SEC Championships, Day 3 Prelims: Josh Liendo Rips 100 Fly Meet Record 43.89

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

SEC Championships, Day 3 Prelims: Josh Liendo Rips 100 Fly Meet Record 43.89

Finishing third in the 50 freestyle Wednesday night at the SEC Championships may not have sat well with Josh Liendo. If so, the Florida sophomore responded in fine fashion Thursday morning.

Liendo set the meet record in the men’s 100 butterfly, ripping a time of 43.89 seconds to lead the way in prelims. He took down the mark of 44.04 seconds set last year by his frequent conference foil, 50 free champ Jordan Crooks of Tennessee. Crooks scratched the 100 fly, opting instead for the 200 free.

All the action from Auburn University:

Women’s Scores (Through Event 17)

Tennessee 475
Florida 440
Georgia 363
Auburn 312.5
Texas A&M 256.5
Alabama 250.5
LSU 230
South Carolina 173
Kentucky 173
Missouri 168.5
Arkansas 132
Vanderbilt 94

Men’s Scores (Through Event 17)

Florida 622
Texas A&M 468
Tennessee 392
Georgia 381
Auburn 373
LSU 266
Kentucky 191
Alabama 187
South Carolina 183
Missouri 176

Women’s 400 individual medley

Fresh off her win in the 500 free, Emma Weyant is hunting more gold. The Florida junior is well positioned in the 400 IM, setting a prelims time of 4:04.62 that is tops by more than 3.5 seconds. She has a 4:03.65 to her name this season.

Florida could pounce in the team standings here. Zoe Dixon is the second seed in 4:08.07. Anna Auld is in the A final in fifth, with Julia Podkoscielny seventh. Tennessee doesn’t have an A finalist.

Hannah Ownbey of Auburn is the only other swimmer under 4:10, in third in 4:09.79.

Event 18  Women 400 Yard IM
==================================================================
         NCAA: N 3:54.60  3/16/2018 Ella Eastin, Stanford
          SEC: S 3:58.23  3/22/2022 Sydney Pickrem, Texas A&M
     SEC Meet: M 3:58.35  2012      Elizabeth Beisel, Florida
         Pool: P 3:56.54  3/16/2012 Katinka Hosszu, Southern Cal
    Name                 Year School               Seed    Prelims        
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Weyant, Emma J         JR FLOR-FL           4:03.65    4:04.62  
    r:+0.74  26.63        56.27 (29.64)
        1:27.53 (31.26)     1:58.06 (30.53)
        2:32.63 (34.57)     3:07.54 (34.91)
        3:36.79 (29.25)     4:04.62 (27.83)
  2 Dixon, Zoe A           SO FLOR-FL           4:06.25    4:08.07  
    r:+0.63  26.04        55.44 (29.40)
        1:26.53 (31.09)     1:56.61 (30.08)
        2:32.57 (35.96)     3:08.47 (35.90)
        3:39.00 (30.53)     4:08.07 (29.07)
  3 Ownbey, Hannah C       SR Auburn-SE         4:08.55    4:09.79  
    r:+0.67  26.23        56.55 (30.32)
        1:28.08 (31.53)     1:59.40 (31.32)
        2:34.82 (35.42)     3:10.90 (36.08)
        3:40.83 (29.93)     4:09.79 (28.96)
  4 Goerigk, Giulia        SO Texas A&M-GU      4:07.91    4:10.18  
    r:+0.73  26.97        58.00 (31.03)
        1:30.06 (32.06)     2:01.57 (31.51)
        2:36.17 (34.60)     3:11.77 (35.60)
        3:41.32 (29.55)     4:10.18 (28.86)
  5 Auld, Anna R           JR FLOR-FL           4:12.24    4:11.65  
    r:+0.67  27.05        57.65 (30.60)
        1:30.46 (32.81)     2:02.60 (32.14)
        2:38.20 (35.60)     3:13.51 (35.31)
        3:43.40 (29.89)     4:11.65 (28.25)
  6 Sanders, Sydney M      FR BAMA-SE           4:17.16    4:12.93  
    r:+0.74  27.66        58.46 (30.80)
        1:31.27 (32.81)     2:03.73 (32.46)
        2:38.50 (34.77)     3:14.11 (35.61)
        3:43.98 (29.87)     4:12.93 (28.95)
  7 Podkoscielny, Julia P  FR FLOR-FL           4:10.32    4:14.34  
    r:+0.65  26.68        58.13 (31.45)
        1:31.16 (33.03)     2:02.19 (31.03)
        2:38.44 (36.25)     3:15.13 (36.69)
        3:45.60 (30.47)     4:14.34 (28.74)
  8 Rice, Anna Havens      SR UK Wildcats-KY    4:17.09    4:14.44  
    r:+0.67  26.88        57.75 (30.87)
        1:30.45 (32.70)     2:02.71 (32.26)
        2:38.82 (36.11)     3:15.66 (36.84)
        3:46.12 (30.46)     4:14.44 (28.32)

Men’s 400 individual medley

Ian Grum grabbed the top seed for Georgia in prelims, but the race appears wide open, with four swimmers clustered within 1.17 seconds.

