2023 SEC SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Tuesday, February 14 – Saturday, February 18, 2023
- Rec Center Natatorium, College Station, TX.
- Defending Champions:
- Women: Tennessee (1x)
- Men: Florida (10x)
- Championship Central
- Women’s Fan Guide
- Men’s Fan Guide
- Psych Sheets
- Live Results
- Live Video
- Day 5 Finals Recap
At last year’s NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships, not a single swimmer split faster than 45 seconds in the 100 yard freestyle. Gretchen Walsh came closes with a 46.01 to anchor Virginia’s NCAA-record-setting 400 free relay.
On Saturday, LSU 5th-year Maggie MacNeil exploded past that mark, splitting 45.26 on the second leg of the Tigers’ relay. That gave LSU a second relay title this week after having previously not won an SEC relay title since 1986.
That swim is the fastest 100-yard free split in history, surpassing the 45.45 that Simone Manuel split at the 2015 NCAA Championships. Nobody has been particularly close to Manuel’s time since. The last time someone split 45 on a rolling start at NCAAs was Taylor Rucks’ 45.65 anchor on Stanford’s 3rd-place 400 free relay at the 2019 NCAA Championships.
Simone split 45.47 anchoring a 400 free relay in 2018; nobody did it legally in 2017 or 2016.
Fastest 100 Yard Freestyle Splits on Rolling Starts:
- 45.26 – Maggie MacNeil, LSU, 2023 SEC Championships
- 45.45 – Simone Manuel, Stanford, 2015 NCAA Championships
- 45.47 – Simone Manuel, Stanford, 2018 NCAA Championships
- 45.65 – Taylor Ruck, Stanford, 2019 NCAA Championships
- 45.74 – Mallory Comerford, Louisville, 2018 NCAA Championships
- 45.77 – Abbey Weitzeil, Cal, 2020 Pac-12 Championships
On Saturday, MacNeil split her first 50 in 21.35 to the feet, coming back in 23.91.
MacNeil won the individual 100 free in 46.27 earlier in the session on Saturday.
This is MacNeil’s first season with LSU, but fourth under LSU head coach Rick Bishop – who was her primary coach at the University of Michigan for three seasons.
She has three Big Ten titles in the 100 free and was the 2021 NCAA Champion in the event as well. She has never swum a 45 before, on a flat-start or relay: her personal best is the 46.02 that won that 2021 national title.
Maggie MacNeil‘s Championship best relay split history:
- 2022 – 46.14 (anchor at Big Tens)
- 2021 – 46.94 (leadoff at NCAAs)
- 2020 – 46.94 (Leadoff at Big Tens, NCAAs canceled)
Smokin’ FAST! Congtrats to Maggie and her LSU teammates!
FAST!
Maggie going second is sheer genius. Talk about putting pressure to perform before and after her! I only can imagine what sort of ‘failing not an option’ attitude watching her and following (or preceding) her can engender. Wow! Wow, wow. Congrats, Rick, Maggie, Miaela, Katarina, Megan! And onward to Tennessee…
Michaela… using the shortened name erroneously
Rick Bishop seems to be the best coach she works with. Kinda wild that she was supposed to go to Cal and not LSU. don’t know how will it be different if she actually went there but she is definitely in a really good form and direction under coach Bishop.
Wow. I love that Maggie had her best performance on the final relay. I would love to hear what her teammates say about her influence and impact on the team as so many LSU swimmers really elevated their game. Congratulations to all of them on a terrific meet!