2024 SEC Championships: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

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
  • Day 1 (diving only): 11 am prelims/4:20 pm finals
  • Day 2: 11 am prelims (diving only)/ 5 pm (relays only)
• Championship Central
• 2023 SEC Championships Box Score
• Major Conference Roster Limits and Scoring Rules
• Psych Sheets
• Women’s Fan Guide
• Men’s Fan Guide
• Live Results
• Live Video (SEC+ Network)
• Day 1 Diving Recap
• Day 1 Finals Live Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Live Recap

Day 2 Finals Heat Sheet 

It’s time for our first individual finals at the 2024 SEC Championships. After a diving and relays on the first days, today we’ve got finals of the 500 freestyle, 200 IM, 50 freestyle, and men’s 3-meter diving. Additionally, the 200 free relay final starts the session.

Abby McCulloh swam a personal best 4:37.43 for the top seed in the women’s 500 freestyle, securing an NCAA ‘A’ cut in the process. She’s followed by Emma Weyant (4:38.43) and last year’s champion Rachel Stege (4:39.10) who qualified 2nd and 3rd after winning their prelims heats. Hayden Miller joined the three under the 4:40 barrier for the first time in her career.

At 2023 SECs, the men’s 500 freestyle was the battle of the Jakes as Jake Mitchell and Jake Magahey faced off in the championship final. They’re both back, but neither are the top qualifier. Lane 4 belongs to Auburn’s Mason Mathias who has made consistent progress in this event over the last year. Magahey qualified just a tenth behind Mathias, while Mitchell qualified in 7th. Another swimmer to keep an eye on here is Charlie Hawke, who swam a big PB of 1:30.75 leading off Alabama’s 800 freestyle relay.

The only 2023 SEC champion who won’t be defending their title this year is the now-graduated Maggie MacNeil. Zoie Hartman, Baylor Nelson, and Jordan Crooks are all looking for back-to-back golds. Hartman has a tough task ahead of her in the women’s 200 IM. Not only is there Josephine Fuller who owns the top qualifying time with a PB 1:53.59 but there’s a trio of Gators lurking.

Bella Sims was in front of SEC record time through the first half of her 200 IM from heat 1. She won’t have as much clean water tonight, but she should have more in store than her 1:55.12. Then there are her teammates Zoe Dixon and Isabel Ivey, who are separated by just .12 seconds as the 3rd and 4th seeds.

Sophomore Baylor Nelson aims for a repeat men’s 200 IM title. He looked comfortable in his morning swim–1:42.82 for 3rd seed. Joaquín González Piñero swam a PB to lead a championship final that will be half Gators.

Crooks is the final returning champion. Last year, he roared to a 17.93 for the title, becoming just the second man to get under the 18 second barrier. He swam a 18.30, improving his NCAA-leading time by a tenth. He’s followed by five other men who went sub-19 in prelims including Josh Liendo (18.77), Macguire McDuff (18.87), Gui Caribe (18.88), Adam Chaney (18.96), and Jere Hribar (18.99)

TEAM SCORES THRU DAY 1

WOMEN:

1. Auburn — 167
2. Florida — 160
3. Tennessee — 147
4. LSU — 146
5. Georgia — 134
6. Texas A&M — 129
7. Alabama — 127
8. Missouri — 107
9. South Carolina — 99
10. Kentucky — 98
11. Vanderbilt — 62

MEN:

1. Texas A&M — 199
2. Florida — 180
3. Tennessee — 155
4. Georgia — 150
5. Auburn — 127
6. Alabama — 116
7. Missouri — 111
8. LSU — 106
9. Kentucky — 101
10. South Carolina — 93

WOMEN’S 200 FREE RELAY — Final

• NCAA Record: 1:23.87, Virginia – 2023 ACC Championships
• SEC Record: 1:25.41, Auburn – 2020 SEC Championships
• SEC Championship Record: 1:25.41, Auburn (2020)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 1:28.43
• 2024 NCAA ‘B’ Standard: 1:29.21

Top 8: 

1. Florida (Sims, Ivey, Peoples, Cronk) — 1:26.51 (NCAA ‘A’ Standard)
2. Tennessee (McSharry, Spink, Myers, Rumley) — 1:26.87 (NCAA ‘A’ Standard)
3. Auburn (Mulvihill, Steckiel, Ficken, Klevanovich) — 1:27.46 (NCAA ‘A’ Standard)
4. Alabama — 1:27.85 (NCAA ‘A’ Standard)
5. Georgia — 1:28.31 (NCAA ‘A’ Standard)
6. LSU — 1:28.64
7. Missouri — 1:28.78
8. Arkansas — 1:28.81

Florida’s quartet of Bella Sims, Isabel Ivey, Olivia Peoples, and Micayla Cronk kept the Gator women perfect in the relays so far this meet with a win in the 200 freestyle relay. Sims led-off with a personal best 21.88, breaking 22 seconds for the first time in her career. That time would’ve easily qualified her for the 50 free ‘A’ final later tonight.

