1:13.81 (25.42) 1:39.34 (25.53)
2:04.80 (25.46) 2:30.14 (25.34)
2:55.66 (25.52) 3:21.05 (25.39)
3:46.27 (25.22) 4:11.03 (24.76)
5 Mathias, Mason SR Auburn-SE 4:14.03 4:11.03 qB
r:+0.67 23.33 48.75 (25.42)
1:14.27 (25.52) 1:39.97 (25.70)
2:05.40 (25.43) 2:30.86 (25.46)
2:56.14 (25.28) 3:21.45 (25.31)
3:46.56 (25.11) 4:11.03 (24.47)
7 Maurer, Rex SO Texas 4:04.45 4:11.27 qB
r:+0.71 22.96 48.25 (25.29)
1:13.78 (25.53) 1:39.65 (25.87)
2:05.03 (25.38) 2:30.71 (25.68)
2:56.28 (25.57) 3:22.10 (25.82)
3:47.09 (24.99) 4:11.27 (24.18)
8 Mitchell, Jake 5Y FLOR-FL 4:16.06 4:11.49 qB
r:+0.69 22.97 47.90 (24.93)
1:13.39 (25.49) 1:39.23 (25.84)
2:05.22 (25.99) 2:31.05 (25.83)
2:56.54 (25.49) 3:21.64 (25.10)
3:46.88 (25.24) 4:11.49 (24.61)
Women’s 200 individual medley
Emma Sticklen pushed the pace in the IM to get the top seed in 1:53.22, within a half-second of her seed time. The top seed entering the meet, Josephine Fuller of Tennessee, was comfortably in the A final in fourth in 1:54.48.
Texas has the top two seeds, with Campbell Stoll having gone 1:54.24, and Campbell Chase makes it two Texas Campbell canning A final spots. Bella Sims, who passed on the 500 free, got the third seed in 1:54.46.
Event 11 Women 200 Yard IM
==================================================================
NCAA: N 1:48.37 3/16/2023 Kate Douglass, Virginia
SEC: S 1:51.62 2/20/2019 Megan Small, Tennessee
SEC Meet: M 1:51.62 2019 Megan Small, Tennessee
Pool: P 1:49.20 3/21/2024 Alex Walsh, Virginia
1:53.66 A
1:59.35 B
Name Year School Seed Prelims
==================================================================
=== Preliminaries ===
1 Sticklen, Emma GS Texas 1:52.75 1:53.22 qA
r:+0.66 23.70 51.59 (27.89)
1:25.34 (33.75) 1:53.22 (27.88)
2 Stoll, Campbell SO Texas 1:55.33 1:54.24 qB
r:+0.62 24.50 52.53 (28.03)
1:26.19 (33.66) 1:54.24 (28.05)
3 Sims, Bella G SO FLOR-FL 1:54.84 1:54.46 qB
r:+0.55 23.97 51.78 (27.81)
1:26.04 (34.26) 1:54.46 (28.42)
4 Fuller, Josephi Tennessee-SE 1:52.86 1:54.48 qB
r:+0.64 24.51 52.38 (27.87)
1:26.40 (34.02) 1:54.48 (28.08)
5 Stotler, Sara B Tennessee-SE 1:56.75 1:54.72 qB
r:+0.65 24.51 52.65 (28.14)
1:27.14 (34.49) 1:54.72 (27.58)
6 Maluka, Ieva JR UGA 1:55.33 1:55.13 qB
r:+0.66 25.49 53.75 (28.26)
1:27.95 (34.20) 1:55.13 (27.18)
7 Chase, Campbell FR Texas 1:53.89 1:55.18 qB
r:+0.71 24.77 53.90 (29.13)
1:27.36 (33.46) 1:55.18 (27.82)
8 Dixon, Zoe A JR FLOR-FL 1:54.57 1:55.65 qB
r:+0.62 24.74 52.93 (28.19)
1:27.37 (34.44) 1:55.65 (28.28)
Men’s 200 individual medley
Will Modglin set the pool record by going 1:40.94, the Texas sophomore clipping .03 off his best time of the season in what might be a portent for evening fireworks. The owner of said pool record, Julian Smith, went 1:41.50 to finish second, .49 off his time from November. Auburn’s Danny Schmidt is the third seed.
