2020 SEC Championships: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

2020 SEC SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Tuesday, February 18 – Saturday, February 22, 2020
• Auburn, AL – James E. Martin Aquatic Center
• Prelims/Finals: 9:30 AM/5:30 PM Wed-Sat, 10/4:20PM Tues (Central Standard Time)
• Defending Champion: Florida (7x) (results)
• Live Video – SEC Network+ (prelims), ESPN (finals)
• Men’s Fan Guide|Women’s Fan Guide
• Psych Sheets
• Championship Central
• Estimated NCAA Invite Times|NCAA ‘A’ Cuts
• Heat Sheets
• Live Results

The 2020 SEC Championships continue with day 3 finals. Swimmers are set to compete for medals in the 400 IM, 100 fly, and 200 free. We’ll also see finals of the women’s 3-meter diving at the end of the session.

The defending champion Florida men are in position to charge to the lead. Bobby Finke is defending his title in the 400 IM, but teammate Kieran Smith leads after prelims and has been on fire at this meet. Georgia’s Camden Murphy, the 2019 bronze medalist, headlines the 100 fly. Texas A&M’s Mark Theall is chasing his first individual title in the 200 free.

The Tennessee women have a chance to sweep tonight’s events. Erika Brown leads the way in the 100 fly and will chase her 3rd-straight title in the 100 fly. She’s also going after her own SEC Record after breaking Natalie Coughlin’s Pool Record this morning. Teammate Tess Cieplucha is the top seed in the 400 IM, and will battle 2019 runner-up Vanessa Pearl of Florida. The 200 free could be anybody’s race, but Tennessee’s Meghan Small is a big title threat after her best time leading off the 800 free relay.

WOMEN’S 400 IM

• SEC Meet Record: Elizabeth Beisel (Florida), 2012, 3:58.35
• NCAA Record: Ella Eastin (Stanford), 2018, 3:54.60
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 4:03.62
• 2019 NCAA Invited: 4:10.00
• 2019 Champion: Emma Barksdale (South Carolina) – 4:01.52

MEDALISTS

1. GOLD: Tess Cieplucha (Tennessee)- 4:01.88
2. SILVER: Vanessa Pearl (Florida)- 4:04.61
3. BRONZE: Bailey Bonnett (Kentucky)- 4:05.62

Tennessee’s Tess Cieplucha won her first SEC title, Taking over a second off her best to win it in 4:01.88. Florida’s Vanessa Pearl had started to close the gap on the breast leg, but Cieplucha’s freestyle speed was unmatched. Pearl repeated as the silver medalist in 4:04.61.

Kentucky’s Bailey Bonnett was 7th after the back leg, but swam a 32.76 on the first 50 of the breast leg to put herself back in the medal race. She touched in 4:05.62 for bronze, dropping over half a second from her former best set in prelims.

Texas A&M’s Jing Quah was in 2nd after the back leg, but wound up one spot shy of the podium in 4:06.18. Between her prelims swim and tonight’s finals, Quah has now dropped 9 seconds from her former best time. Bama’s Alexis Preski was the only other swimmer to break 4:10 in the championship heat as she was 5th in 4:07.95.

Kentucky freshman Gillian Davey broke 4:10 for the first time in the B heat with a lifetime best 4:08.55. She was in 6th through the back leg. Like Bonnett, she pulled herself back into the race on the breast leg. Davey wound up 2nd in that heat as Florida’s Savanna Faulconer won in 4:08.16. That’s Faulconer’s 3rd fastest swim ever in the event.

MEN’S 400 IM

• SEC Meet Record: Hugo Gonzalez (Auburn), 2018, 3:35.76
• NCAA Record: Chase Kalisz (Georgia), 2017, 3:33.42
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 3:39.16
• 2019 NCAA Invited: 3:43.42
• 2019 Champion: Bobby Finke (Florida) – 3:40.94

MEDALISTS

• GOLD: Kieran Smith,Florida, 3:37.31
• SILVER: Grant Sanders, Florida,3:40.20
• BRONZE: Bobby Finke, Florida, 3:41.56

Florida’s Grant Sanders took it out with the lead on the fly, with teammate Kieran Smith following. Smith picked up the lead after the first 50 of the back leg. Sanders outsplit him on the breast leg to pull within 3 tenths of Smith. Through the free leg, Smith distanced himself from Sanders, winning his 2nd SEC title of the meet in 3:37.31. That’s his best by 3 seconds.

