2018 SEC Championships: Day 1 Live Recap — Dressel Splits 17.92

2018 SEC CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, February 14 – Sunday, February 18
• Rec Center Natatorium, College Station, TX (Central Time Zone)
• Prelims 10AM / Finals 6PM
• Defending Champion: Florida (5x) (results)
• Championship Central
• Psych Sheet
• Live results
• Live Video (finals)

Women’s 200 Medley Relay

1. Tennessee, 1:35.21
2. Texas A&M, 1:35.54
3. Auburn, 1:36.33

The Aggies got out fast, thanks to a 24.14 leadoff by Lisa Bratton and a 26.41 breaststroke split by Jorie Caneta.  Tennessee was behind by just over a second at the halfway point, but scorching splits by Madeline Banic (22.84) and Erika Brown (20.81) brought the Volunteers the win.

Taking into some blazing fast times from the B1G championships tonight, Tennessee and Texas A&M now appear to rank 4th and 6th in the country this year, respectively.

Men’s 200 Medley Relay

1. Florida, 1:22.94
2. Tennesse, 1:23.02
3. Alabama, 1:23.58

Alabama’s Luke Kaliszak was the only man under 21 on the backstroke leg, touching in 20.85 to give the Crimson Tide the lead.  Unsurprisingly, Peter John Stevens of Tennessee then dropped the quickest breaststroke split in the field, just dipping under the 23 second mark with what should be an eye-popping 22.99.  Alabama then back charged ahead, thanks to a 20.07 by Zane Waddell.  But Jan Switkowski‘s 20.16 had put Florida back into the hunt, and anchoring the Gators was the fastest man in NCAA swimming, Caeleb Dressel, who promptly dropped a 17.92 anchor to give Florida the win.  Tennessee made it a fight, though, as Kyle Decoursey wasn’t far behind Dressel with a 18.14 that’s still one of the fastest splits of all-time.

Florida’s and Tennessee’s relays now rank one and two in the NCAA, eclipsing Cal’s 1:23.44 from the Georgia Fall Invitational.

Women’s 800 Free Relay

1. Texas A&M, 6:55.60
2. Georgia, 6:58.58
3. Tennessee, 6:58.85

Sydney Pickrem‘s 1:42.98 anchor leg brought Texas A&M past Tennessee to take the win.  The Volunteers had broken out early with a 1:43.54 from Erika Brown, and remained in the lead with a pair of 1:44-splits from Stanzi Moseley (1:44.20) and Tess Cieplucha (1:44.53) before Pickrem ran down Micah Bohon (1:46.58)

Men’s 800 Free Relay

1.   Florida, 6:12.06
2.   Missouri, 6:15.38
3.   South Carolina, 6:17.27

Zach Apple‘s built his reputation primarily as a sprinter, but we know he can swim a solid 200 free too, and he put Auburn in the lead early on with a 1:32.92 leadoff leg. Maxime Rooney promptly split a 1:33.11 to put Florida ahead at the halfway point.  Khander Baqlah built well over a body length lead by the 600 mark, and by the time Mark Szaranek dove in to anchor for Florida, there wasn’t much doubt who would win the race.  Sure enough, Szaranek cruised to a 1:32.62, giving Florida a new SEC record and the fastest time in the NCAA this year.

Missouri’s Giovanny Lima (1:34.22), Mikel Schreuders (1:33.45), and Grant Reed (1:34.90) kept the Tigers in the thick of things, while Sam Coffman blazed a 1:32.81 to secure 2nd for Missouri in 6:15.38, one of the top times this year.

South Carolina has been kind of quiet all year, but the Gamecocks rode 1:33 legs from Fynn Minuth and Akaram Mahmoud to an easy victory in the first heat, with their time of 6:17.27 finishing 3rd overall.

Scores Through Day 1

Women

1. Texas A&M University 160
2. South Carolina, University of, 142
3. Tennessee, University of, Knox 136
4. University of Georgia Bulldogs 124
5. Auburn University 121
6. Arkansas, University of, Fayet 117
7. Louisiana State University 116
8. Kentucky, University of 113
9. University of Florida 105
10. U. of Missouri 100
11. University of Alabama 92
12. Vanderbilt University 76

Men

1. Texas A&M University 189
2. Tennessee, University of, Knox 174
3. Kentucky, University of 151
4. University of Florida 135
5. University of Georgia Bulldogs 133
6. U. of Missouri 129
7. Auburn University 121
8. South Carolina, University of, 109
9. Louisiana State University 103
10. University of Alabama 94