Swimming

Watch: Florida Women Cap SECs With 400 FR Relay Conference Record (SEC Day 5 Race Videos)

February 25, 2024

2024 SEC SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

February 19 – February 24, 2024
James E. Martin Aquatic Center — Auburn, AL
Defending Champions: Women: Florida (1x) Men: Florida (11x)
Start Times (CT): 9:30 am prelims/5:30 pm finals
Championship Central
2023 SEC Championships Box Score
Major Conference Roster Limits and Scoring Rules
Psych Sheets
Live Results
Live Video (SEC+ Network)
Day 1 Diving Recap
Day 1 Finals Live Recap
Day 2 Prelims Live Recap | Day 2 Finals Live Recap
Day 3 Prelims Live Recap | Day 3 Finals Live Recap
Day 4 Prelims Live Recap | Day 4 Finals Live Recap
Day 5 Prelims Live Recap

Did you miss the action from the last finals session of the 2024 SEC Championships? No worries, we’ve got all the championship finals from Day 5 below. On the schedule were finals of the 1650 freestyle, 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke, and 400 freestyle relay.

There were plenty of SEC Championship and pool records set during finals. In their last race of the meet, the Florida women broke the SEC record in the 400 freestyle relay that had stood since 2017.

Women’s 1650 Freestyle — Timed Final

Courtesy: UGA Swimming

NCAA Record: 15:03.31 — Katie Ledecky, Stanford (2017)
SEC Record: 15:27.84 — Brittany McLean, Georgia (2014)
SEC Championship Record: 15:36.52 — Brittany McLean, Georgia (2016)
Pool Record: 15:38.74 — Stephanie Peacock, UNC (2012)
2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 15:52.41
2023 NCAA Invited Time: 16:13.73

Top 8:

Abby McCulloh (UGA) — 15:40.96
Emma Weyant (FLOR) — 15:54.62
Hayden Miller (TAMU) — 16:02.35
Aly Breslin (TENN) — 16:03.92
Liberty Williams (BAMA) — 16:06.49
Kate McCarville (TENN) — 16:10.44
Averee Preble (AUB) — 16:12.36
Mackenzie Brandt (BAMA) — 16:16.97

Abby McCulloh, ran away with the final heat of the women’s 1650 freestyle, lapping almost everyone in the field en route to gold. McCulloh clocked 15:40.96, breaking her personal best by almost nine seconds.

Emma Weyant finished silver in a personal best of her own, breaking 16 minutes for the first time in her career. Her previous best stood at 16:01.59 from her 13th place finish at 2023 NCAAs. The pair were the only two under 16 minutes as Hayden Miller earned bronze in 16:02.35.

Men’s 1650 Freestyle — Timed Final

Courtesy: tamuswim

NCAA Record: 14:12.08 — Bobby Finke, Florida (2020)
SEC Record: 14:12.08 — Bobby Finke, Florida (2020)
SEC Championship Record: 14:12.08 — Bobby Finke, Florida (2020)
Pool Record: 14:12.08 — Bobby Finke, Florida (2020)
2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 14:37.31
2023 NCAA Invited Time: 14:53.84

Top 8:

Andrew Taylor (FLOR) — 14:38.41
Giovanni Linscheer (FLOR) — 14:38.78
Levi Sandidge (UKY) — 14:44.24
Mason Mathias (AUB) — 14:46.50
Carson Hick (UKY) — 14:47.84
Jake Mitchell (FLOR) — 14:48.21
Oskar Lindholm (FLOR) — 14:51.28
Grant Davis (AUB) — 14:43.68

Freshman Andrew Taylor won the men’s 1650 free title out of the early heats. This afternoon, Taylor swam a massive personal best of 14:38.41, taking a whopping 25.92 seconds off his personal best. Coming into today, Taylor had never broken 15 minutes before; now, he’s well clear of the barrier and has launched himself up NCAA’s top times list this season.

He won the race by .37 seconds, just beating his teammate Giovanni Linscheer, who won the fastest heat in 14:38.78 ahead of defending champion Levi Sandidge, who earned bronze.

