2022 SEC Championships, Day 4 Finals: Luca Urlando Throws Down 1:39 200 Fly

Luca Urlando; Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

2022 SEC Championships, Day 4 Finals: Luca Urlando Throws Down 1:39 200 Fly

It was going to take something special to wrestle control of the 200 butterfly away from Luca Urlando Friday night. The star Georgia sophomore knew it, the way he blasted out of the gates. And everyone else grasping at his wash knew it too.

How to beat him, though, isn’t as easy.

Urlando made it two meet records in as many swims Friday, going from 1:40.14 in prelims to 1:39.00 to get the victory in a Georgia 1-2.

All the action from a busy night at 2022 SEC Championships is below.

2022 SEC Championships Links

Men’s team standings

Men - Team Rankings - Through Event 31                      
 
  1. University of Florida             976   2. University of Tennessee           739
  3. Universityof Alabama              711   4. Georgia, University of            708
  5. Texas A&M University            636.5   6. Auburn University               624.5
  7. Missouri                        589.5   8. Kentucky, University of           462
  9. Louisiana State University        422  10. South Carolina, University of,  336.5

Men’s 200 butterfly

Luca Urlando threw down the gauntlet early. He was out in 46.51, exactly a second up on teammate Matt Sates. With his technical wizardry in butterfly, that kind of early speed is nearly impossible for the field to claw back.

Sates gave it a go, finishing second in 1:39.88. He was also under the meet record and nabbed an A cut, as did Mason Wilby of Kentucky in 1:40.15. But that wasn’t enough to forestall Urlando going 3-for-3 in individual triumphs at SECs.

Event 24  Men 200 Yard Butterfly
=========================================================================
         NCAA: N 1:37.35  3/25/2017 Jack Conger, Texas
          SEC: S 1:38.69  3/6/2021  Shaine Casas, Texas A&M
     SEC Meet: M 1:40.14  2/18/2022 Luca Orlando, Georgia
         Pool: P 1:40.14  2/22/2022 Luca Orlando, Georgia
                 1:40.44  A
                 1:46.69  B
    Name           Year School            Prelims     Finals       Points 
=========================================================================
                            === A - Final ===                            
 
  1 Urlando, Luca R  SO Georgia-GA        1:40.14    1:39.00MA       32  
    r:+0.67  21.76        46.51 (24.75)
        1:12.14 (25.63)     1:39.00 (26.86)
  2 Sates, Matthew   FR Georgia-GA        1:41.91    1:39.88MA       28  
    r:+0.63  22.08        47.51 (25.43)
        1:13.38 (25.87)     1:39.88 (26.50)
  3 Wilby, Mason J   SR Kentucky-KY       1:41.08    1:40.15 A       27  
    r:+0.64  22.20        47.77 (25.57)
        1:13.50 (25.73)     1:40.15 (26.65)
  4 Kovac, Danny D   SR Missouri-MV       1:41.97    1:41.18 B       26  
    r:+0.63  22.47        47.87 (25.40)
        1:13.79 (25.92)     1:41.18 (27.39)
  5 Crawford, Jace   SO Florida-FL        1:42.57    1:42.12 B       25  
    r:+0.66  22.91        48.69 (25.78)
        1:15.56 (26.87)     1:42.12 (26.56)
  6 Mota, Kayky M    SR Tennessee-SE      1:43.83    1:43.36 B       24  
    r:+0.64  22.44        48.50 (26.06)
        1:15.60 (27.10)     1:43.36 (27.76)
  7 Hawke, Charlie   FR Alabama-SE        1:43.88    1:45.00 B       23  
    r:+0.78  23.48        50.28 (26.80)
        1:17.20 (26.92)     1:45.00 (27.80)
  8 Abruzzo, Andrew  SR Georgia-GA        1:42.97    1:45.07 B       22  
    r:+0.71  23.34        50.11 (26.77)
        1:17.54 (27.43)     1:45.07 (27.53)

Men’s 100 backstroke

With just two A finalists in the evening sessions, Florida’s goal was to make them all count, even if they have plenty of cushion in the quest for team title No. 10 in a row.

Adam Chaney did just that, blasting away from the field in 44.51 to win in an NCAA A cut. Chaney, who was ninth in the event at NCAAs last year, was the SEC’s runner-up. He’s Florida’s first SEC champ in the event since 2011 (Marco Loughran) and breaks the program record set in 2005 by Ryan Lochte (44.60).

Ethan Gogulski of Texas A&M earned a silver medal in 45.42, just getting his hand to the wall .05 ahead of Alabama’s Matthew Menke and .08 up on Nathan Stoffle of Auburn.