Texas stuffed the A final with three swimmers, including Hubert Kos in fifth, plus Ben Sampson in ninth. Baylor Nelson is sixth, and Luca Urlando is eighth.
Event 12 Men 200 Yard IM
==================================================================
NCAA: N 1:36.34 3/23/2023 Leon Marchand, Arizona State
SEC: S 1:38.13 2/18/2018 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
SEC Meet: M 1:38.13 2018 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
Pool: P 1:41.01 11/20/2024Julian Smith, Florida
1:40.75 A
1:45.68 B
Name Year School Seed Prelims
==================================================================
=== Preliminaries ===
1 Modglin, Will C SO Texas 1:40.97 1:40.94PqB
r:+0.65 21.66 46.54 (24.88)
1:16.03 (29.49) 1:40.94 (24.91)
2 Smith, Julian SR FLOR-FL 1:41.01 1:41.50 qB
r:+0.67 21.36 47.01 (25.65)
1:15.88 (28.87) 1:41.50 (25.62)
3 Schmidt, Danny JR Auburn-SE 1:43.41 1:42.04 qB
r:+0.63 21.97 47.40 (25.43)
1:17.20 (29.80) 1:42.04 (24.84)
4 Germonprez, Nat SO Texas 1:43.04 1:42.24 qB
r:+0.70 21.81 47.58 (25.77)
1:17.29 (29.71) 1:42.24 (24.95)
5 Kos, Hubert JR Texas 1:40.51 1:42.27 qB
r:+0.61 21.53 46.68 (25.15)
1:16.86 (30.18) 1:42.27 (25.41)
6 Nelson, Baylor JR Texas A&M-GU 1:42.78 1:42.33 qB
r:+0.61 21.88 47.42 (25.54)
1:16.89 (29.47) 1:42.33 (25.44)
7 Taylor, Camden SO Texas 1:44.47 1:42.64 qB
r:+0.71 22.03 47.81 (25.78)
1:17.75 (29.94) 1:42.64 (24.89)
8 Urlando, Luca R SR UGA 1:41.83 1:42.66 qB
r:+0.65 21.88 47.34 (25.46)
1:17.99 (30.65) 1:42.66 (24.67)
Women’s 50 freestyle
Camille Spink set the pace in 21.51 for Tennessee in what is likely to be a crowded field. Seven schools have an A finalist. Four swimmers got under 22 seconds, with Alabama’s Cadence Vincent in 21.63, Texas’s Grace Cooper in 21.86 and Michaela De Villiers of LSU in 21.99, the only one of the bunch to crack 22 seconds for the first time this season on the morning. Texas has two A finalists, with Ava Longi tied for fifth.
The biggest miss of the final may be Jillian Crooks, who went 22.21, three tenths slower than her seed time, for 13th. Three A finalists from last year – third-place Mona McSharry of Tennessee (21st), Alabama’s fourth-place Bella Cothern (18th) and Texas A&M fifth-year Chloe Stepanek (23rd) – each landed in the C final.
