Analysis: Alabama, Florida Prove SEC Race Will Be Tight

Florida's Caeleb Dressel. Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

By Dan D’Addona.

The SEC men’s race is shaping up to be the best conference race in the nation.

This weekend was a little bit of a a preview of what is shaping up to be an exciting season.

The Alabama and Florida men battled to the final relay of the final day of the Georgia Tech Invitational. The Crimson Tide hung on to win the 400-yard freestyle relay and edge the Gators in one of the most exciting finishes of the season.

The relay gave Alabama a 1,269-1,252 win over Florida. Host Georgia Tech took third.

The Crimson Tide were led by a host of swimmers who had great meets, like Zane Waddell and Connor Oslin. There are plenty of Alabama swimmers who contributed, and that is what is going to keep them contending in the SEC all season.

On the flip side, Florida’s Caeleb Dressel showed he can continue to dominate in the sprint events.

Even though the Gators didn’t win, this was a huge meet for them. Florida is a traditional slow starter when it comes to dual meets and early-season invitationals, but the Gators had a ton of great swims and their upside is huge.

Both of these teams are going to be in the hunt in an incredibly balanced SEC. Georgia, Auburn, Texas A&M and Missouri will have a huge say as well. The SEC looked to be the most balanced conference and this weekend did nothing but prove it.

Here are some of the highlights:

Freshman Zane Waddell led the Crimson Tide’s 400-yard freestyle relay off with a 43.05 before turning it over to seniors Alex Gray and sophomores Robert Howard and Laurent Bams. Florida’s Caeleb Dressel, the defending NCAA 100 freestyle champion and a member of United States’ Olympic gold medal-winning 400-meter freestyle relay, gave the Gators a .07 lead going into the final leg. Bams ate that margin up over the first 50 and hung on to give the Tide a 2:51.06-2:51.10 win over Florida.

Alabama’s men went 1-2 in the 200 backstroke with senior Connor Oslin winning in 1:41.64, just ahead of junior Christopher Reid.

Dressel won the 100 freestyle (44.86), but Alabama went 2-3-4-6-7-10, led by Waddell’s 43.15.

In the women’s meet, Julie Meynen and Bailey Nero each claimed individual wins and the Auburn women cruised to the title. Auburn, which is ranked No. 11 in the latest CSCAA top 25, racked up 1142 points to top second-place No. 18 Florida by 219.5 points.

Alabama finished third with 909.5, while South Carolina was fourth (710) and Arkansas was fifth (630).

Meynen torched the field to win the 100 free. Going into the finals seeded third after a 50.06 during prelims, she dropped a 48.33 in the finals to top second place by .71 seconds, posting a 23.51 first 50 and a 24.82 on the back half.

Nero brought home her fourth 200 butterfly win of the season, going 1:56.49 to take the top spot by .68 seconds.

Alabama’s Mia Nonnenberg, who set two school records at this meet a year ago, set another on Saturday, shattering the school 1,650 freestyle record with a time of 16:04.70. Sophomore Katie Coughlin outraced the field in the 200 backstroke, winning by just under a second with a career-best 1:55.16, which ranks her second all-time at Alabama.

Alabama’s Katie Coughlin, Bridget Blood, Hannah Musser and Bailey Scott won the 200 medley relay (1:38.29), edging Auburn’s Aly Tetzloff, Natasha Lloyd, Haley Black and Julie Meynen (1:38.8).

Alabama’s Mia Nonnenberg won the 400 IM (4:08.3) in an NCAA provisional cut. Blood won the 100 breaststroke (1:00.82).

Black (52.33) and Tetzloff (52.44) went 1-2 in the 100 butterfly for Auburn.

Florida’s Amelia Maughan won the 200 freestyle (1:45.68) ahead of Georgia Tech’s Iris Wang (1:45.92), both NCAA B cuts.

In the closest race of the night, Florida freshman Emma Ball (52.53) edged Alabama’s Katie Coughlin by one hundredth of a second to win the 100 backstroke.

Maughan, Kelsey Dambacher, Savanna Faulconer and Niki Urquidi won the 800 freestyle relay (7:13.2).

In the men’s meet, Alabama’s Connor Oslin, Pavel Romanov, Luke Kaliszak and Zane Waddell won the 200 medley relay (1:24.52). Kaliszak won the 100 backstroke (45.29).

Florida’s Caeleb Dressel dominated in the 100 butterfly (44.86), an NCAA automatic cut — nearly three seconds faster than Waddell (47.1). Maxime Rooney won the 200 freestyle (1:34.82), going 1-2 with Mitch D’Arrigo (1:34.95).

Florida’s Jan Switkowski won the 400 IM (3:44.45) barely holding off teammate Mark Szaranek (3:44.68). The duo teamed with Rooney and D’Arrigo to win the 800 freestyle relay (6:21.88).

South Carolina’s Nils Wich-Glasen won the 100 breaststroke (52.74). Teammate Jordan Gotro won 3-meter diving (372.55).

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superfan

7 years ago

and you don’t think UGA will be competitive?

Derek

7 years ago

Reply to superfan

Did you read? They said it would be a tight race that includes Georgia and a couple other teams.