Event 26  Men 100 Yard Backstroke
=========================================================================
         NCAA: N 43.49  3/25/2016 Ryan Murphy, California
          SEC: S 43.87  11/19/2020Shaine Casas, Texas A&M
     SEC Meet: M 44.10  2/21/2020 Zane Waddell, Alabama
         Pool: P 44.07  12/5/2013 Nick Thoman, SwimMAC
                 44.94  A
                 47.77  B
    Name           Year School            Prelims     Finals       Points 
=========================================================================
                            === A - Final ===                            
 
  1 Chaney, Adam C   SO Florida-FL          44.91      44.51 A       32  
    r:+0.70  10.36        21.33 (10.97)
          32.87 (11.54)       44.51 (11.64)
  2 Gogulski, Ethan  JR Texas A&M-GU        45.75      45.42 B       28  
    r:+0.72  10.67        21.87 (11.20)
          33.58 (11.71)       45.42 (11.84)
  3 Menke, Matthew   JR Alabama-SE          46.02      45.56 B       27  
    r:+0.67  10.45        21.74 (11.29)
          33.43 (11.69)       45.56 (12.13)
  4 Stoffle, Nathan  FR Auburn-SE           45.74      45.60 B       26  
    r:+0.69  10.62        21.70 (11.08)
          33.55 (11.85)       45.60 (12.05)
  5 Dahlgren, Jack   SR Missouri-MV         46.33      46.07 B       25  
    r:+0.72  10.67        22.01 (11.34)
          34.04 (12.03)       46.07 (12.03)
  6 Kammann, Bjoern     Tennessee-SE        46.31      46.10 B       24  
    r:+0.78  10.44        21.94 (11.50)
          33.94 (12.00)       46.10 (12.16)
  7 Smith, Lleyton   JR Auburn-SE           46.00      46.26 B       23  
    r:+0.64  10.89        22.27 (11.38)
          34.18 (11.91)       46.26 (12.08)
  8 Laitarovsky, Mi  FR South Carolina-S    46.17      46.34 B       22  
    r:+0.64  10.67        22.02 (11.35)
          34.32 (12.30)       46.34 (12.02)

Men’s 100 breaststroke

Chalk up another big swim for Alabama, with no surprise that it comes from Derek Maas. The junior set a pool record in the morning and promptly lopped a half-second off that, going 50.78 to win. It’s the first of three NCAA A cuts in the event, with Tennessee senior Jarel Dillard (51.23) and Reid Mikuta of Auburn (51.41) following suit.

Maas won the B final last year in the event and was sixth as a freshman.

  Event 28  Men 100 Yard Breaststroke
=========================================================================
         NCAA: N 49.69  3/18/2018 Ian Finerty, Indiana
          SEC: S 50.03  2/17/2018 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
     SEC Meet: M 50.03  2/18/2018 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
         Pool: P 51.35  2/18/2022 Derek Maas, Alabama
                 51.59  A
                 54.27  B
    Name           Year School            Prelims     Finals       Points 
=========================================================================
                            === A - Final ===                            
 
  1 Maas, Derek E    JR Alabama-SE          51.35      50.78PA       32  
    r:+0.67  10.64        23.91 (13.27)
          37.16 (13.25)       50.78 (13.62)
  2 Dillard, Jarel   SR Tennessee-SE        51.38      51.23PA       28  
    r:+0.61  10.70        23.87 (13.17)
          37.25 (13.38)       51.23 (13.98)
  3 Mikuta, Reid R   SO Auburn-SE           51.59      51.41 A       27  
    r:+0.65  11.18        24.18 (13.00)
          37.61 (13.43)       51.41 (13.80)
  4 Patton, Ben H    JR Missouri-MV         52.25      52.03 B       25.5
    r:+0.63  10.87        24.14 (13.27)
          37.91 (13.77)       52.03 (14.12)
  4 Houlie, Michael  SR Tennessee-SE        52.07      52.03 B       25.5
    r:+0.62  10.90        24.11 (13.21)
          37.76 (13.65)       52.03 (14.27)
  6 Puente Bustaman  JR Texas A&M-GU        52.31      52.44 B       24  
    r:+0.68  10.96        24.31 (13.35)
          38.12 (13.81)       52.44 (14.32)
  7 Mason, Mitch K   SO LSU-LA              52.51      52.46 B       23  
    r:+0.67  11.18        24.54 (13.36)
          38.50 (13.96)       52.46 (13.96)
  8 Champlin, Brett  JR Tennessee-SE        52.46      52.79 B       22  
    r:+0.68  11.18        24.85 (13.67)
          38.57 (13.72)       52.79 (14.22)

Men’s platform diving

A big result in platform diving could go a long way to getting Tennessee up to second in the men’s standings, and that’s just what Bryden Hattie delivered. He was second to Juan Celaya Hernandez, the LSU star and Mexican Olympian who pulled down his seventh career SEC title with a score of 430.55. But Hattie was second in 422.60 to earn big points, paired with Dillon Richardson in eight.

