SwimSwam Pulse is a recurring feature tracking and analyzing the results of our periodic A3 Performance Polls. You can cast your vote in our newest poll on the SwimSwam homepage, about halfway down the page on the right side.
Our most recent polls asked SwimSwam readers which male performance at SECs was the best:
Question: What was the top single swim from a blistering Men’s SEC Championships?
RESULTS
- Josh Liendo – 100 fly split (42.12) – 35.6%
- Julian Smith – 100 BR record (49.51) – 33.9%
- Jordan Crooks – 100 free split (39.52) –12.9%
- Jordan Crooks – 50 free split (17.42) – 7.9%
- Julian Smith – 50 breast split (22.15) – 3.4%
- Luca Urlando – 200 fly (1:37.18) – 3.4%
- Jonny Marshall – 200 back (1:35.85) – 2.0%
- Jonny Marshall – 100 back (43.73) – 0.8%
The men’s competition at last month’s SEC Championships proved to be one of the fastest conference meets in history, with one individual U.S. Open and NCAA Record falling, three all-time relay records going down, and three swimmers producing the fastest relay leg in history (and a pair of #2 all-time splits).
Given how blazing-fast the meet was, we asked SwimSwam readers which individual swim was the best, and there was no shortage of options to choose from.
The lone individual NCAA, American and U.S. Open Record broken at the meet was set by Florida’s Julian Smith in the 100 breaststroke, and after that was leading the poll early, Josh Liendo‘s earth-shattering fly split on the Gators’ 400 medley relay took over the top spot to lead the way.
Liendo became the first swimmer to split sub-43 on a 100 butterfly relay leg at the 2023 NCAA Championships in 42.91 (Caeleb Dressel owns the flat start record at 42.80), and then at last season’s SECs, he re-lowered the fastest split ever in 42.77.
Then, at the 2025 SECs, Liendo unleashed a stunning split of 42.12, marking the fastest split in history by 65 one-hundredths of a second. That swim helped propel the Florida men to a massive new NCAA and U.S. Open Record in the 400 medley relay, clocking 2:55.66 to dismantle the previous mark of 2:57.32 set by ASU in 2024.
Smith was also a member of Florida’s record-breaking relay with a 48.95 breast split, the second-fastest ever, but that leg wasn’t included in the poll as his swim in the individual 100 breast was the fastest ever.
Smith ripped a time of 49.51 in the 100 breast to break the American, NCAA and U.S. Open Record of 49.53 set by Cal’s Liam Bell last season. Smith had joined the sub-50 club earlier this year in 49.98, which broke Dressel’s longstanding SEC Record of 50.03.
Liendo’s fly split topped the poll with 35.6% of votes, with Smith close behind at 33.9%.
In the 200 medley relay, Smith did have the best fastest 50 breast split ever in 22.15, though that only received 3.4% of votes, showing just how fast this meet was.
Joining Liendo and Smith in producing an all-time relay split at the meet was Jordan Crooks, who led Tennessee to a pair of NCAA and U.S. Open relay records.
The headlining performance for Crooks came at the end of the meet in the 400 free relay, where he uncorked the fastest 100 free split in history, 39.52, to push the Vols to a new all-time record of 2:42.41.
The only other split in history under 40 seconds was done by Crooks three months earlier at the Tennessee Invitational (39.89), with Dressel owning the flat-start record at 39.90.
Crooks’ 39.52 split ranked third in the poll with 12.9% of votes, while his 17.42 anchor leg from the 200 medley relay, which ranks #2 all-time behind Dressel’s 17.30, got 7.9% of votes.
Three other swims included in the poll weren’t the fastest ever, but were close.
In the 200 fly, Luca Urlando touched .01 shy of his NCAA, U.S. Open and American Record in 1:37.18, earning 3.4% of votes, while Florida’s Jonny Marshall had a pair of sizzling backstroke swims that also picked up some votes. He became the fifth swimmer in history sub-1:36 in the 200 back in 1:35.85, ranking #5 all-time for 2% of votes, while his 43.73 100 back trailed in the poll after he moved to #7 all-time in the event.
Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks: Which matchup is most exciting at Women’s NCAAs?
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ABOUT A3 PERFORMANCE
The A3 Performance Poll is courtesy of A3 Performance, a SwimSwam partner.