Women’s 200 Backstroke — Final

Courtesy: tamuswim

NCAA Record: 1:47.24 – Beata Nelson, Wisconsin (2019)
SEC Record: 1:48.06 — Rhyan White, Alabama (2020)
SEC Championship Record: 1:48.06 — Rhyan White, Alabama (2020)
Pool Record: 1:48.06 — Rhyan White, Alabama (2020)
2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 1:50.50
2023 NCAA Invited Time: 1:53.34

Top 8:

Bella Sims (FLOR) — 1:49.04
Josephine Fuller (TENN) — 1:49.75
Miranda Grana (TAMU) — 1:51.06
Amy Riordan (SCAR) — 1:52.05
Aviv Barzelay (TAMU) — 1:52.89
JoJo Ramey (FLOR) — 1:53.68
Grace Frericks (UKY) — 1:53.93
Catherine Choate (FLOR) — 1:54.76

In her first SEC Championships, Bella Sims goes three-for-three in her individual events. Sims led the race from start to finish, taking the win in a season-best 1:49.04. She led from the start but Josephine Fuller made her work right up until the final touch. Fuller made a charge on the final 50-yards, splitting 27.93 to Sims’ 28.23.

Fuller earned another silver medal in 1:49.75. It’s a big personal best for Fuller and her first time under 1:50. Miranda Grana swam another best time for bronze, taking an additional .63 seconds off the personal best she swam this morning in 1:50.06.

Men’s 200 Backstroke — Final

Courtesy: UGA Swimming

NCAA Record: 1:35.73 — Ryan Murphy, Cal (2016)
SEC Record: 1:35.75 — Shaine Casas, Texas A&M (2021)
~~SEC Championship Record: 1:36.85 — Shaine Casas, Texas A&M (2021)~~
~~Pool Record: 1:37.20 — Shaine Casas, Texas A&M (2020)~~
2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 1:39.13
2023 NCAA Invited Time: 1:40.62

Top 8:

Jonny Marshall (FLOR) — 1:36.68 (SEC Meet + Pool Record)
Bradley Dunham (UGA) — 1:37.80
Aidan Stoffle (AUB) — 1:38.78
Ian Grum (UGA) — 1:39.36
Nate Stoffle (AUB) — 1:39.43
Ruard van Renen (UGA) — 1:41.12
Tommy Hagar (BAMA) — 1:41.20
Sam Powe (UGA) — 1:41.52

Jonny Marshall has swept the backstrokes at these championships. The Florida freshman jumped on the race from the beginning and never trailed. He downed the SEC Championship record, the pool record, and the Florida program record with a 1:36.68.

Last year’s champion Bradley Dunham swam his second personal best of the day, hitting a 1:37.80 for the silver medal. Aidan Stoffle, a fifth-year like Dunham, improved from 4th in 2023 to bronze this year in 1:38.78.

Women’s 100 Freestyle – Final

Courtesy: tamuswim

NCAA Record: 45.16 — Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (2024)
SEC Record: 45.83 — Erika Brown, Tennessee (2020)
SEC Championship Record: 45.83 — Erika Brown, Tennessee (2020)
Pool Record: 45.83 — Erika Brown, Tennessee (2020)
2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 47.18
2023 NCAA Invited Time: 48.37

Top 8:

Camille Spink (TENN) — 46.69
Micayla Cronk (FLOR) — 47.61
Brooklyn Douthwright (TENN) — 47.76
Chloe Stepanek (TAMU) — 47.77
Helena Jones (UGA) — 48.27
Polina Nevmovenko (AUB) — 48.70
Diana Petkova (BAMA) — 48.84
Sierra Smith (UMIZ) — 48.94

Camille Spink claimed the women’s 100 freestyle by almost a second, giving the freshmen their fourth-straight win of the session. Spink earns the sweep in the women’s sprint events as well as she won the 50 free earlier in the meet.

Spink sped to the win in 46.69. It’s her first swim sub-47 seconds as she’d set her best at 47.11 in prelims. Micayla Cronk held onto her 2nd place seed, earning silver in 47.61. Her time takes .16 seconds off her personal best. Brooklyn Douthwright joins Spink on the podium, giving the Volunteers a 1-3 finish.