Grum led the way in 3:40.48, just .07 off his season-best. Second was Florida’s Giovanni Linscheer in 3:40.63, while 500 free champ Jake Magahey is third in 3:41.59. All eyes will be on 200 IM champ Baylor Nelson, though, the Texas A&M sophomore fourth in 3:41.65.

Florida has two A finalists, with Mason Laur sixth. But with the ninth, 10th and 13th seeds, the Gators just missed out on a bigger haul.

Event 19  Men 400 Yard IM
==================================================================
         NCAA: N 3:28.82  3/24/2023 Leon Marchand, Arizona State
          SEC: S 3:33.42  3/24/2017 Chase Kalisz, Georgia
     SEC Meet: M 3:35.76  2018      Hugo Gonzalez, Auburn
         Pool: P 3:37.31  2/20/2020 Kieran Smith, Florida
    Name                 Year School               Seed    Prelims        
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Grum, Ian P            GS UGA-GA            3:40.41    3:40.48  
    r:+0.67  22.78        49.19 (26.41)
        1:16.64 (27.45)     1:43.68 (27.04)
        2:15.58 (31.90)     2:48.41 (32.83)
        3:15.09 (26.68)     3:40.48 (25.39)
  2 Linscheer, Giovanni R  SO FLOR-FL           3:42.60    3:40.63  
    r:+0.71  23.92        51.05 (27.13)
        1:19.74 (28.69)     1:47.41 (27.67)
        2:18.24 (30.83)     2:49.37 (31.13)
        3:15.66 (26.29)     3:40.63 (24.97)
  3 Magahey, Jake M        SR UGA-GA            3:42.76    3:41.59  
    r:+0.70  23.11        49.43 (26.32)
        1:18.38 (28.95)     1:46.19 (27.81)
        2:17.69 (31.50)     2:49.79 (32.10)
        3:16.11 (26.32)     3:41.59 (25.48)
  4 Nelson, Baylor M       SO Texas A&M-GU      3:38.33    3:41.65  
    r:+0.63  23.30        50.10 (26.80)
        1:18.68 (28.58)     1:45.91 (27.23)
        2:17.08 (31.17)     2:48.84 (31.76)
        3:16.03 (27.19)     3:41.65 (25.62)
  5 Driggers, Landon       SO Tennessee-SE      3:43.96    3:42.03  
    r:+0.72  24.36        52.09 (27.73)
        1:19.73 (27.64)     1:46.79 (27.06)
        2:18.80 (32.01)     2:50.71 (31.91)
        3:17.13 (26.42)     3:42.03 (24.90)
  6 Laur, Mason A          JR FLOR-FL           3:41.16    3:42.07  
    r:+0.64  23.04        49.15 (26.11)
        1:17.86 (28.71)     1:45.62 (27.76)
        2:17.08 (31.46)     2:49.82 (32.74)
        3:16.72 (26.90)     3:42.07 (25.35)
  7 Rathle, Jacques L      JR Auburn-SE         3:44.68    3:42.30  
    r:+0.65  23.48        50.76 (27.28)
        1:19.99 (29.23)     1:48.51 (28.52)
        2:19.03 (30.52)     2:50.14 (31.11)
        3:16.45 (26.31)     3:42.30 (25.85)
  8 Schmidt, Danny         SO Auburn-SE         3:42.33    3:44.12  
    r:+0.63  23.50        50.59 (27.09)
        1:19.18 (28.59)     1:46.79 (27.61)
        2:18.59 (31.80)     2:51.26 (32.67)
        3:18.35 (27.09)     3:44.12 (25.77)

Women’s 100 butterfly

Auburn’s Meghan Lee leads a jumbled 100 fly, one that might produce a surprise winner or that could give the host Tigers a gold. Lee went 51.24 in prelims. That was .14 ahead of Florida’s Olivia Peoples, who entered the top seed at 51.59. The only other 51 in the field, Texas A&M’s Olivia Theall, finished ninth.

South Carolina’s Greta Pelzek was third in prelims at 51.93, teammate Nicholle Toh joining her in sixth. Alabama has an A finalist in Gaby Van Brunt in fourth.

