The final morning of preliminary action at the 2018 SEC swimming and diving championships included qualifying action in the 200 back, 100 free and 200 breast. Florida’s Caeleb Dressel set himself up for another win in the men’s 100 free, while Tennessee’s Erika Brown and Texas A&M’s Sydney Pickrem also look for their third individual wins, and the Texas A&M men look ready to claim their first individual title of the meet.
Kentucky will have significant points coming from the women’s 200 back final as sophomores Asia Seidt and Ali Galyer qualified first and second, respectively, with teammate Bridgette Alexander fifth. Seidt, the defending SEC champion in the event and 100 back champion from Saturday night, touched in 1:50.81, while Galyer was a second back in 1:51.81. Alexander finished in 1:52.07.
The other five qualifiers for the championship final all came from the seventh and final heat of qualifying. Texas A&M’s Lisa Bratton took third in 1:51.86, followed by Georgia’s Kylie Stewart (1:51.94). Finishing sixth through eighth, respectively, were Auburn’s Erin Falconer (1:52.43), Tennessee’s Micah Bohon (1:52.79) and Auburn’s Sonnele Oeztuerk (1:52.83).
Event 34 Women 200 Yard Backstroke
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US Open: O 1:47.84 3/21/2013 Elizabeth Pelton, California
NCAA: N 1:47.84 3/21/2013 Elizabeth Pelton, California
American: M 1:47.84 3/21/2013 Elizabeth Pelton, California
SEC Meet: S 1:48.34 2/21/2009 Gemma Spofforth, Florida
Pool Record: P 1:49.11 3/21/2009 Gemma Spofforth, UF
1:50.99 A
1:59.19 B
Name Year School Seed Prelims
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=== Preliminaries ===
1 Asia Seidt SO Kentucky 1:50.67 1:50.81 qA
26.59 54.68 (28.09)
1:22.86 (28.18) 1:50.81 (27.95)
2 Ali Galyer SO Kentucky 1:51.15 1:51.81 qB
26.82 55.08 (28.26)
1:23.41 (28.33) 1:51.81 (28.40)
3 Lisa Bratton SR Texas A&M 1:50.10 1:51.86 qB
26.77 55.08 (28.31)
1:23.79 (28.71) 1:51.86 (28.07)
4 Kylie Stewart SR Georgia 1:51.88 1:51.94 qB
26.74 55.16 (28.42)
1:23.87 (28.71) 1:51.94 (28.07)
5 Bridgette Alexa SR Kentucky 1:51.92 1:52.07 qB
26.84 54.85 (28.01)
1:23.32 (28.47) 1:52.07 (28.75)
6 Erin Falconer JR Auburn 1:54.44 1:52.43 qB
26.53 54.98 (28.45)
1:23.91 (28.93) 1:52.43 (28.52)
7 Micah Bohon SR Tennessee 1:53.33 1:52.79 qB
26.90 55.23 (28.33)
1:24.03 (28.80) 1:52.79 (28.76)
8 Sonnele Oeztuer FR Auburn 1:56.71 1:52.83 qB
26.86 55.46 (28.60)
1:24.27 (28.81) 1:52.83 (28.56)
As with the women’s 200 back, the top seed in the men’s 100 back is a sophomore who claimed the win in the 100 back one night earlier. After posting a come-from-behind victory in that 100-yard event, Javier Acevedo topped prelims here in 1:40.51, with the man he beat out in the 100 back, Alabama’s Christopher Reid, qualifying second in 1:41.09.
Auburn’s Hugo Gonzalez, who became the second-fastest man ever in the 400 IM Friday night, took third in 1:41.43, just ahead of Texas A&M’s Anthony Kim (1:41.49) and Tennessee’s Joey Reilman (1:41.57). Florida’s Brennan Balogh (1:41.99), Missouri’s Nick Alexander (1:42.04) and Georgia’s Jay Litherland (1:42.14) also got into the final.
