2017 SEC Championships

SEC Finals Day 2: Aggie Ladies Lead, Gator Men Continue To Dominate Relays

SEC Finals Day 2: Aggie Ladies Lead, Gator Men Continue To Dominate Relays

Night number two of the SEC Swimming & Diving Championships in Knoxville, Tennessee features the 500 freestyle, 200 individual medley, 50 freestyle, and 200 freestyle relay. Caeleb Dressel is the highlighted swimmer for the Florida Gators.

Feb 15, 2017 by Maclin Simpson
SEC Finals Day 2: Aggie Ladies Lead, Gator Men Continue To Dominate Relays
That is a wrap from day two at the 2017 Southeastern Conference Championships in Knoxville, Tennessee. After two days of competition, the Texas A&M Aggies lead on the women's side with 488 points ahead of second-place Georgia's 410 points. On the men's side, Florida has a commanding lead with 486.5 points and is pulling away from second-place Auburn, which has 346 points. 

Texas A&M is leading the women's meet through its supreme depth. With stars such as ​Bethany Galat, Sydney Pickrem, Beryl Gastaldello, Lisa Bratton, ​and more it is going to be tough for the Georgia Bulldogs, who trail be 78 points, to catch up. Meanwhile, Florida is dominating the men's meet through a clean sweep of the relays. The Gators have won each relay that has been contested behind strong performances from ​Caeleb Dressel ​and ​Maxime Rooney​. It will be interesting to see how the meet plays out heading into its final two days. Stay tuned.

​500-Yard Freestyle


Women
SEC Meet Record: 4:34.63 (Brittany MacLean - UGA, 2014)
NCAA 'A' Automatic: 4:36.30
NCAA 'B' Consideration: 4:47.79

​It was never a runaway, but ​Sarah Gibson​ of Texas A&M was in control of the race the entire time, winning with a 4:38.92. Nipping at her heels throughout the race was Auburn senior ​Ashley Neidigh​,​ who finished second in 4:39.91. Gibson's time is the 10th fastest in the country this season and is a bit of redemption as she finished in third place at last year's SEC Championships. A pair of Kentucky swimmers, ​Kendal Casey ​and ​Geena Freriks​, fought hard throughout the race and finished in third and fourth, respectively, with a 4:40.81 and 4:40.85. 

Top 8 Results

1.) Sarah Gibson (Texas A&M): 4:38.92
2.) Ashley Neidigh (Auburn): 4:39.91
3.) Kendal Casey (Kentucky): 4:40.81
4.) Geena Freriks (Kentucky): 4:40.85
5.) Rachel Zilinskas (Georgia) 4:42.22
6.) Kira Zubar (Mizzou): 4:42.79
7.) Ayumi Macias (Arkansas): 4:43.28
8.) Sycerika McMahon (Texas A&M): 4:46.38


Men
SEC Meet Record: 4:10.73 (Dan Wallace - Florida, 2014)
NCAA 'A' Automatic: 4:13.22
NCAA 'B' Consideration: 4:24.99

​Fynn Minuth​ of South Carolina took this race wire to wire with a winning time of 4:11.07, just short of ​Dan Wallace's ​​SEC meet record time of 4:10.73. Minuth was out in a blazing 2:03 at the 250 and faded a bit as Florida's ​Mitch D'Arrigo​ made up some ground. However, it was too little too late as Minuth had developed enough of a lead to take the SEC title. D'Arrigo, the NCAA runner-up in this event, finished in second with a 4:12.71. Georgia's ​Kevin Litherland ​rounded out the podium in third with a 4:15.98.

Top 8 Results

1.) Fynn Minuth (South Carolina): 4:11.07 (NCAA 'A')
2.) Mitch D'Arrigo (Florida): 4:12.71 (NCAA 'A')
3.) Kevin Litherland (Georgia): 4:15.98
4.) Jay Litherland (Georgia): 4:16.41
5.) Walker Higgins (Georgia): 4:16.54
6.) Ben Lawless (Florida): 4:16.94
7.) Isaac Jones (Kentucky): 4:17.52
8.) Akaram Mahmoud (South Carolina): 4:17.57


200 IM


Women
SEC Meet Record: 1:52.87 (Melanie Margalis - UGA, 2014)
NCAA 'A' Automatic: 1:55.35
NCAA 'B' Consideration: 2:01.59

The freshman sensation from Tennessee, ​Meghan Small​, took the SEC title with a blistering-fast time of 1:53.31, just shy of ​Melanie Margalis' ​meet record of 1:52.87. ​Asia Seidt ​of Kentucky was out front at the 100 thanks to a swift backstroke leg but could not hang on as the field made up ground. ​Sydney Pickrem ​of Texas A&M made an effort to take the lead from Small on the freestyle leg, but she ran out of space and finished in second with a 1:53.64. Pickrem's teammate ​Bethany Galat​, the runner-up from last year's meet, finished in third with a 1:54.86.

