UF wins 2023 SEC Swimming & Diving Championships

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (February 18, 2023) - The Florida men's and women's programs have won the 2023 SEC Swimming & Diving Championships, held at Texas A&M's Rec Center Natatorium.

Florida earned its 18th overall SEC title in women's swimming & diving, the first title since 2009, with a final score of 1255 points. Tennessee finished second with 950.5 points. The Gators won their 11th consecutive and 44th overall title in men's swimming & diving with a total score of 1488.5 points. Auburn claimed second place with 1089.5 points.

The Commissioner's Trophy, which is awarded to the student-athletes who score the most individual points at the championships, went to Maggie MacNeil of LSU on the women's side and Jordan Crooks and Bryden Hattie of Tennessee and Baylor Nelson of Texas A&M on the men's side. MacNeil and Crooks were also named the SEC Swimmers of the Meet. Hattie and Brooke Schultz of South Carolina were selected as the SEC Divers of the Meet.

Kensey McMahon of Alabama won her second SEC title in the women's 1650 free, posting a top time of 15:47.02. Tennessee earned the next two podium spots as Aly Breslin finished second with a time of 15:52.71 and Kristen Stege took third with a time of 15:53.47.

Levi Sandidge of Kentucky became the first Wildcat in program history to win the men's 1650 free, touching the wall first with a time of 14:31.47. Jake Magahey of Georgia finished second with a time of 14:38.45, while Tyler Watson of Florida earned a third-place finish with a time of 14:38.50.

In the women's 200 back, Ella Varga of LSU became the first Tiger in program history to win the gold, posting a top time of 1:51.74. Second place went to Josephine Fuller of Tennessee with a time of 1:52.21, and Caitlin Brooks of Kentucky took third with a time of 1:52.38.

Bradley Dunham of Georgia touched the wall first in the men's 200 back with a time of 1:39.27. Nelson was second with a time of 1:39.79, followed by Jack Dahlgren of Missouri with a time of 1:39.80.

MacNeil set the pool record with her win in the women's 100 free (46.27). Kalia Antonoiu of Alabama finished second (47.46), and Ekate Nikonova of Florida placed third (47.97).

Crooks finished first in the men's 100 free with a time of 41.19. He was followed by Josh Liendo of Florida (41.24) and Guilherme Santos of Tennessee (41.55).

Mona McSharry of Tennessee recorded the third fastest time in the nation to capture the women's 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:05.11. Zoie Hartman of Georgia took second place with a time of 2:05.48, and Avery Wiseman of Alabama finished third with a time of 2:05.85.

Aleks Savickas of Florida set the SEC and SEC Meet record in his win for the men's 200 breaststroke with a time of 1:50.08. Fellow Gator Dillon Hillis finished second with a time of 1:51.14, while Lyubomir Epitropov of Tennessee took third with a time of 1:51.83.

Hattie won the men's platform with a final score of 457.10. Manny Vazquez Bas of South Carolina came in second place with a score of 432.75, and Leonard Garcia of Florida took third place with a score of 418.65.

LSU captured the gold in the women's 400 free relay with Katarina Milutinovich, MacNeil, Miaela De Villiers and Megan Barnes posting a combined time of 3:10.57. Second place went to Florida (3:10.83) and third place went to Arkansas (3:13.60).

To close out the meet, Tennessee finished first in the men's 400 free relay, as Guilherme Santos, Crooks, Bjoern Kamman and Aleksey Tarasenko recorded a pool record time of 2:46.25. Florida was runner up with a time of 2:46.42, and Georgia took third place with a time of 2:49.06.