South Carolina’s Manny Vazquez Bas was second to continued a strong showing by the Gamecocks on the boards.

Event 29  Men Platform Diving
=========================================================================
          SEC: S 507.15  3/7/2018  Zhipeng Zeng, Tennessee
     SEC Meet: M 496.55  2/18/2017 Hernandez & Henschel, LSU & Texas A&M
         Pool: P 554.05  12/22/2012David Boudia, Boiler Diving A.
                 300.00  A
    Name           Year School            Prelims     Finals       Points 
=========================================================================
                            === A - Final ===                            
 
  1 Celaya Hernandez Juan     LSU-LA       391.05     430.55 A       32  
  2 Hattie, Bryden   SO Tennessee-SE       440.30     422.60 A       28  
  3 Vazquez Bas, Manny  JR South Carolina  383.25     403.95 A       27  
  4 Zhang, Mingli    SR Kentucky-KY        365.15     394.60 A       26  
  5 Farouk, Mohamed  FR Alabama-SE         399.50     368.10 A       25  
  6 Garcia, Leonard  SO Florida-FL         385.55     363.25 A       24  
  7 Kebler, Hunter   SO Auburn-SE          340.10     355.35 A       23  
  8 Richardson, Dillon  Tennessee-SE       339.05     352.25 A       22

Men’s 400 medley relay

Alabama gave Florida all it could handle in the relay. But with the back-end strength of the Gators, it could handle plenty.

Eric Friese and Kieran Smith turned a tight swim into a steady win for the Gators, clocking in at 3:02.61 to set a pool record and get the win in a new NCAA A cut. Bama, which had held an A cut, was second in 3:03.58, also under the pool record (which it had set in the fall). Tennessee, Georgia and Auburn notched A cuts as well.

Alabama led at the halfway point, thanks to a sizzling breaststroke leg from 100 breast champ Derek Maas in 50.55. That was took more than a second out of Florida, which had led after 100 back champ Adam Chaney laid down a 44.56 off the front.

But Amro Al-Wir kept in touch for Friese to go 44.53, taking that second right back for the Gators, before Smith fired off a 41.70. Jonathan Berneburg kept up on Alabama’s anchor in 41.88, but he couldn’t get into the gap.

Jordan Crooks split 41.61 off the end as Tennessee clawed back four-tenths on Georgia to beat them into third place by .02 seconds. (Luca Urlando had the fastest back split in 44.38, while Matt Sates’ 46.03 100 fly was only fifth-fastest in the race.) Brooks Curry hit a 40.93 anchor leg as LSU finished seventh.

Crooks’ effort solidified the Vols’ hold on second place with 739 points, ahead of Alabama (711) and Georgia (709).