The Florida Gators swept the podium again this year as Sanders was 2nd in 3:40.20. Sanders swam his best by 1.5 seconds. Bobby Finke, the 2019 champion, earned another podium finish with a 3:41.56 for 3rd. Finke ran down Alabama’s Nicholas Perera on the free leg as Perera finished 4th in a lifetime best 3:42.61. Miguel Cancel dropped another seconds from his best, rounding out the top 5 for the Gators in 3:44.32.

After dropping almost 3 seconds with his prelims swim, Georgia’s Ian Grum dropped another 2 seconds tonight to win the B heat. Grum kicked it into gear on the final 100 to distance himself from the field, winning in 3:43.93.

WOMEN’S 100 FLY

• SEC Meet Record: Erika Brown (Tennessee), 2018/2019, 49.85
• NCAA Record: Louise Hansson (USC)/Maggie MacNeil (Michigan), 2019, 49.26
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 50.92
• 2019 NCAA Invited: 52.34
• 2019 Champion: Erika Brown (Tennessee) – 49.85

MEDALISTS

• GOLD: Erika Brown, Tennessee, 49.38
• SILVER: Rhyan White, Alabama, 50.80
• BRONZE: Sherridon Dressel, Florida, 51.20

Tennessee’s Erika Brown is now the fastest American in history. Brown took down Kelsi Dahlia’s former American Record, which stood at a 49.43 from 2016. She went a lifetime best by half a second to win it in 49.38. That’s her 3rd-straight title in the event and a new SEC Meet Record. She’s now the 3rd fastest performer in history behind only NCAA Record holders Louise Hansson and Maggie MacNeil, who will race with Brown at NCAAs.

Alabama’s Rhyan White clipped her best from this morning to take silver in 50.90. Teammate Flora Molnar was 2nd at the halfway turn, but fell to 6th overall. She hit the wall just off her lifetime best in 51.94. Florida’s Sherridon Dressel dropped a few tenths from her prelims best to take that final podium spot. Dressel touched in 51.20 and has now dropped over a second today.

Kentucky’s Izzy Gati and Tennessee’s Trude Rothrock were tied in 4th. Gati broke 52 for the first time, slightly outsplitting Rothrock on the back half as they hit the wall simultaneously with a pair of 51.60s.

MEN’S 100 FLY

• SEC Meet Record: Caeleb Dressel (Florida), 2017, 44.21
• NCAA Record: Caeleb Dressel (Florida), 2018, 42.80
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 45.05
• 2019 NCAA Invited: 45.90
• 2019 Champion: Maxime Rooney (Florida) – 45.06

MEDALISTS

• GOLD: Danny Kovac, Missouri, 45.29
• SILVER: Santiago Grassi, Auburn, 45.32
• BRONZE: Camden Murphy, Georgia, 45.47

It came down to the touch in the men’s 100 fly as Missouri’s Danny Kovac reached in to win it by 3 hundredths. Kovac outsplit Auburn’s Santiago Grassi to win it in 45.29 to Grassi’s 45.32. That was a best for Kovac by half a second, while Grassi shaved a few hundredths off his best. Georgia’s Camden Murphy repeated as the bronze medalist in 45.47.

Florida’s Will Davis dropped a couple of tenths as he was just off the podium in 45.75. He came from behind to out-touch Bama’s Tyler Sesvold (45.76) by a hundredth. The Gators’ Eric Friese, a freshman, broke 46 for the first time as he touched 8th in 45.99.

WOMEN’S 200 FREE

• SEC Meet Record: Shannon Vreeland (Georgia), 2014, 1:41.83
• NCAA Record: Missy Franklin (Cal), 2015, 1:39.10
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:42.98
• 2019 NCAA Invited: 1:45.12
• 2019 Champion: Erin Falconer (Auburn) – 1:43.04

MEDALISTS

• GOLD: Veronica Burchill, Georgia, 1:42.33
• SILVER: Anna Hopkin, Arkansas, 1:42.35
• BRONZE: Courtney Harnish, Georgia, 1:43.26

After breaking 1:44 for the first time in prelims, Georgia’s Veronica Burchill blew away her best time again in a close battle with Arkansas’ Anna Hopkin for the title. Burchill was out quick in 48.98, a second ahead of Hopkin, while Hopkin had the fastest back half of the field. Holding off Hopkin by just 3 hundredths, Burchill won her first individual SEC title in 1:42.33. Hopkin dropped 2 seconds from her lifetime best for the silver in 1:42.35.

