Southeastern Conference: Day Two Features Another Spate of Strong Swims

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee, February 16. THE Auburn men and the Georgia women lead Thursday after the second day of the Southeastern Conference swimming and diving championships hosted by the University of Tennessee at its Allan Jones Aquatic Center.

Auburn holds the lead on the men's side with 301 total team points through eight events, while Florida is second with 276, Georgia and Tennessee are tied for third with 208 points.

Georgia headlines the women's team standings with 274 total team points through eight events. Tennessee is second with 249 and Auburn is third with 228.5.

Tennessee senior Ryan Helms won his second SEC individual championship of the week, claiming the men's 1-meter title with a score of 415.10 on Thursday. That title comes on the heels of capturing the 3-meter diving championship on Wednesday, as Helms becomes the first athlete to win those two titles in the same year since Auburn's Steven Segerlin did so in 2007.

Georgia freshman Amber McDermott took home the women's 500-yard freestyle championship in a time of 4:37.15. She extends Georgia's winning streak in that event to four consecutive titles, as the Bulldogs' Allison Schmitt won each of the last three crowns from 2009-2011.

Georgia junior Martin Grodzki won the men's 500-yard freestyle crown in a time of 4:16.94. A member of the Bulldogs team has captured the event in six of the last eight years.

Florida sophomore Elizabeth Beisel captured the women's 200-yard IM championship in a time of 1:54.89. She is the second Gator in three years to capture the event after Gemma Spofforth won in 2010.

Florida sophomore Marcin Cieslak, last season's runner-up in the event, claimed the men's 200-yard IM championship in a time of 1:43.01. With his victory, the Gators have captured that event in seven of the last eight years, with Shaune Fraser winning the previous last Florida title in the 200-yard IM in 2010.

Auburn's Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace won her second consecutive SEC individual title in the women's 50-yard freestyle in a time of 21.35. That just narrowly missed her own SEC meet record of 21.34 set last season in Gainesville.

Florida sophomore Bradley deBorde took home the men's 50-yard freestyle championship, clocking a time of 19.29, after finishing third in the event a year ago. He becomes the first Florida athlete to claim the SEC crown in the men's 50 freestyle since Mark Stockwell in 1985.

South Carolina senior Courtney Forcucci claimed the women's 3-meter diving championship with an SEC-record score of 392.40. It marked the second championship in a row for the Gamecocks in that event after South Carolina's Taryn Zack won last season.

Auburn won the women's 200-yard freestyle relay in a time of 1:28.32, capturing the event for the second consecutive year. The quartet consisted of Vanderpool-Wallace, Hannah Riordan, Emily Bos and Haley Krakoski. It was just shy of the meet record of 1:28.15 set by Florida in 2009.

Auburn captured the men's 200-yard freestyle relay for the 10th consecutive year using the quartet of Drew Modrov, Karl Krug, Chris Manning and TJ Leon in a time of 1:16.38, which is the fastest time in the country this year.

Day three of the 2012 SEC Swimming and Diving Championship begins at 10 a.m. ET at the Allan Jones Aquatic Center.

The above article is a press release submitted to Swimming World Magazine. It has been posted in its entirety without editing. Swimming World offers all outlets the chance to reach our audience by contacting us at Newsmaster@swimmingworldmagazine.com. However, Swimming World reserves the right to choose what material is posted.

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