The SEC has released the preliminary, pre-cut psych sheet for the 2017 conference championship meet that begins next week. The psych sheets begin to shape the meet, though many changes are yet to come.
Specifically, teams have been allowed to enter athletes in more than the mandated-maximum of 3 individual events, and have been allowed to enter more than the maximum of 22 roster spots (of which no more than 19 can be swimmers). Specifically, at least 53 student-athletes entered on the initial sheets won’t swim at the meet once rosters are trimmed down.
The final psych sheets will be released after next Monday’s coaches’ meeting.
There are still some pieces of information to be gleaned. Some coaches drastically over-enter their teams – Florida is notorious for this. Caeleb Dressel, for example, has 6 entries (50 free, 100 free, 200 free, 100 fly, 100 breast, 200 IM), and they’re the only 6 events that anyone would expect that he might swim anyway. Last year, he swam the 50 free, 100 free, and 100 fly.
Others are entered in more narrow lineups, however. Georgia’s Olivia Smoliga, a 2016 U.S. Olympian, is swimming the 50 free, 100 free, and 100 backstroke, the three events she swam at last year’s NCAA Championship (including titles in the 50 and 100 free).
Here are the most interesting lineups that we gleaned out of a quick scan of the psych sheets. See them for yourself here.
- Missouri’s Michael Chadwick is entered in the 50 free, 100 free, and 100 breaststroke. Chadwick is a sprint freestyler by trade, but is part of a group of breaststrokers at Missouri, behind NCAA Champion Fabian Schwingenschloegl. The Tigers have 3 of the top 4 seeds in the 100 breaststroke. At last year’s SEC Championships, Chadwick swam the 50 free, 100 free, and 200 free, placing 3rd, 2nd, and 3rd respectively.
- The Texas A&M women have the top 4 seeds in the 200 breaststroke (as well as 5 of the top 6, and 6 of the top 8). Canadian Olympian Sydney Pickrem is entered in 4 events – the 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 back, and 200 breast. Given the glut in the 200 breaststroke and the team scoring implications, she may opt for the 200 back instead – even though she’s seeded much lower (13th versus 2nd).
- Tennessee’s Kira Toussaint is entered in the 50 free, 100 free, 100 back, and 200 back. As a freshman at Florida Gulf Coast, she placed 12th at NCAAs in the 200 back, but has largely shifted her focus to the 100 back and sprint freestyles since. Expect that to be the race she drops.
- Kentucky has 4 of the top 5 seeds in the 200 back – and defending NCAA Champion Danielle Galyer sits just 3rd. The Wildcats finished 8th at last year’s SEC Championships, and they could make a huge climb up the ladder on the meet’s final day thanks to that race.
The 2017 SEC Championship meet, which has a unique 5-day format, will be held from February 14th-18th at Tennessee’s Alan Jones Aquatic Center.
So upon scoring out the women’s psych sheet(not including relays or diving) It looks as though Texas A&M will win on the final day of the meet. Their 200 breaststroke group on paper absolutely sends the end of the meet into utter chaos surging them ahead before the 400 free relay. It is worth noting the depth across all events for the Aggies. Their IM, mid-d free, and breaststroke groups are possibly the best we’ve seen in years for the conference. The UGA womens highs are high with a very top loaded team including Olympians Smoliga and Landeghem as well as former FSU All-American Chelsea Britt. Where they seem to lose this championship on paper is depth. Take for instance… Read more »
Underrated rivalry Eddie Maple and Michael Chadwick. The fight to become the fastest breaststroking twig will be a fierce one.
Texas A&M is crazy deep in the women’s 200 breast. Can you imagine swimming a time in season that would have made NCAAs last year but only being 6th fastest on your team?! Quite impressive!
Indeed. And how about Kentucky’s 200 backstrokers.
Could have sworn Hannah Stevens swam a 51.18 in the 100 back this season
Lane5 – she did, at the College Challenge. I don’t believe coaches are required to enter swimmers with their BEST times, just A time.
Everyone knows Chadwick will never reach his full potential racing men. Put that man in a women’s heat and let him shine.
I know I’m not the only one kind of hoping Dressel swims the 200i.m
I kind of want to see what he can do in the 200 free though.
Dressel can swim fast enough to A-Final in any event under 200 yards. We know that. I don’t know his potential in the 200s, especially of stroke.
At the SEC maybe.
Yes, I imagine Adrian, Chalmers, Ervin or Manaudou swim the 200 IM….
In the bathtub Dressel can swim a pretty good 200 IM, no doubt about that, it’s such a different event in yards, but what would be the use? Just for fun?
And at NCAAs the 50 free is on the same day as the 200 IM so the debate seems a little bit useless.
He’s a sprinter and it’s already enough for one guy.
However it’s a good thing he continues to work his 200 free to improve the second 50 of his 100 free in long course.
Considering that this meet is in “the bathtub,” I would think that dismissing it like you do is a little ridiculous.
And what exactly would be the matter with doing an event he is obviously very good at for fun? If you’re not having at least some fun with the sport, you really should consider taking up a different hobby.
You almost had me on your side, until the end. Hard boiled eggs are garbage.
But here’s the thing: What he swims at a conference championship meet 6 months out from Worlds or over 3 years out from Olympics is going to have absolutely zero effect on what or how he swims at those events. It just isn’t worth fretting over.
Bobo, I couldn’t agree with you more. I don’t get why you recieve so much hate. He won’t win the 200IM at ncaas. He won’t make the Olympic team in that event. Why bother? The 200 free seems a much better option. At least focus on the stroke you have a future in.
Olympics team trials are 3 years away. You can’t know for sure that he won’t make the team in the 200im. He’s very hardworking, and attempts during these competitions are part of the training. With the 200im event wide open, it is okay for Dressel and his coach to work towards it. Even if he doesn’t make it, he would have gained a lot from the training that would help him be a better athlete. So WIN-WIN.
You’re saying you don’t believe he could win the 200 IM against Kalisz? I know its a stretch but he has the strokes and speed to get it done. Gunnar Bentz made the Olympic team in the 200 free, a race he didn’t swim individually at the ncaa championships. You may have forgotten this is short course Markster.Ryan Hoffer by far one of the best recruits ever put up times equal to that of Adrian scy last year and was nowhere near making the Olympic team. And I’ll let you in on a secret it wasn’t his taper that cost him that chance. Long course and short course are two completely different games, and as the supreme 50-100 free champion… Read more »
Yes Bobo. Sometimes it’s ok to have fun. These guys aren’t machines. They don’t have to care about long course World championship meets 100% of everyday.
Some of them do. Long course is what matters for people like dressel. He’s not going to go “have fun” in this way. He’ll do whats best for him and his team to be successful.
I wholeheartedly disagree. When he was 13 or 14 he took about a year off of swimming because it wasn’t fun for him anymore, I think that worked out for the best. Also, while swimming in the Florida hs system, he swam almost every event over his four years, just because that was fun.
I vote for fun
How is it you are still making this argument? Have you ever been on a pool deck? Have you ever talked to a coach or a simmer, or been in a pool yourself? Or do you just stalk results on the internet?
The level of knowledge of times and results coupled with the total lack of understanding of the sport is truly puzzling to me.
Let’s see he finished second at ncaas last year in 100 fly, and won 50 free. He also swam the breast stroke leg for the once national age group record with Ryan Murphy, Joseph Schooling and Santo Conderelli swimming free. So he is more than capable of podium in the 200im at Ncaas. He’s a much more versatile swimmer than most realize.
It’s Money $ea$on.