Event 31  Men 400 Yard Medley Relay
==================================================================================
         NCAA: N 2:59.22  3/23/2017 Texas
                          J. Shebat, W. Licon, J. Schooling, J. Conger
          SEC: S 3:01.39  3/26/2009 Auburn
                          P Wollach, A Klein, T McGill, M Targett
     SEC Meet: M 3:02.17  2/21/2020 Alabama
                          Z. Waddell, L. Bell, T. Sesvold, L. Berneburg
         Pool: P 3:04.36  11/18/2021Alabama
                          M Menke, D Maas, B BONDRA, J Berneburg
                 3:05.47  A
                 3:07.53  B
    School                           Seed     Finals       Points 
==================================================================================
  1 Florida-FL  'A'               3:05.77    3:02.61PA       64  
     1) Chaney, Adam C SO             2) r:0.25 Al-Wir, Amro SO       
     3) r:0.19 Friese, Eric JR        4) r:0.12 Smith, Kieran SR      
    r:+0.69  21.35        44.56 (44.56)
                            1:36.38 (51.82)
        1:56.10 (19.72)     2:20.91 (44.53)
        2:40.70 (19.79)     3:02.61 (41.70)
  2 Alabama-SE  'A'               3:04.36    3:03.58PA       56  
     1) Menke, Matthew T JR           2) r:0.02 Maas, Derek JR        
     3) r:0.23 Sesvold, Tyler SR      4) r:0.04 Berneburg, Jonathan SR
    r:+0.67  21.77        45.60 (45.60)
        1:09.09 (23.49)     1:36.15 (50.55)
        1:57.19 (21.04)     2:21.70 (45.55)
        2:41.34 (19.64)     3:03.58 (41.88)
  3 Tennessee-SE  'A'             3:11.66    3:04.74 A       54  
     1) Kammann, Bjoern               2) r:0.50 Dillard, Jarel SR     
     3) r:0.10 Mota, Kayky SR         4) r:0.14 Crooks, Jordan FR     
    r:+0.79  22.09        46.03 (46.03)
        1:09.99 (23.96)     1:37.69 (51.66)
        1:58.35 (20.66)     2:23.13 (45.44)
        2:42.42 (19.29)     3:04.74 (41.61)
  4 Georgia-GA  'A'               3:07.33    3:04.76 A       52  
     1) Urlando, Luca R SO            2) r:0.05 Voloschin, Arie FR    
     3) r:0.38 Sates, Matthew FR      4) r:0.25 Downing, Dillon JR    
    r:+0.66  21.18        44.38 (44.38)
        1:08.48 (24.10)     1:36.70 (52.32)
        1:57.75 (21.05)     2:22.73 (46.03)
        2:42.28 (19.55)     3:04.76 (42.03)
  5 Auburn-SE  'A'                3:06.65    3:05.45 A       50  
     1) Stoffle, Nathaniel L FR       2) r:0.13 Mikuta, Reid SO       
     3) r:0.08 Stoffle, Aidan JR      4) r:0.15 Tirheimer, Logan SO   
    r:+0.67  21.82        45.55 (45.55)
        1:09.50 (23.95)     1:37.14 (51.59)
        1:57.96 (20.82)     2:23.24 (46.10)
        2:42.90 (19.66)     3:05.45 (42.21)
  6 Missouri-MV  'A'              3:06.78    3:06.53 B       48  
     1) Bochenski, Grant R            2) r:0.01 Patton, Ben JR        
     3) r:0.28 Kovac, Danny SR        4) r:0.16 Dahlgren, Jack SR     
    r:+0.70  22.18        47.02 (47.02)
        1:10.83 (23.81)     1:38.86 (51.84)
        1:59.72 (20.86)     2:24.47 (45.61)
        2:44.30 (19.83)     3:06.53 (42.06)
  7 LSU-LA  'A'                   3:11.21    3:07.31 B       46  
     1) Curtis, Griffin M FR          2) r:0.12 Mason, Mitch SO       
     3) r:0.12 Hassling, Emil SO      4) r:0.18 Curry, Brooks JR      
    r:+0.70  22.72        47.67 (47.67)
        1:11.73 (24.06)     1:39.91 (52.24)
        2:00.83 (20.92)     2:26.38 (46.47)
        2:45.46 (19.08)     3:07.31 (40.93)
  8 Texas A&M-GU  'A'             3:09.12    3:08.28         44  
     1) Gogulski, Ethan D JR          2) r:0.24 Puente Bustamandres JR
     3) r:0.09 Brown, Jace JR         4) r:0.22 Bratanov, Kaloyan SR  
    r:+0.74  22.68        47.25 (47.25)
        1:11.46 (24.21)     1:39.29 (52.04)
        2:00.93 (21.64)     2:26.47 (47.18)
        2:46.03 (19.56)     3:08.28 (41.81)
  9 South Carolina-SC  'A'        3:11.82    3:11.14         40  
     1) Laitarovsky, Michael FR       2) r:0.19 Massey, Luke SR       
     3) r:0.18 DeVore, Luke JR        4) r:0.50 Shperkin, Mark JR     
    r:+0.60  22.86        48.25 (48.25)
        1:12.32 (24.07)     1:40.63 (52.38)
        2:02.30 (21.67)     2:27.97 (47.34)
        2:48.44 (20.47)     3:11.14 (43.17)
 10 Kentucky-KY  'A'              3:14.48    3:11.66         34  
     1) Wilby, Mason J SR             2) r:0.22 Barker, Kyle SR       
     3) r:0.50 Berg, Max SO           4) r:0.12 Martin Roig, Victor FR
    r:+0.70  22.48        46.91 (46.91)
        1:11.57 (24.66)     1:40.53 (53.62)
        2:02.48 (21.95)     2:28.39 (47.86)
        2:49.05 (20.66)     3:11.66 (43.27)

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use