Event 35 Men 200 Yard Backstroke
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US Open: O 1:35.73 3/26/2016 Ryan Murphy, California
NCAA: N 1:35.73 3/26/2016 Ryan Murphy, California
American: M 1:35.73 3/26/2016 Ryan Murphy, California
SEC Meet: S 1:38.29 2/17/2005 Ryan Lochte, Florida
Pool Record: P 1:37.58 3/28/2009 Tyler Clary, MICH
1:39.66 A
1:46.39 B
Name Year School Seed Prelims
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=== Preliminaries ===
1 Javier Acevedo SO Georgia 1:44.03 1:40.51 qB
23.90 49.14 (25.24)
1:14.98 (25.84) 1:40.51 (25.53)
2 Christopher Rei SR Alabama 1:41.74 1:41.09 qB
23.96 49.59 (25.63)
1:15.28 (25.69) 1:41.09 (25.81)
3 Hugo Gonzalez FR Auburn 1:39.05 1:41.43 qB
23.88 49.71 (25.83)
1:15.83 (26.12) 1:41.43 (25.60)
4 Anthony Kim SO Texas A&M 1:43.42 1:41.49 qB
23.60 48.78 (25.18)
1:15.15 (26.37) 1:41.49 (26.34)
5 Joey Reilman JR Tennessee 1:43.42 1:41.57 qB
23.93 49.63 (25.70)
1:15.66 (26.03) 1:41.57 (25.91)
6 Brennan Balogh JR Florida 1:46.41 1:41.99 qB
23.84 49.73 (25.89)
1:15.82 (26.09) 1:41.99 (26.17)
7 Nick Alexander SO Missouri 1:41.97 1:42.04 qB
24.14 50.10 (25.96)
1:16.14 (26.04) 1:42.04 (25.90)
8 Jay Litherland SR Georgia 1:43.10 1:42.14 qB
24.00 49.71 (25.71)
1:15.53 (25.82) 1:42.14 (26.61)
Brown already has two wins in the bag at the SEC championships, in the 50 free and 100 fly, and after only one relay swim on Saturday, she returned to the pool Sunday morning to post the top time in the women’s 100 free. She checked in at 47.36, more than seven tenths ahead of the rest of the field.
Georgia’s Veronica Burchill qualified second in 48.00, and Auburn’s Aly Tetzloff took third in 48.09. Just behind was Texas A&M’s Kristen Malone in 48.13.
Other finalists included Missouri’s Annie Ochitwa (48.22), Texas A&M’s Claire Rasmus (48.49), Auburn’s Julie Meynen (48.55) and Alabama’s Bailey Scott (48.79).
Event 36 Women 100 Yard Freestyle
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US Open: O 45.56 3/18/2017 Simone Manuel, Stanford
NCAA: N 45.56 3/18/2017 Simone Manuel, Stanford
American: M 45.56 3/18/2017 Simone Manuel, Stanford
SEC Meet: S 46.61 2/18/2012 Ariana Vanderpool-Wallace, Auburn
Pool Record: P 46.62 11/20/2014Simone Manuel, STAN
47.53 A
49.99 B
Name Year School Seed Prelims
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=== Preliminaries ===
1 Erika Brown SO Tennessee 47.54 47.36 qA
r:+0.68 10.94 22.83 (11.89)
35.14 (12.31) 47.36 (12.22)
2 Veronica Burchi SO Georgia 47.83 48.00 qB
r:+0.72 11.11 23.19 (12.08)
35.68 (12.49) 48.00 (12.32)
3 Alyssa Tetzloff JR Auburn 48.01 48.09 qB
r:+0.68 10.66 22.79 (12.13)
35.64 (12.85) 48.09 (12.45)
4 Kristin Malone SR Texas A&M 48.61 48.13 qB
r:+0.73 11.04 23.08 (12.04)
35.61 (12.53) 48.13 (12.52)
5 Ann Ochitwa JR Missouri 47.58 48.22 qB
r:+0.74 11.01 23.02 (12.01)
35.63 (12.61) 48.22 (12.59)
6 Claire Rasmus JR Texas A&M 48.41 48.49 qB
r:+0.71 11.41 23.71 (12.30)
36.22 (12.51) 48.49 (12.27)
7 Julie Meynen SO Auburn 47.61 48.55 qB
r:+0.66 11.13 23.42 (12.29)
36.02 (12.60) 48.55 (12.53)
8 Bailey Scott SR Alabama 48.95 48.79 qB
r:+0.73 11.04 23.33 (12.29)
36.09 (12.76) 48.79 (12.70)
After deviating from his normal program to swim the 200 IM and 100 breast earlier in the meet, Dressel returned to his bread-and-butter event for the last day of the meet. He qualified first in the men’s 100 free in 41.50 after going out in a leisurely 20.32 and coming back in 21.18.
