Swimming

2023 NCAA ‘A’ Finalist Dune Coetzee Scratches Out of SEC Championships

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By James Sutherland on SwimSwam

2024 SEC CHAMPIONSHIPS

A trio of top-eight-seeded swimmers have scratched out of the 2024 SEC Swimming & Diving Championships, most notably title contender Dune Coetzee.

Coetzee, a junior at Georgia, was representing her native South Africa at last week’s World Aquatics Championships in Doha. A Georgia spokesperson told SwimSwam that her sitting out of SECs was planned prior to Worlds.

Coetzee was seeded 3rd in the women’s 200, 500 and 1650 free, having set lifetime bests in all three events at the Georgia Fall Invitational in November.

Coetzee is currently ranked 3rd in both the NCAA and SEC in the 500 free (4:35.29), while she also sits 10th in the nation in the 1650 free (15:59.18) and 15th in the 200 free (1:43.70).

In Doha, Coetzee placed 14th in the women’s 400 free (4:12.03) and 28th in the 200 free (2:01.02).

After placing 10th in the mile and 12th in the 500 free at last season’s SECs, Coetzee made an ‘A’ final appearance in the 500 at the 2023 NCAAs, placing 8th after dropping what was a PB of 4:38.54 in the prelims.

The other swimmers seeded to score ‘A’ final points dropping out of the meet following the release of the initial psychs are Florida’s Ekaterina Nikonova and Caleb Maldari.

Nikonova, a junior, was seeded 8th in the women’s 200 free, 11th in the 100 free and 13th in the 50 free.

Maldari, a freshman, was seeded 8th in the men’s 200 back and also had entries in the 200 IM (12th), 100 back (14th) and 400 IM (no entry time).

SwimSwam: 2023 NCAA ‘A’ Finalist Dune Coetzee Scratches Out of SEC Championships

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