Watch: Florida Freshman Aleksas Savickas Breaks Nic Fink’s SEC Record in 200 Breast Win

2023 SEC SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Tuesday, February 14 – Saturday, February 18, 2023
• Rec Center Natatorium, College Station, TX.
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  • Women: Tennessee (1x)
  • Men: Florida (10x)
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Florida freshman Aleksas Savickas won the 200 breast title with a time of 1:50.08 on Saturday night, taking down an eight-year-old SEC record belonging to Olympic finalist Nic Fink.

Savickas, a Lithuanian native who earned a 2021 Euro Junior gold medal in the 200 breast before arriving in Gainesville last fall, enjoyed his first big breakout at the NCAA level. His winning time shaved .72 seconds off Fink’s SEC record from the 2015 NCAA Championships.

200 Breast Splits Comparison, Aleksas Savickas vs. Nic Fink‘s SEC Records

“I just like to dream big, and I do it,” Savickas said after his victory, which marked the third individual win of the session by a freshman.

Savickas went 2:00.56 during his first SCY race back in September, but it didn’t take long to acclimate to collegiate swimming, throwing down a 1:51.29 at the Georgia Fall Invitational in November. He clocked a 1:51.59 in prelims before posting his new personal best in the final.

SEC, MEET, POOL AND SCHOOL RECORD FOR THE FRESHMAN

Men's 200 Breast Final:
A Final:
1. Aleksas Savickas – 1:50.08
2. Dillon Hillis – 1:51.14

B Final:
11. Kevin Vargas – 1:54.91 pic.twitter.com/Pv3AnSxwpc

— Gators Swimming & Diving (@GatorsSwimDv) February 19, 2023

Savickas reached the wall more than a second ahead of fifth-year Florida teammate Dillon Hillis, who broke the SEC meet record in the event during prelims with a 1:51.53. He was even faster in the final with a 1:51.14, but it still wasn’t enough to catch Savickas.

MEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE – FINALS

• NCAA Record: 1:47.91, Will Licon (2017)
• SEC Record: 1:50.80, Nic Fink (2015)
• Meet Record: 1:51.53, Dillon Hillis (2023)
• Pool Record: 1:51.09, Alex Sanchez (2022)
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:51.54
• 2022 Champion: Derek Maas, Alabama (1:51.56)

Top 8:

1. Aleksas Savickas (Florida) – 1:50.08
2. Dillon Hillis (Florida) – 1:51.14
3. Lyubomir Epitropov (Tennessee) – 1:51.83
4. Andres Puente (Texas A&M) – 1:51.92
5. Derek Maas (Alabama) – 1:52.69
6. Reid Mikuta (Auburn) – 1:53.13
7. Ben Patton (Missouri) – 1:53.35
8. Alex Sanchez (Texas A&M) – 1:54.92

Tennessee fifth year Lyubomir Epitropov snagged third place with a 1:51.83, and Texas A&M’s Andres Puente also went sub-1:52 club with a 1:51.92. Defending champion Derek Maas of Alabama placed fifth in 1:52.69 behind Puente.

The Florida men ended up winning their 11th SEC team title in a row with 1,488.5 points.

Team Scores

Men

1. Florida – 1,488.5
2. Auburn – 1,089.5
3. Tennessee – 1,035.5
4. Texas A&M – 1,018
5. Georgia – 828.5
6. Missouri – 725.5
7. Alabama – 667
8. Kentucky – 514
9. South Carolina – 458.5
10. LSU – 337