After Sims, Ivey split 21.03 then handed things off to Peoples. The Gators were in a tight race with Tennessee at this point in the race. The Volunteers got a 21.97 lead-off from Mona McSharry, which should give her confidence heading into tonight’s 50 free final (she was 22.06 this morning). Freshman Camille Spink threw down a 21.42, then turned things over to Amber Myers. 

On the anchor leg, Cronk out-split Jasmine Rumley, 21.21 to 21.98. That split helped the Gators take the win in 1:26.51, breaking their school record from 2023. They move up from their 3rd place finish in 2023 to gold in 2024.

Tennessee grabbed silver in 1:26.87, comfortably ahead of the Auburn squad of Lexie Mulvihill (22.13), Emma Steckiel (21.89), Lawson Ficken (21.88), and Lisa Klevanovich (21.56).

The top five teams all swam NCAA ‘A’ cuts which automatically qualifies this relay for the NCAA Championships.

MEN’S 200 FREE RELAY — Final

• NCAA Record: 1:13.35, Florida – 2023 NCAA Championships
• SEC Record: 1:13.35, Florida – 2023 NCAA Championships
• SEC Championship Record: 1:14.19, Florida (2023)
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 1:16.80
• 2024 NCAA ‘B’ Standard: 1:17.38

Top 8:

1. Florida (Liendo, Chaney, Smith, Fullum-Hout) — 1:14.36 (NCAA ‘A’ Standard)
2. Tennessee (Crooks, Caribe, Chambers, Crisci) — 1:14.81 (NCAA ‘A’ Standard)
3. Auburn (Tirheimer, Makinen, A. Stoffle, N. Stoffle) — 1:15.91 (NCAA ‘A’ Standard)
4. Georgia — 1:16.18 (NCAA ‘A’ Standard)
5. Texas A&M — 1:16.59 (NCAA ‘A’ Standard)
6. LSU — 1:16.81
7. South Carolina — 1:17.34
8. Missouri — 1:17.68

Powered by Jordan Crooks and Gui Caribe on the front of their relay, the Vols got off to a very fast start in the 200 freestyle relay. Crooks blazed an 18.06, which according to USA Swimming is the 4th fastest performance all-time, knocking Caeleb Dressel‘s 18.20 from 2016 NCAAs out of the top 5.

Caribe followed up with an 18.35 split, giving Tennessee a .66 second advantage heading into the back half of the race. Florida got an 18.55 lead off from Josh Liendo, followed by and 18.52 from Adam Chaney. Julian Smith split 18.66, closing the gap to the Volunteers to about three-tenths.

Then, Ed Fullum-Hout split 18.63 on the anchor leg, pulling the Gators away from Tennessee towards the win. The Gators logged a 1:14.36 for the win, surpassing NC State’s 1:14.44 from 2024 ACCs. The Wolfpack’s time is an American record which will still stand as the Gators didn’t go with an all-American swimmers relay.

Auburn repeated their 3rd place finish from last year with a 1:15.91. Logan Tirheimer led off in 19.09 and was backed up by a trio of 18.9-splits from Kalle Makinen (18.99), Aidan Stoffle (18.89), and Nate Stoffle (18.94).

The top five teams all earned NCAA ‘A’ cuts; LSU finished 6th, missing the automatic qualifying time with a 1:16.81. However, they swam an ‘A’ cut 200 medley relay during time trials today, so they should be eligible to swim this relay as well as they were under the ‘B’ cut.

Alabama was disqualified for an illegal relay exchange.

WOMEN’S 500 FREESTYLE – Final

• NCAA Record: 4:24.06, Katie Ledecky (STAN) – 2017 NCAA Championships
• SEC Record: 4:32.53, Brittany MacLean (UGA) / Bella Sims (FLOR)  – 2014 NCAAs / 2023 Georgia Fall Invite
• SEC Championship Record: 4:33.10, Brittany MacLean (UGA) – 2016
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 4:37.89
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 4:41.09

Top 8: 

1. Emma Weyant (FLOR) — 4:34.25
2. Rachel Stege (UGA) — 4:36.15
3. Abby McCulloh (UGA) — 4:37.18
4. Julia Mrozinski (TENN) — 4:38.18
5. Hayden Miller (TAMU) — 4:39.16
6. Kate McCarville (TENN) — 4:39.96
7. Jillian Barczyk (UGA) — 4:42.73
8. Abby Grottle (TAMU) — 4:44.80

Emma Weyant took control of the 500 freestyle ‘A’ final early, splitting 52.46 to the feet at the 100-yard mark. She was about four-tenths ahead of of Abby McCulloh, who opened with a 52.88. From there, Weyant just continued to extend her lead, growing it to almost two seconds as the race developed.