Finishing almost seven tenths back was Auburn’s Peter Holoda. After splitting 40.80 anchoring the Tigers’ 400 medley relay Saturday night, Holoda swam a time of 42.17 in prelims, just ahead of teammate Zach Apple (42.40).
It took a sub-43-second swim to make the A-final, with Alabama’s Robert Howard (42.67), Tennessee’s Kyle Decoursey (42.72), Missouri’s Mikel Schreuder (42.83), Florida’s Kader Baqlah (42.86) and Florida’s Maxime Rooney (42.94) all getting in.s
Event 37 Men 100 Yard Freestyle
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US Open: O 40.00 3/25/2017 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
NCAA: N 40.00 3/25/2017 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
American: M 40.00 3/25/2017 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
SEC Meet: S 41.07 2/20/2016 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
Pool Record: P 41.08 3/28/2009 Nathan Adrian, CAL
42.11 A
44.29 B
Name Year School Seed Prelims
==================================================================
=== Preliminaries ===
1 Caeleb Dressel SR Florida 43.36 41.50 qA
r:+0.68 9.22 20.32 (11.10)
30.99 (10.67) 41.50 (10.51)
2 Peter Holoda SR Auburn 42.44 42.17 qB
r:+0.69 9.70 20.32 (10.62)
31.28 (10.96) 42.17 (10.89)
3 Zachary Apple JR Auburn 42.74 42.40 qB
r:+0.70 9.65 20.33 (10.68)
31.37 (11.04) 42.40 (11.03)
4 Robert Howard JR Alabama 41.99 42.64 qB
r:+0.71 9.61 20.22 (10.61)
31.27 (11.05) 42.64 (11.37)
5 Kyle Decoursey JR Tennessee 42.30 42.72 qB
r:+0.72 9.74 20.43 (10.69)
31.75 (11.32) 42.72 (10.97)
6 Mikel Schreuder JR Missouri 42.86 42.83 qB
r:+0.74 9.91 20.64 (10.73)
31.82 (11.18) 42.83 (11.01)
7 Khader Baqlah SO Florida 43.45 42.86 qB
r:+0.72 10.17 20.91 (10.74)
32.01 (11.10) 42.86 (10.85)
8 Maxime Rooney SO Florida 43.02 42.94 qB
r:+0.67 9.71 20.69 (10.98)
32.01 (11.32) 42.94 (10.93)
Texas A&M traditionaly excels in the women’s 200 breast, and this day was no different. Five Aggies qualified for the championship final, including the top three seeds. Pickrem, already the winner of both IMs in College Station, qualified first in 2:06.10.
Teammates Esther Gonzalez Medina and Anna Belousova swam on either side of Pickrem in the final heat and qualified second and third, respectively. Gonzalez touched in 2:07.43 and Belousova in 2:07.48. A&M’s Bethany Galat, the World Championships silver medalist in the 200-meter breast, took fifth in 2:08.87, andthe fifth Aggie, Jorie Caneta, was seventh in 2:09.24.
Kentucky’s Bailey Bonnett put up a quick time of 2:07.69 to finish fourth, while South Carolina teammates Kersten Dirrane (2:08.98) and Albury Higgs (2:09.46) were sixth and eighth, respectively.