Men’s 100 Freestyle — Final

Courtesy: UGA Swimming

NCAA Record: 39.90 — Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
SEC Record: 39.90 — Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
~~Meet Record: 40.87 — Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)~~
~~Pool Record: 40.95 — Josh Liendo, Florida (2024)~~
2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 41.50
2023 NCAA Invited Time: 42.32

Top 8:

Josh Liendo (FLOR) — 40.82 (SEC Meet + Pool Record)
Jordan Crooks (TENN) — 40.90
Gui Caribe (TENN) — 40.99
Macguire McDuff (FLOR) — 41.30
Reese Branzell (UGA) — 41.86
Logan Tirheimer (AUB) — 42.15
Jere Hribar (LSU) — 42.16
Julian Smith (FLOR) — 42.29

Josh Liendo, Jordan Crooks, and Gui Caribe duked it out for gold in the men’s 100 freestyle. All three broke 41 seconds and at the touch, it was Liendo who took down Caeleb Dressel‘s meet record with a 40.87.

Crooks swam 40.90, knocking two-hundredths off his personal best. Caribe swam a lifetime best for bronze as well, getting under 41 seconds for the first time.

Women’s 200 Breaststroke — Final

Courtesy: UGA Swimming

NCAA Record: 2:01.29 — Kate Douglass, Virginia (2023)
SEC Record: 2:03.26 — Bethany Galat, Texas A&M (2018)
~~Meet Record: 2:04.62 — Sydney Pickrem, Texas A&M (2018)~~
~~Pool Record: 2:04.76 — Caitlin Leverenz, Cal (2012)~~
2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 2:05.73
2023 NCAA Invited Time: 2:09.68

Top 8:

Mona McSharry (TENN) — 2:03.84 SEC Meet + Pool Record)
Emelie Fast (TENN) — 2:07.02
Zoie Hartman (UGA) — 2:07.26
Alessia Ferraguti (UARK) — 2:07.69
Avery Wiseman (BAMA) — 2:08.45
Jocelyn Fisher (BAMA) — 2:10.89
Molly Mayne (FLOR) — 2:11.47
Laura Goettler (SCAR) — 2:11.51

For the second year in a row, Mona McSharry has swept the breaststrokes at the SEC Championships. She set another SEC Championship record here, speeding to the win in 2:03.84. The time is a personal best for McSharry, marking her first sub-2:04 performance.

The Volunteers went 1-2 as behind McSharry, freshman Emelie Fast earned silver in a personal best 2:07.02. After winning silver last year, Zoie Hartman made it back onto the podium this year, taking bronze in 2:07.36.

Men’s 200 Breaststroke — Final

Courtesy: tamuswim

NCAA Record: 1:46.91 — Leon Marchand, Arizona State (2023)
SEC Record: 1:50.08 — Aleksas Savickas, Florida (2023)
Meet Record: 1:50.08 — Aleksas Savickas, Florida (2023)
~~Pool Record: 1:51.18 — Alex Sanchez, Texas A&M (2024)~~
2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 1:51.09
2023 NCAA Invited Time: 1:52.94

Top 8:

Alex Sanchez (TAMU) — 1:50.36 (Pool Record)
Aleksas Savickas (FLOR) — 1:50.42
Baylor Nelson (TAMU) — 1:52.43
Vincent Ribeiro (TAMU) — 1:53.19
Jacques Rathle (AUB) — 1:54.37
Will Goodwin (UMIZ) — 1:54.44
Peter Brentzmann (FLOR) — 1:55.41
Alejandro Flores (AUB) — 1:57.91

It came down to the touch between Alex Sanchez and defending champ Aleksas Savickas who swam two different races. Savickas went out fast, while Sanchez relied on the back half of his race. Sanchez brought the race home in 28.70, putting up the only sub-29 final 50 split in the ‘A’ final.

That gave him just enough room to get his hands on the wall first with a new personal best time of 1:50.36, breaking his own pool record. Savickas earned silver in 1:50.42 while Baylor Nelson swam another personal best (1:52.43), giving the Aggies two swimmers on the podium. Texas A&M went 1-3-4 in the race.