Behind her, McCulloh, Rachel Stege, and Hayden Miller were battling for the 2nd and 3rd-place spots on the podium. Weyant earned another win for Florida in 4:34.25, a new best time and her first in two years in the 500 free. She improves from the 4:34.99 she swam at 2022 NCAAs and moves up to #4 in the NCAA this season.

Stege, the defending champ, was able to pass McCulloh on the back half of the race and ended up beating her for silver by just over a second. For her part, McCulloh swam a 4:37.18 for bronze. It’s her second PB of the day as she drops another .25 seconds.

Tennessee’s Julia Mrozinski came charging over the last 100-yards, closing in 54.44. She took 4th in 4:38.18 ahead of Miller, who shaved another .56 seconds off her PB from prelims.

MEN’S 500 FREESTYLE – Final

• NCAA Record: 4:06.32, Kieran Smith (FLOR) – 2020 SEC Championships
• SEC Record: 4:06.32, Kieran Smith (FLOR) – 2020 SEC Championships
• SEC Championship Record: 4:06.32, Kieran Smith (FLOR) – 2020
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 4:10.74
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 4:14.36

Top 8:

1. Jake Magahey (UGA) — 4:09.38
2. Jake Mitchell (FLOR) — 4:11.28
3. Charlie Hawke (BAMA) — 4:11.62
4. Mason Mathias (AUB) — 4:12.75
5. Giovanni Linscheer (FLOR) — 4:13.21
6. Michael Bonson (AUB) — 4:13.50
7. Andrew Taylor (FLOR) — 4:13.81
8. Jovan Lekic (LSU) — 4:15.70

Jake Magahey earned his first 500 freestyle SEC title in style, winning the race by almost two seconds. Magahey jetted out from the start, opening in 47.14 his first 100 yards. Out in lane 1, defending champion Jake Mitchell wasn’t letting him get too far out of reach though. Mitchell turned in 47.52, and at the 200 mark, the gap had grown, but only to about six-tenths.

As we’ve seen him do often though, Magahey put the hammer down on the back half of this race. He began to really push the pace, separating himself from Mitchell and leaving him to a race for 2nd with Charlie Hawke in the lane next to him.

Magahey clocked 4:09.38, maintaining his top time in the NCAA this season. So far, he’s also the only one to go sub-4:10. Mitchell had enough left at the end to get ahead of Hawke for 2nd in a season-best 4:11.28. Hawke earned bronze in 4:11.62, a new personal best and his first outing under 4:12.

Mason Mathias gave it his best effort to get involved on the second half of the race but didn’t have enough space to track down either of the three swimmers ahead of him. He took 4th in 4:12.75, adding from his season and personal best 4:11.03.

In the ‘B’ final, Tomas Koski swam a 3.81 second personal best of 4:12.29, which would have finished 4th overall.

WOMEN’S 200 IM – Final

• NCAA Record: 1:48.37, Kate Douglass (UVA) – 2023 NCAA Championships
• SEC Record: 1:51.62, Meghan Small (TENN) – 2019 SEC Championships
• SEC Championship Record: 1:51.62, Meghan Small (TENN) – 2019
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 1:53.66
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 1:56.90

Top 8:

1. Bella Sims (FLOR) — 1:51.86
2. Isabel Ivey (FLOR) — 1:52.50
3. Josephine Fuller (TENN) — 1:52.58
4. Zoie Hartman (UGA) — 1:53.65
5. Zoe Dixon (FLOR) — 1:54.04
6. Brooklyn Douthwright (TENN) — 1:56.04
7. Hanah Ownbey (AUB) — 1:56.95
8. Sara Stotler (TENN) — 1:57.79

In her first individual SEC event for Florida, Bella Sims earns her first SEC title with the win here in the women’s 200 IM. Sims entered this meet with an ‘NT’ and swam in the first heat of prelims this morning. Tonight, she just missed the SEC and SEC championship records with a personal best of 1:51.86. She took nearly a second off her personal best, which previously stood at 1:52.73 from 2022 Winter Juniors.