Event 13 Women 50 Yard Freestyle
==================================================================
NCAA: N 20.37 3/21/2024 Gretchen Walsh, Virginia
SEC: S 20.79 3/16/2023 Maggie MacNeil, LSU
SEC Meet: M 20.98 2023 Maggie MacNeil, LSU
Pool: P 20.37 3/21/2024 Gretchen Walsh, Virginia
21.58 A
22.58 B
Name Year School Seed Prelims
==================================================================
=== Preliminaries ===
1 Spink, Camille Tennessee-SE 21.33 21.51 qA
r:+0.66 10.29 21.51 (11.22)
2 Vincent, Cadenc SO Alabama-SE 21.73 21.63 qB
r:+0.69 10.51 21.63 (11.12)
3 Cooper, Grace H GS Texas 21.81 21.86 qB
r:+0.62 10.33 21.86 (11.53)
4 De Villiers, Mi JR LSU-LA 22.13 21.99 qB
r:+0.65 10.43 21.99 (11.56)
5 Longi, Ava K GS Texas 21.90 22.04 qB
r:+0.64 10.59 22.04 (11.45)
5 Owens, Kaitlyn SR Texas A&M-GU 22.18 22.04 qB
r:+0.60 10.63 22.04 (11.41)
7 Mulvihill, Lexi SR Auburn-SE 22.16 22.05 qB
r:+0.63 10.62 22.05 (11.43)
8 Curry, Peyton N SR South Carolina-S 22.46 22.07 qB
r:+0.66 10.66 22.07 (11.41)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
9 Winter, Kailyn SR Alabama-SE 22.40 22.08 qB
r:+0.73 10.64 22.08 (11.44)
10 Rosendale, Char JR Alabama-SE 22.37 22.10 qB
r:+0.62 10.74 22.10 (11.36)
11 Sikes, Katie Be FR UGA 22.19 22.18 qB
r:+0.65 10.59 22.18 (11.59)
12 Smith, Sierra SR Missouri-MV 22.40 22.20 qB
r:+0.65 10.72 22.20 (11.48)
13 Crooks, Jillian Tennessee-SE 21.91 22.21 qB
r:+0.59 10.68 22.21 (11.53)
13 Scott, Jada A SO Alabama-SE 22.34 22.21 qB
r:+0.70 10.66 22.21 (11.55)
15 McCarty, Eboni JR UGA 22.04 22.23 qB
r:+0.67 10.71 22.23 (11.52)
16 Fulton, Alexa L SO Texas 22.25 22.24 qB
r:+0.69 10.79 22.24 (11.45)
Men’s 50 freestyle
Get your popcorn ready. Jordan Crooks blasted a time of 18.12 that exactly matches his seed time and takes down the pool record. Josh Liendo went 18.31, three tenths quicker than the pool record he saw erased. It took 19.02 to make the A final, Scotty Buff giving Florida a third in there. Tennessee has two, with Gui Caribe was third in 18.62, .04 up on Chris Guiliano.
Event 14 Men 50 Yard Freestyle
==================================================================
NCAA: N 17.63 3/22/2018 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
SEC: S 17.63 3/22/2018 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
SEC Meet: M 17.93 2023 Jordan Crooks, Tennessee
Pool: P 18.61 11/16/2023Josh Liendo, Florida
18.72 A
19.69 B
Name Year School Seed Prelims
==================================================================
=== Preliminaries ===
1 Crooks, Jordan Tennessee-SE 18.12 18.12PqA
r:+0.60 8.68 18.12 (9.44)
2 Liendo, Josh JR FLOR-FL 18.80 18.31PqA
r:+0.59 8.75 18.31 (9.56)
3 Caribe, Gui C Tennessee-SE 18.76 18.62 qA
r:+0.58 8.77 18.62 (9.85)
4 Guiliano, Chris Texas 18.89 18.66 qA
r:+0.60 8.85 18.66 (9.81)
5 Hribar, Jere SO LSU-LA 18.92 18.72 qA
r:+0.69 9.06 18.72 (9.66)
6 Painter, Alex J FR FLOR-FL 19.24 18.85 qB
r:+0.60 9.00 18.85 (9.85)
7 Foote, Connor M JR Texas A&M-GU 19.10 18.95 qB
r:+0.61 9.07 18.95 (9.88)
8 Buff, Scotty SO FLOR-FL 19.30 19.02 qB
r:+0.61 9.22 19.02 (9.80)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
9 Blackman, Nikol Tennessee-SE 19.15 19.05 qB
r:+0.63 9.12 19.05 (9.93)
9 Nebrich, Luke FR Missouri-MV 19.47 19.05 qB
r:+0.66 9.16 19.05 (9.89)
11 Tirheimer, Loga GS Auburn-SE 19.43 19.07 qB
r:+0.63 9.27 19.07 (9.80)
12 Fullum-Huot, Ed JR FLOR-FL 19.45 19.12 qB
r:+0.63 9.28 19.12 (9.84)
13 Scholl, Ben T SO Texas A&M-GU 19.17 19.14 qB
r:+0.60 9.01 19.14 (10.13)
14 Taylor, Lamar Tennessee-SE 19.15 19.15 qB
r:+0.61 9.12 19.15 (10.03)
15 Korstanje, Tim JR Alabama-SE 19.42 19.34 qB
r:+0.59 9.19 19.34 (10.15)
16 Bidois, Tane M FR UGA 19.88 19.35 qB
r:+0.63 9.28 19.35 (10.07)