Top 8 Results

1.) Meghan Small (Tennessee): 1:53.31 (NCAA 'A')
2.) Sydney Pickrem (Texas A&M): 1:53.64 (NCAA 'A')
3.) Bethany Galat (Texas A&M): 1:54.86 (NCAA 'A')
4.) Asia Seidt (Kentucky): 1:55.02 (NCAA 'A')
5.) Lisa Bratton (Texas A&M): 1:56.30
6.) Monika Gonzalez-Hermosillo (Texas A&M): 1:56.50
7.) Emma Barksdale (South Carolina): 1:56.65
8.) Meaghan Raab (Georgia): 1:59.44

Men
SEC Meet Record: 1:41.76 (Ryan Lochte - Florida, 2005)
NCAA 'A' Automatic: 1:42.15
NCAA 'B' Consideration: 1:49.09


At the halfway mark, this was anybody's race. Enter ​Chase Kalisz.​ The Georgia senior and Olympic silver medalist dropped a blazing-fast 28.39 breaststroke split to take over at the 150. Florida's ​Mark Szaranek​ came home charging on the freestyle leg but could not overcome Kalisz and finished second with a 1:41.30 to Kalisz's winning time of 1:41.28. Of note, Kalisz's time was a new SEC meet record, breaking ​Ryan Lochte's ​mark of 1:41.76 from 2005. Florida's ​Jan Switkowski​ finished in third with a 1:42.35.

Top 8 Results

1.) Chase Kalisz (Georgia): 1:41.28 (SEC MEET RECORD)
2.) Mark Szaranek (Florida): 1:41.30 (NCAA 'A')
3.) Jan Switkowski (Florida): 1:42.35
4.) Joe Patching (Auburn): 1:42.63
5.) Gunnar Bentz (Georgia): 1:43.81
6.) Anton McKee (Alabama): 1:44.55
7.) Alex Lebed (Florida): 1:44.89
8.) Michael Duderstadt (Auburn): 1:45.45


50 Freestyle


Women
SEC Meet Record: 21.34 (Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace - Auburn, 2011)
NCAA 'A' Automatic: 21.80
NCAA 'B' Consideration: 22.99

​"Back to back. Yeah, we're going back to back." -Drake (probably) about the Tennessee ladies. After ​Meghan Small's​ victorious 200 IM, her teammate ​Madeline Banic ​followed up with an SEC title of her own in the 50 freestyle with a smoking fast 21.54. The Sophomore out-touched Georgia senior and reigning NCAA Champion in this event ​Olivia Smoliga ​,​who finished second in 21.56. Alabama's Bailey Scott surprised the field by touching third in 21.84.​

Top 8 Results

1.) Madeline Banic (Tennessee): 21.54 (NCAA 'A')
2.) Olivia Smoliga (Georgia) 21.56 (NCAA 'A')
3.) Bailey Scott (Alabama) 21.84
4.) Beryl Gastaldello (Texas A&M): 21.95
5.) Chantal Van Landeghem (Georgia): 22.07
6.) Kira Toussaint (Tennessee): 22.22
7.) Haylee Knight (LSU): 22.28
8.) Leah Troskot (LSU): 22.37

Men
SEC Meet Record: 18.23 (Caeleb Dressel - Florida, 2016)
NCAA 'A' Automatic: 19.09
NCAA 'B' Consideration: 20.19

​This one was ​Caeleb Dressel​ from the start. He's the fastest man in history in this race. What else did you expect? Dressel was the only sub-19-second swim, winning with a 18.46, which is pedestrian by his standards. In second place was Alabama's ​Zane Waddell​ with a 19.17. The freshman from South Africa showed a lot of emotion after that swim, and his Crimson Tide teammates celebrated with equal enthusiasm. Third place was Missouri's ​Michael Chadwick​ with a 19.21.