Sims was under SEC record pace at the halfway mark. She split 23.94 on the butterfly leg ahead of her teammate Isabel Ivey‘s 24.06. She still had the lead after the backstroke leg courtesy of her 27.23 split. Top qualifier Josephine Fuller began to make her move as well, splitting 27.58 to get ahead of Ivey.

Fuller overtook Sims on the breaststroke leg, out-splitting her 33.27 to 34.23. Ivey hadn’t gone anywhere either, keeping herself in the race for gold with the fastest breaststroke split of the three (33.11). Fuller, Sims, and Ivey were in a line down the pool on the freestyle leg. Sims powered home in 26.46 to get her hand on the wall first in 1:51.86.

Both Ivey and Fuller swam new personal bests as well. Ivey got the better of Fuller on the touch, beating her for the silver medal by eight-hundredths. Ivey swam 1:52.50 and Fuller 1:52.58, marking the first time that both have broken 1:53. Ivey’s previous PB was 1:53.02. Fuller reset the PB she swam this morning, taking another 1.01 seconds off her best.

Zoie Hartman, the 2023 champion, took 4th in 1:53.65.

MEN’S 200 IM – Final

• NCAA Record: 1:36.34, Leon Marchand (ASU) – 2023 NCAA Championships
• SEC Record: 1:38.13, Caeleb Dressel (FLOR) – 2018 SEC Championships
• SEC Championship Record: 1:38.13, Caeleb Dressel (FLOR) – 2018
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 1:41.03
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 1:43.14

Top 8:

1. Baylor Nelson (TAMU) — 1:41.72
2. Alex Sanchez (TAMU) — 1:42.55
3. Joaquín González Piñero (FLOR) — 1:42.57
4. Julian Smith (FLOR) — 1:42.61
5. Zach Hils (UGA) — 1:42.83
6. Danny Schmidt (AUB) — 1:42.93
7. Mason Laur (FLOR) — 1:43.92
8. Sean Sullivan (FLOR) — 1:44.51

Make it two-for-two for Baylor Nelson. The Texas A&M sophomore successfully defended his SEC title in the 200 IM. Nelson didn’t take command until the breaststroke leg. Instead, it was Georgia’s Zach Hils who led the race at the start. Hils opened in 21.61 on fly, followed by Julian Smith, then Nelson.

At the 100-yard mark it was still Hils in the lead after a 25.44 backstroke split. Piñero was running second and Nelson was still third, well within striking distance. Nelson moved past Hils and Piñero on breast, splitting 29.00. His Aggie teammate Alex Sanchez moved into 2nd with a huge 27.41 split.

They stayed in the lead until the finish, giving the Aggies a huge 1-2 finish. Nelson took the win in 1:41.72. His season best is still a 1:41.33 from midseason. Sanchez earned silver in 1:42.55, his second best time of the day. He took another 1.01 seconds off his personal best from prelims. Coming into the day, his best was 1:44.42, so he’s dropped 1.87 seconds over the course of the day.

Piñero split 25.33 on the freestyle leg to earn bronze in 1:42.57, adding about a half-second from his personal best in prelims. He and his Gator teammates went 3-4-7-8 in the event.

WOMEN’S 50 FREESTYLE – Final

• NCAA Record: 20.77, Gretchen Walsh (UVA) — 2024 ACC Championships
• SEC Record: 20.79,  Maggie MacNeil (LSU) – 2023 NCAA Championships
• SEC Championship Record: 20.98, Maggie MacNeil (LSU) – 2023
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 21.63
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 22.15

Top 8:

1. Camille Spink (TENN) — 21.77
2. Micayla Cronk (FLOR) — 21.85
3. Mona McSharry (TENN) — 22.01
4. Bella Cothern (UARK) — 22.04
5. Chloe Stepanek (TAMU) — 22.12
6. Amber Myers (TENN) — 22.28
7. Kailyn Winter (BAMA) — 22.29
8. Lexie Mulvihill (AUB) — 22.36

That’s two straight women’s events won by a freshman. This time, it was Tennessee’s Camille Spink taking the win in the women’s 50 freestyle with a 21.77. She added three-hundredths from the personal best she swam in prelims but her time was more than enough to win her first SEC crown.

Micayla Cronk earned silver in a personal best time of 21.85. She’d tied her best of 21.97 in prelims and she was able to get under that standard here in finals. Last year, Cronk finished 6th in this event with a 22.08. Spink and Cronk were the only two sub-22 seconds in this final; McSharry earned bronze in 22.01. Leading off Tennessee’s relay, McSharry went 21.97 which still would’ve earned her bronze in this final.