Event 20  Women 100 Yard Butterfly
==================================================================
         NCAA: N 48.46  3/14/2023 Kate Douglass, Virginia
          SEC: S 48.51  3/18/2023 Maggie MacNeil, LSU
     SEC Meet: M 48.99  2023      Maggie MacNeil, LSU
         Pool: P 49.38  2/20/2020 Erika Brown, Tennessee
    Name                 Year School               Seed    Prelims        
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Lee, Meghan R          SR Auburn-SE           51.91      51.24  
    r:+0.63  24.18        51.24 (27.06)
  2 Peoples, Olivia G      JR FLOR-FL             51.59      51.38  
    r:+0.60  24.07        51.38 (27.31)
  3 Pelzek, Greta J        JR South Carolina-S    52.10      51.93  
    r:+0.61  24.64        51.93 (27.29)
  4 Van Brunt, Gaby M      FR BAMA-SE             52.44      52.06  
    r:+0.66  24.29        52.06 (27.77)
  5 Grana, Miranda P       FR Texas A&M-GU        53.60      52.21  
    r:+0.67  24.74        52.21 (27.47)
  6 Toh, Nicholle          SR South Carolina-S    52.32      52.24  
    r:+0.60  24.50        52.24 (27.74)
  7 Waldrep, Ellie G       JR Auburn-SE           52.64      52.29  
    r:+0.59  24.35        52.29 (27.94)
  8 Stotler, Sara B        SO Tennessee-SE        52.91      52.35  
    r:+0.65  24.54        52.35 (27.81)

Men’s 100 butterfly

Josh Liendo’s 43.89 makes it his race to lose. Teammate Scotty Buff was closest in 45.00.

Liendo’s time is just off his best of 43.40 from NCAAs last year. It downed the Auburn pool record of 45.09 that Matt Targett had set way back in 2009.

The third seed in the final will be Texas A&M’s Connor Foote, who went 45.12. Auburn has a pair of A finalists in Sohib Khaled (fourth in 45.83) and Nathaniel Stoffle (eighth in 46.00).

Event 21  Men 100 Yard Butterfly
==================================================================
         NCAA: N 42.80  3/23/2018 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
          SEC: S 42.80  3/23/2018 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
     SEC Meet: M 43.89  2024      Josh Liendo, Florida
         Pool: P 43.89  2/22/2024 Josh Liendo, Florida
    Name                 Year School               Seed    Prelims        
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Liendo, Josh           SO FLOR-FL             44.39      43.89M 
     r:+0.61  9.37        20.73 (11.36)
          32.21 (11.48)       43.89 (11.68)
  2 Buff, Scotty           FR FLOR-FL             46.09      45.00  
     r:+0.62  9.54        20.95 (11.41)
          32.75 (11.80)       45.00 (12.25)
  3 Foote, Connor          SO Texas A&M-GU        45.02      45.12  
     r:+0.66  9.32        20.64 (11.32)
          32.52 (11.88)       45.12 (12.60)
  4 Khaled, Sohib          SO Auburn-SE           46.04      45.38  
     r:+0.62  9.40        20.89 (11.49)
          32.93 (12.04)       45.38 (12.45)
  5 Lierz, Harrison M      JR Tennessee-SE        46.95      45.63  
     r:+0.62  9.80        21.44 (11.64)
          33.42 (11.98)       45.63 (12.21)
  6 Kammann, Bjoern        SO Tennessee-SE        46.69      45.72  
     r:+0.72  9.44        21.15 (11.71)
          33.08 (11.93)       45.72 (12.64)
  7 Van Renen, Ruard       SO UGA-GA              46.07      45.84  
     r:+0.65  9.64        21.21 (11.57)
          33.19 (11.98)       45.84 (12.65)
  8 Stoffle, Nathaniel L   JR Auburn-SE           46.05      46.00  
     r:+0.62  9.48        21.05 (11.57)
          33.22 (12.17)       46.00 (12.78)

Women’s 200 freestyle

If Tennessee is going to mount a charge at the team title, it might have to happen in the 200 free. The Vols put three in the A final, led by third-place Brooklyn Douthwright. Camille Spink, the 50 free champ, is fourth, while Julia Mrozinski is seventh.

Florida counters with the top seed, Isabel Ivey having going 1:42.85 in the morning. That’s four-tenths up on Texas A&Ms Chloe Stepanek. Bella Sims, who set the meet record off the front of the 200 free relay, opted out of the individual race. But the Gators have Micayla Cronk in there, the sixth seed in prelims.

