2022 SEC Championships: Day 5 Ups/Mids/Downs

2022 SEC SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Tuesday, February 15 – Saturday, February 19, 2022
• Jones Aquatics Center, Knoxville, Tenn. (Eastern Time Zone)
• Defending Champion: Men- Florida (9x) Women- Kentucky (1x)
• Live Results
• Live Video (Watch ESPN)
• Championship Central
• Psych Sheets
• 2021 SEC Scoring Breakdown
• Day 5 Prelims Live Recap

The Florida men all-but-secured their SEC title on Saturday morning with 6 A-Finalists, the most of any team, in three individual events on Saturday.

While the Alabama and Kentucky women have the most A finalists on the women’s side, the most total comeback swims for Tennessee, plus a 200 point lead going into the day, means they should lock up their 2nd title in 3 seasons as well.

The battle for 2nd place has tightened up considerably on both sides of the pool though.

The men’s teams ranked 2nd through 6th were separated by just 102.5 points heading into the final day of competition. On paper, Alabama did enough to have pole position for 2nd place. The weakness for them, though, is the 1650 free, where they only have one swimmer seeded in the top 24 – Gil Kiesler as the 23rd seed.

The teams they are battling with all should outscore them in that mile. Tennessee has 1 in the fastest heat, as does Georgia, and Auburn might be the sleepers with 3 in the fastest heat and 2 in the next-fastest heat of that event.

While the morning seeds + actual scores, excluding the miles, has Auburn projected 136.5 points behind Alabama right now, that gap isn’t inconceivable to be closed. That’s thanks to three swimmers in the fastest heat of the mile, along with a further two in the next-fastest heat. After three-straight 8th-place finishes at SECs, there is definitely a jump in this year’s Auburn team. They haven’t been better than 6th since 2017, so if they are able to move up at all, it would be a watershed moment for the program.

Also notable is the Texas A&M men, who are within striking distance of Georgia for 4th (though it would be tough for them to go any higher. That would match their finish from last season, and come very close to their point total, even after triple NCAA champion Shaine Casas forwent his final year of eligibility for the Aggies. That would be a huge confidence booster for that roster, to survive such a substantial loss ahead of a big recruiting class next fall.

On the women’s side, the Alabama Crimson Tide has their best day yet of the championship. That’s not enough to catch Tennessee, but 8 A-finalists, plus a swimmer in the fastest heat of the 1650 free, they have drug themselves back into the battle with Kentucky for 2nd place. Georgia, who are currently in 2nd place, doesn’t look like they did enough to hold on to that spot, though diver Meghan Wenzel has started off very strong on platform.

Team Scores After Day 4–Women

1. University of Tennessee – 972.5 points
2. University of Georgia – 754 points
3. University of Kentucky – 712 points
4. University of Alabama – 685 points
5. University of Florida – 616 points
6. Texas A&M University – 510 points
7. Auburn University – 402 points
8. Louisiana State University – 375 points
9. Missouri – 372.5 points
10. University of South Carolina – 357 points
11. University of Arkansas – 292 points
12. Vanderbilt University – 93 points

Team Scores After Day 4–Men

1. University of Florida – 976 points
2. University of Tennessee – 739 points
3. University of Alabama – 711 points
4. University of Georgia – 708 points
5. Texas A&M University – 636.5 points
6. Auburn University – 624.5 points
7. Missouri – 589.5 points
8. University of Kentucky – 462 points
9. Louisiana State University – 422 points
10. University of South Carolina – 336.5 points

Men’s Data

Up/Mids/Downs, excluding diving, including 1650s

Prelims scored, excluding 1650 free:

Prelims Scored + Actual Points through day 4, excluding the 1650 free:

Men’s Data

Note: Auburn’s Rebekah Hamilton defeated Missouri’s Megan Keil in 100 free swimoff with a 48.59 personal best to land a spot in the C Final.

Prelims scored, excluding diving and 1650 free

Prelims Scored + Actual Points through day 4, excluding the 1650 free: