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Bella Sims Leads Off Florida’s 800 Free Relay in SEC Record of 1:40.90

Braden Keith
by Braden Keith 1

February 20th, 2024 College, SEC

2024 SEC CHAMPIONSHIPS

WOMEN’S 800 FREE RELAY — FINALS

  • NCAA Record: 6:45.91, Stanford – 2017 NCAA Championships
  • SEC Record: 6:51.80, Georgia — 2016 NCAA Championships
  • SEC Championship Record: 6:52.54, Georgia — 2013
  • 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 7:00.86
  • 2024 NCAA ‘B’ Standard: 7:05.88

Full Results:

  1. Florida – 6:49.65 *NEW SEC RECORD* 
  2. Tennessee – 6:53.43 (NCAA ‘A’ Standard)
  3. Georgia – 6:57.10 (NCAA ‘A’ Standard)
  4. Texas A&M – 6:59.96 (NCAA ‘A’ Standard)
  5. LSU – 7:01.57
  6. Auburn – 7:02.26
  7. South Carolina – 7:03.05
  8. Arkansas – 7:09.29
  9. Kentucky – 7:13.21
  10. Missouri – 7:14.60
  11. Alabama – 7:14.78
  12. Vanderbilt – 7:16.48

Florida freshman Bella Sims broke the SEC record in the women’s 200 freestyle as she swam a 1:40.90 leading off the team’s 800 freestyle relay. Sims broke Megan Romano‘s SEC record of a 1:41.21 that stood since 2012. Romano notably swam that time to win the 2012 NCAA title.

Sims also helped the Florida women break the SEC record in the 800 free relay. The team of Sims, Isabel Ivey, Emma Weyant, and Micayla Cronk swam to a final time of a 6:49.65 to break the previous record of a 6:51.80 that a Georgia set in 2016 at NCAAs. Georgia’s relay of Hali Flickinger, Kylie Stewart, Meaghan Raab, and Brittany MacLean won the 2016 NCAA title.

Split Comparison Sims and Romano:

Sims Romano
50 23.14 23.78
100 25.38 25.48
150 26.1 25.7
200 26.28 26.25
1:40.90 1:41.21

Sims notably has been faster than a 1:40.90 before as her best time is a 1:40.78. That time was swam back in December 2022 at Winter Juniors before Sims arrived at Florida. Her best time makes her the 10th fastest performer all-time.

Split Comparison Relay Record:

Florida Georgia
Sims 1:40,90 Flickinger 1:42.80
Ivey 1:42.19 Stewart 1:43.95
Weyant 1:43.33 Raab 1:43.59
Cronk 1:43.23 MacLean 1:41.46

Sims split was a big boost to Florida’s relay as Georgia did not have any swimmer under the 1:41 mark back in 2016.

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aquajosh
9 months ago

That’s a new school record for Florida by seven seconds.

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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