Top 8 Results​

1.) Caeleb Dressel (Florida): 18.46 (NCAA 'A')
2.) Zane Waddell (Alabama): 19.17
3.) Michael Chadwick (Mizzou): 19.21
4.) Cory Bolleter (Texas A&M): 19.22
5.) Zach Apple (Auburn): 19.23
6.) Kyle Decoursey (Tennessee): 19.25
7.) Peter Holoda (Tennessee): 19.43
8.) Enzo Martinez Scarpe (Florida): 19.67


200 Freestyle Relay


Women
SEC Meet Record: 1:26.89 (Georgia, 2013)
NCAA 'A' Automatic: 1:28.98
NCAA 'B' Consideration: 1:29.75

​It was a nail-biter between the top three teams -- Georgia, Auburn, and Tennessee -- but the Bulldogs went wire to wire to capture the sprint freestyle relay with a 1:27.57 behind ​Olivia Smoliga's​ 21.83 leadoff split. Smoliga was the only swimmer in field to leadoff with a sub-22-second split. Auburn finished in second place with a 1:27.86, led by freshman ​Julie Meynen​,​ who threw down a 21.59 on the third leg. This was just enough to out-touch SEC champion ​Madeline Banic​ and the Tennessee Volunteers, who claimed the third spot with a 1:27.96. Banic had the fastest split in the entire race with a smoking-fast 21.53 to anchor Tennessee's relay.

Full Results

1.) Georgia: 1:27.57 (NCAA 'A')
2.) Auburn: 1:27.86 (NCAA 'A')
3.) Tennessee: 1:27.96 (NCAA 'A')
4.) Texas A&M: 1:28.85 (NCAA 'A')
5.) LSU: 1:29.20
6.) Alabama: 1:29.28
7.) Mizzou: 1:30.03
8.) Florida: 1:30.98
9.) South Carolina: 1:31.27
10.) Kentucky: 1:32.00
11.) Arkansas: 1:32.56
12.) Vanderbilt: 1:33.14


Men
SEC Meet Record: 1:15.47 (Auburn, 2009)
NCAA 'A' Automatic: 1:17.77
NCAA 'B' Consideration: 1:18.46

​It's a bird. It's a plane. Nope, it's just ​Caeleb Dressel​ doing Caeleb Dressel things. The junior sprint sensation proved that lightning can strike twice as he tied USC's ​Vladimir Morozov​ for the fastest 50-yard freestyle split in history with a mind-numbing 17.86. Dressel vaulted the Gators into first place after his second leg, and they never looked back, taking the SEC title with a 1:15.67, which is just shy of Auburn's meet record from 2009. The Tigers finished in second place with a 1:16.03 behind a pair of 18s from ​Peter Holoda ​and ​Kyle Darmody​. Alabama rounded out the podium in third with a 1:16.40 from a very consistent relay. Freshman standout ​Zane Waddell​, who finished second in the individual 50, led off with a 19.26, and his teammates followed suit with three 19.0s.

Full Results

1.) Florida: 1:15.67 (NCAA 'A')
2.) Auburn: 1:16.03 (NCAA 'A')
3.) Alabama: 1:16.40 (NCAA 'A')
4.) Mizzou: 1:17.45 (NCAA 'A')
5.) Texas A&M: 1:17.52 (NCAA 'A')
6.) Tennessee: 1:17.64 (NCAA 'A')
7.) South Carolina: 1:18.69 
8.) Georgia: 1:18.88
9.) Kentucky: 1:18.91
10.) LSU: 1:19.08
​​

Team Scores​


Women​
1.) Texas A&M: 488
2.) Georgia: 410
3.) Auburn: 371
4.) Mizzou: 349
5.) Tennessee: 344
6.) Kentucky: 310
7.) Florida: 238
8.) LSU: 231
9.) South Carolina: 203
10.) Alabama: 187
11.) Arkansas: 133
12.) Vanderbilt: 30


Men
1.)​ Florida: 486.5
2.)​ Auburn: 346
3.)​ Texas A&M: 324
4.)​ Georgia: 314
5.)​ Alabama: 287
6.)​ South Carolina: 278
7.)​ Tennessee: 261.5
8.)​ LSU: 199
9.)
​ Kentucky: 196
10.) Mizzou: 186