Women’s 400 Freestyle Relay — Final

NCAA Record: 3:05.84 — Virginia (K. Douglass, A. Walsh, M. Parker, G. Walsh) (2023)
~~SEC Record: 3:08.97 — Georgia (O. Smoliga, V. Burchill, M. Raab, C. Van Landeghem) (2017)~~
~~SEC Championship Record: 3:09.18 — Auburn (J. Meyen, C. Fisch, R. Clevenger, A. Webb)~~
~~Pool Record: 3:09.18 — Auburn (J. Meyen, C. Fisch, R. Clevenger, A. Webb)~~
2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 3:14.10
2024 NCAA ‘B’ Standard: 3:16.25

Top 8:

Florida (Ivey, Sims, Kruger, Cronk) — 3:08.00 (SEC Record) (NCAA ‘A’ Standard)
Tennessee (Douthwright, McSharry, Fuller, Spink) — 3:08.97 (NCAA ‘A’ Standard)
Georgia (Jones, Roberson, McCarty, Hartman) — 3:12.12 (NCAA ‘A’ Standard)
LSU — 3:12.17 (NCAA ‘A’ Standard)
Auburn — 3:14.12
Alabama — 3:14.61
South Carolina — 3:14.62
Arkansas — 3:14.91

Florida put an exclamation mark on their meet by earning the win in the women’s 400 freestyle in SEC record fashion. Isabel Ivey kicked things off for them in 46.61. She turned it over to Sims, who kept things rolling with a 46.54. Lainy Kruger split 48.43 and the 100 free silver medalist, Cronk, anchored in 46.42.

Florida won in 3:08.00, breaking Georgia’s SEC record from 2017 by .97 seconds. Tennessee’s quartet of Brooklyn Douthwright (48.14), Mona McSharry (47.92), Josephine Fuller (46.83), and Camille Spink (46.08) tied Georgia’s 2017 mark and earned silver.

Georgia’s squad of Helena Jones (48.10), Bri Roberson (48.14), Eboni McCarty (48.25), and Zoie Hartman (47.63) earned bronze in 3:12.12.

Men’s 400 Freestyle Relay — Final

NCAA Record: 2:44.07 — Florida (J. Liendo, A. Chaney, J. Smith, M. McDuff) (2024)
SEC Record: 2:44.07 — Florida (J. Liendo, A. Chaney, J. Smith, M. McDuff) (2024)
~~SEC Championship Record: 2:46.03 — Auburn (J. Andkjaer, G. Louw, K. Norys, M. Targett) (2009)~~
~~Pool Record: 2:46.03 — Auburn (J. Andkjaer, G. Louw, K. Norys, M. Targett) (2009)~~
2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 2:50.44
2024 NCAA ‘B’ Standard: 2:51.86

Top 8:

Florida (Liendo, Chaney, Smith, McDuff) — 2:45.31 (SEC Meet + Pool Record) (NCAA ‘A’ Standard)
Tennessee (Caribe, Blackman, Chambers, Crooks) — 2:46.11 (NCAA ‘A’ Standard)
Alabama (Alves, Hawke, Korstanje, Wilson) — 2:48.61 (NCAA ‘A’ Standard)
Georgia — 2:48.62 (NCAA ‘A’ Standard)
Auburn — 2:49.17 (NCAA ‘A’ Standard)
Texas A&M — 2:51.22
Missouri — 2:51.84
Kentucky — 2:53.29

Crooks’ blistering 40.57 split anchoring Tennessee’s relay made things interesting at the end, but it wasn’t enough to stop Florida from completing the relay sweep to finish off their SEC Championships.

Liendo got the Gators the lead with a 41.13, out-touching Gui Caribe‘s 41.28 lead-off for the Vols. Adam Chaney split 41.39. Julian Smith swam 41.22 and McDuff brought them home in 41.57, giving Florida a winning time of 2:45.31. It’s a new SEC meet record and a pool record.

Tennessee finished comfortably in second with a 2:46.11 with the team of Caribe (41.28), Nikoli Blackman (42.08), Micah Chambers (42.18), and Crooks (40.57).

The Alabama men beat Georgia by .01 seconds for 3rd, 2:48.61 to 2:48.62.

SwimSwam: Watch: Florida Women Cap SECs With 400 FR Relay Conference Record (SEC Day 5 Race Videos)