Event 38 Women 200 Yard Breaststroke
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US Open: O 2:03.18 3/18/2017 Lilly King, Indiana
NCAA: N 2:03.18 3/18/2017 Lilly King, Indiana
American: M 2:03.18 3/18/2017 Lilly King, Indiana
SEC Meet: S 2:04.92 2/22/2014 Breeja Larson, Texas A&M
Pool Record: P 2:05.17 2/20/2016 Breeja Larson, NYAC
2:07.18 A
2:15.99 B
Name Year School Seed Prelims
==================================================================
=== Preliminaries ===
1 Sydney Pickrem JR Texas A&M 2:05.96 2:06.10 qA
r:+0.78 29.12 1:01.16 (32.04)
1:33.85 (32.69) 2:06.10 (32.25)
2 Esther Gonzalez SR Texas A&M 2:08.32 2:07.43 qB
r:+0.73 29.75 1:01.92 (32.17)
1:34.58 (32.66) 2:07.43 (32.85)
3 Anna Belousova SO Texas A&M 2:08.97 2:07.48 qB
r:+0.72 29.16 1:01.64 (32.48)
1:34.47 (32.83) 2:07.48 (33.01)
4 Bailey Bonnett FR Kentucky 2:07.83 2:07.69 qB
r:+0.68 29.11 1:01.68 (32.57)
1:34.42 (32.74) 2:07.69 (33.27)
5 Bethany Galat SR Texas A&M 2:06.52 2:08.87 qB
r:+0.68 29.66 1:02.13 (32.47)
1:35.00 (32.87) 2:08.87 (33.87)
6 Kersten Dirrane SR South Carolina 2:12.67 2:08.98 qB
r:+0.71 29.53 1:01.98 (32.45)
1:35.21 (33.23) 2:08.98 (33.77)
7 Jorie Caneta SR Texas A&M 2:08.91 2:09.24 qB
r:+0.72 28.97 1:01.53 (32.56)
1:34.87 (33.34) 2:09.24 (34.37)
8 Albury Higgs SO South Carolina 2:14.33 2:09.46 qB
r:+0.77 29.33 1:02.29 (32.96)
1:35.35 (33.06) 2:09.46 (34.11)
The Texas A&M men sit in second place in the team standings but have yet to record an individual victory. That could change in the final individual event of the meet as Mauro Castillo Luna posted the top time in the men’s 200 breast prelims at 1:52.84. That time is the fastest in the country this season.
Florida’s Mark Szaranek took second in 1:53.40, and Texas A&M’s Jonathan Tybur was third in 1:53.56. Both of those times also rank among the top five nationally.
Georgia’s James Guest took fourth in 1:54.21, ahead of Texas A&M’s Austin Van Overdam (1:54.45), South Carolina’s Nils WichGlasen (1:54.60), Florida’s Ross Palazzo (1:54.95) and Texas A&M’s Tanner Olson (1:54.98.
Event 39 Men 200 Yard Breaststroke
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US Open: O 1:47.91 3/25/2017 Will Licon, Texas
NCAA: N 1:47.91 3/25/2017 Will Licon, Texas
American: M 1:47.91 3/25/2017 Will Licon, Texas
SEC Meet: S 1:51.58 2/21/2015 Nic Fink, Georgia
Pool Record: P 1:51.40 3/28/2009 Neil Versfeld, UGA
1:52.94 A
1:59.79 B
Name Year School Seed Prelims
==================================================================
=== Preliminaries ===
1 Mauro Castillo SR Texas A&M 1:54.14 1:52.84 qA
r:+0.65 26.09 54.81 (28.72)
1:23.49 (28.68) 1:52.84 (29.35)
2 Mark Szaranek SR Florida 1:55.75 1:53.40 qB
r:+0.73 25.54 54.08 (28.54)
1:23.52 (29.44) 1:53.40 (29.88)
3 Jonathan Tybur SR Texas A&M 1:54.56 1:53.56 qB
r:+0.73 25.81 54.89 (29.08)
1:24.01 (29.12) 1:53.56 (29.55)
4 James Guest JR Georgia 1:53.46 1:54.21 qB
r:+0.67 25.74 54.59 (28.85)
1:24.15 (29.56) 1:54.21 (30.06)
5 Austin Van Over JR Texas A&M 1:56.60 1:54.45 qB
r:+0.66 25.86 54.63 (28.77)
1:24.00 (29.37) 1:54.45 (30.45)
6 Nils Wich-Glase SR South Carolina 1:54.84 1:54.60 qB
r:+0.69 25.42 54.22 (28.80)
1:24.01 (29.79) 1:54.60 (30.59)
7 Ross Palazzo JR Florida 1:59.87 1:54.95 qB
r:+0.73 26.05 55.05 (29.00)
1:24.81 (29.76) 1:54.95 (30.14)
8 Tanner Olson FR Texas A&M 1:55.65 1:54.98 qB
r:+0.71 26.03 55.11 (29.08)
1:24.89 (29.78) 1:54.98 (30.09)