Georgia had 2 on the podium, as 500 free champion Courtney Harnish repeated as the bronze medalist in a lifetime best 1:43.26. Tennessee’s Meghan Small was just a few tenths shy of her lifetime best as she took 4th in 1:43.55. Kentucky’s Ali Galyer was also tenths shy of a best to take 5th in 1:44.55.

The 5th fastest time of the night, however, came from Alabama’s Morgan Scott, who dropped a second to win the B final in 1:44.32. Auburn’s Claire Fisch took a few tenths from her lifetime best, which she’d set on Tuesday’s relay leadoff, to take 2nd in the B heat in 1:44.55. Also in that heat, Kentucky’s Riley Gaines (1:44.76) and Auburn freshman Abbey Webb (1:44.96) broke 1:45 for the first time.

MEN’S 200 FREE

• SEC Meet Record: Kieran Smith (Florida), 2020, 1:30.11
• NCAA Record: Dean Farris (Harvard), 2019, 1:29.15
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:32.05
• 2019 NCAA Invited: 1:34.21
• 2019 Champion: Mikel Schreuders (Missouri) – 1:31.27

MEDALISTS

• GOLD: Khader Baqlah, Florida, 1:32.05
• SILVER: Brooks Curry, LSU, 1:32.43
• BRONZE: Mark Theall, Texas A&M, 1:32.45

Florida’s Khader Baqlah was just a tenth shy of his best with his fastest performance since 2018 as he returned to the top of the podium. Baqlah, who won the event in 2018 and took bronze last season, put up a 1:32.05 as he surged ahead on the back half. LSU freshman Brooks Curry dropped another second for the silver in 1:32.43. He just edged out Texas A&M’s Mark Theall, who put up a lifetime best 1:32.45 for his 2nd medal in as many days.

Auburn’s Christian Sztolcman dropped half a second in 1:33.16 for 4th. Florida’s Gerry Quinn, who swam on the Gators’ record-breaking 800 free relay with Baqlah, was 5th in 1:34.15. Georgia’s Grant Norgan clipped his best in 1:34.22 for 6th. Tennessee’s Josh Walsh also put up a lifetime best as he finished 7th in 1:34.35.

Texas A&M’s Kaloyan Bratanov dropped over a second throughout the day. Bratanov broke 1:35 for the first time this morning. Tonight, he won the B final in 1:34.16.

WOMEN’S 3-METER DIVING

• SEC Meet Record: Laura Ryan (Georgia), 2014, 413.75
• 2019 Champion: Brooke Schultz (Arkansas) – 410.40

MEDALISTS

• GOLD: Kyndal Knight, Kentucky, 353.75
• SILVER: Elizabeth Perez, Florida, 346.50
• BRONZE: Alison Maillard, Auburn, 336.15

Kentucky’s Kyndal Knight won a tight battle for gold, helping the Wildcats stay just ahead of Texas A&M. The Aggies had 2 in the final, as Charlye Campbell placed 5th and Alyssa Clairmont was 8th. Tennessee still leads the women’s team race, but Florida closed the gap. Elizabeth Perez took the silver, while Ashley McCool just missed the podium in 4th. Auburn’s Alison Maillard, the 1-meter champion, took the bronze.

WOMEN’S TEAM SCORES THROUGH DAY 3:

  1. Tennessee, University of, Knox  632.5   2. University of Florida           585.5
  3. Kentucky, University of         491.5   4. Texas A&M University              491
  5. Auburn University                 478   6. Georgia, University of            456
  7. University of Alabama           351.5   8. University of Arkansas            254
  9. Missouri                          252  10. Louisiana State University        236
 11. South Carolina, University of,    228  12. Vanderbilt University              90

MEN’S TEAM SCORES THROUGH DAY 3:

  1. University of Florida           694.5   2. Texas A&M University            538.5
  3. Georgia, University of          493.5   4. University of Alabama           438.5
  5. Tennessee, University of, Knox    422   6. Kentucky, University of           416
  7. Missouri                          415   8. Auburn University                 385
  9. South Carolina, University of,    265  10. Louisiana State University        258