Event 22  Women 200 Yard Freestyle
==================================================================
         NCAA: N 1:39.10  3/20/2015 Missy Franklin, California
          SEC: S 1:40.90  2/20/2024 Bella Sims, Florida
     SEC Meet: M 1:40.90  2024      Bella Sims, Florida
         Pool: P 1:40.90  2/20/2024 Bella Sims, Florida
    Name                 Year School               Seed    Prelims        
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Ivey, Isabel C         5Y FLOR-FL           1:43.03    1:42.85  
    r:+0.69  23.57        49.16 (25.59)
        1:15.52 (26.36)     1:42.85 (27.33)
  2 Stepanek, Chloe M      SR Texas A&M-GU      1:43.98    1:43.25  
    r:+0.76  23.87        50.01 (26.14)
        1:16.40 (26.39)     1:43.25 (26.85)
  3 Douthwright, Brooklyn     Tennessee-SE      1:44.04    1:43.47  
    r:+0.63  24.51        50.65 (26.14)
        1:16.93 (26.28)     1:43.47 (26.54)
  4 Spink, Camille            Tennessee-SE      1:44.63    1:43.53  
    r:+0.67  23.85        50.39 (26.54)
        1:17.00 (26.61)     1:43.53 (26.53)
  5 Riordan, Amy L         SO South Carolina-S  1:44.31    1:44.13  
    r:+0.67  24.34        50.72 (26.38)
        1:17.49 (26.77)     1:44.13 (26.64)
  6 Cronk, Micayla M       JR FLOR-FL           1:45.44    1:44.72  
    r:+0.69  23.59        49.75 (26.16)
        1:17.08 (27.33)     1:44.72 (27.64)
  7 Mrozinski, Julia M     SO Tennessee-SE      1:45.71    1:44.94  
    r:+0.65  24.09        50.92 (26.83)
        1:18.23 (27.31)     1:44.94 (26.71)
  8 Furse, Shea T          SO UGA-GA            1:45.20    1:45.02  
    r:+0.64  24.82        51.15 (26.33)
        1:18.10 (26.95)     1:45.02 (26.92)

Men’s 200 freestyle

Macguire McDuff is in good form and the top seed in the 200 free final, which will be a clash of styles. The Florida sprinter went 1:31.40 in prelims. He’ll have another fast man, Tennessee’s Jordan Crooks, on his tail in finals after the 50 free champ went 1:31.45. At the other extreme is Charlie Hawke of Alabama, who went 1:31.47. Hawke holds the fastest time this season at 1:31.30.

Florida’s Jake Mitchell is the fourth seed, where he’ll also be flying the distance flag. Georgia has three A finalists, led by Reese Branzell in fifth.

Event 23  Men 200 Yard Freestyle
==================================================================
         NCAA: N 1:29.15  3/27/2019 Dean Farris, Harvard
          SEC: S 1:29.48  2/23/2021 Kieran Smith, Florida
     SEC Meet: M 1:29.48  2021      Kieran Smith, Florida
         Pool: P 1:30.11  2/18/2020 Kieren Smith, Florida
    Name                 Year School               Seed    Prelims        
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 McDuff, Macguire V     JR FLOR-FL           1:32.91    1:31.40  
    r:+0.68  20.75        43.75 (23.00)
        1:07.44 (23.69)     1:31.40 (23.96)
  2 Crooks, Jordan J       SO Tennessee-SE      1:32.07    1:31.45  
    r:+0.56  21.13        44.53 (23.40)
        1:08.04 (23.51)     1:31.45 (23.41)
  3 Hawke, Charlie J       JR BAMA-SE           1:31.30    1:31.47  
    r:+0.69  21.36        44.64 (23.28)
        1:08.03 (23.39)     1:31.47 (23.44)
  4 Mitchell, Jake R       SR FLOR-FL           1:33.17    1:32.23  
    r:+0.67  21.38        44.73 (23.35)
        1:08.51 (23.78)     1:32.23 (23.72)
  5 Branzell, Reese        JR UGA-GA            1:33.97    1:32.43  
    r:+0.72  21.33        44.72 (23.39)
        1:08.77 (24.05)     1:32.43 (23.66)
  6 Dunham, Bradley        GS UGA-GA            1:33.31    1:32.77  
    r:+0.66  21.74        45.18 (23.44)
        1:09.06 (23.88)     1:32.77 (23.71)
  6 Alves, Kaique          JR BAMA-SE           1:31.97    1:32.77  
    r:+0.66  21.38        44.62 (23.24)
        1:08.34 (23.72)     1:32.77 (24.43)
  8 Koski, Tomas S         FR UGA-GA            1:32.75    1:32.80  
    r:+0.61  21.51        45.21 (23.70)
        1:09.20 (23.99)     1:32.80 (23.60)

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