She out-touched Arkansas’s Bella Cothern by three-hundredths. For her part, Cothern shaved another four-hundredths off her best time with a 22.04.

MEN’S 50 FREESTYLE – Final

• NCAA Record: 17.63, Caeleb Dressel (FLOR) – 2018 NCAA Championships
• SEC Record: 17.63, Caeleb Dressel (FLOR) – 2018 NCAA Championships
• SEC Championship Record: 17.93, Jordan Crooks (TENN) — 2023
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 18.82
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 19.21

Top 8:

1. Jordan Crooks (TENN) — 17.99
2. Gui Caribe (TENN) — 18.70
3. Josh Liendo (FLOR) — 18.83
4. Adam Chaney (FLOR) — 18.91
5. Logan Tirheimer (AUB) — 18.95
6. Macguire McDuff (FLOR) — 18.98
7. Jere Hribar (LSU) — 19.01
8. Dillon Downing (UGA) — 19.13

Jordan Crooks has done it again. He broke the 18 second barrier for the second time in his career to claim his second straight SEC title in the men’s 50 freestyle. It also gives Tennessee a sweep in the 50 freestyle at this meet. Crooks was out in a blistering 8.63 and came charging home in 9.36. He remains the second-fastest performer all-time, but per USA Swimming, improves on the #4 performance in history that he set earlier this session leading off the 200 free relay.

Top 5 Performances, Men’s 50 Freestyle

1. Caeleb Dressel, Florida — 17.63 (2018)
2. Caeleb Dressel, Florida — 17.81 (2018)
3. Jordan Crooks, Tennessee — 17.93 (2023)
4. Jordan Crooks, Tennessee — 17.99 (2024)
5. Jordan Crooks, Tennessee — 18.06 (2024)

One difference between this year and last though, is that he got to celebrate at the top of the podium with his teammate. Sophomore Gui Caribe earned silver in 18.70, dropping .09 seconds from the personal best he swam at 2023 SECs. Caribe beat Josh Liendo for silver by .13 seconds as Liendo added .06 seconds from his prelims swim.

The Gators went 3-4-6 here, with Adam Chaney finishing 4th in 18.91 and McDuff taking 6th in 18.98.

Auburn’s Logan Tirheimer got in between Chaney and McDuff for 5th place, jumping up from qualifying 8th with a huge performance. Tirheimer swam 18.95, cutting a tenth off his personal best and breaking 19 seconds for the first time in his career.

MEN’S 3-METER DIVING — FINALS

• SEC Record: 495.15, Zhipeng (Colin) Zheng (TENN) — 2018 NCAA Championships
• SEC Championship Record: 483.15, Zhipeng (Colin) Zheng (TENN) — 2019 SEC Championships

Top 8:

1. Conor Gesing (FLOR) — 425.75
2. Carson Paul (LSU) — 421.20
3. Allen Bottego (TAMU) — 421.05
4. Victor Povzner (TAMU) — 412.40
5. Bryden Hattie (TENN) — 401.60
6. Nolan Lewis (UGA) — 376.10
7. Whit Andrus (AUB) — 363.10
8. Takuto Endo (TAMU) — 343.20

Florida freshman Conor Gesing came up big with a win for the Gators on the men’s 1-meter board. The top three divers were separated by just 4.70 points as Gesing eked out the win ahead of Carson Paul and Allen Bottego. Gesing is the first Gator man to win the 3-meter event since 1985.

2023 champion Bryden Hattie ended up in 5th place (401.60 points). As expected, Texas A&M picked up big points here on the boards as they had three divers in the ‘A’ flight. However, it’s less than they scored on this board last year when they finished 2-3-6. Nevertheless, though Florida has now passed the Aggies in the standings, Texas A&M still has a 76 point cushion ahead of Tennessee for 2nd.

Team Scores Thru Day 2

Women:

1. Tennessee — 475
2. Florida — 440
3. Georgia — 363
4. Auburn — 312.5
5. Texas A&M — 256.5
6. Alabama — 250.5
7. LSU — 230
8. South Carolina / Kentucky — 173
9. (tie)
10. Missouri — 168.5
11. Arkansas — 132
12. Vanderbilt — 94

Men:

1. Florida — 622
2. Texas A&M — 468
3. Tennessee — 392
4. Georgia — 381
5. Auburn — 373
6. LSU — 266
7. Kentucky — 191
8. Alabama — 187
9. South Carolina — 183
10. Missouri — 176