COLUMBIA, Mo. – The No. 5 University of Florida swimming and diving team will enter postseason competition this week at the 2021 Southeastern Conference Championships from Feb. 23-26 at the Mizzou Aquatics Center in Columbia, Mo.
The Gators head into this year’s competition with the opportunity to extend its championship title streak to nine in a row, dating back to the 2013 season.
The four-day event will begin on Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. ET with time trials. At 6 p.m., the Gators compete in their first events of the SEC Championships starting off with the 200 Medley Relay and the 800 Free Relay.
For the remainder of the week, prelims will start at 11 a.m. ET, with finals competition beginning at 6 p.m. ET.
Both sessions throughout all four days of competition can be viewed on SEC Network +.
Additional information throughout the week can be found at championship central<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__mutigers.com_feature_SECChampionships&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=4IgQ5eMCGP9ELrfT_JDzCYG_IYlXM1kcOLJN3XXmsec&s=5m2ot2wj5Dz83vFmETEOAvcfnWEcKkDRmzhRI7qsbQs&e= >.
Regular Season Review
During the 2020-21 regular season, Florida complied an overall record of 2-1, and a conference mark of 1-1.
In the first meet of the year against Georgia, The Gators got handed their first and only loss of the regular season.
Florida picked up a total of five individual victories in the season opener, as well squeezing out the top time in the final relay of the meet. Robert Finke<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D13946&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=4IgQ5eMCGP9ELrfT_JDzCYG_IYlXM1kcOLJN3XXmsec&s=YhF29kmLvHJgpq8ksHuRCIKnP3WUuNxZFBypmJsVWGA&e= >, Trey Freeman<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D13948&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=4IgQ5eMCGP9ELrfT_JDzCYG_IYlXM1kcOLJN3XXmsec&s=-LIKbaugexBFk-HXaD2pHV__fKEqG8IK4smSWaCB_pQ&e= > and Kieran Smith<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D13968&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=4IgQ5eMCGP9ELrfT_JDzCYG_IYlXM1kcOLJN3XXmsec&s=cLhVOKzLiXHQ3IFUF-LmKRWj0Mt19rBA8WoMLJgPG3c&e= > all posted the nation’s fastest time in their event wins.
At the Auburn Fall Invitation, Robert Finke<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D13946&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=4IgQ5eMCGP9ELrfT_JDzCYG_IYlXM1kcOLJN3XXmsec&s=YhF29kmLvHJgpq8ksHuRCIKnP3WUuNxZFBypmJsVWGA&e= > raced out to a huge 1,650 free victory. The American record holder in the event would blast a mile swim of 14:34.27, earning an automatic NCAA
Championship qualification by meeting the A-standard in the event.
Brennan Gravley<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D13951&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=4IgQ5eMCGP9ELrfT_JDzCYG_IYlXM1kcOLJN3XXmsec&s=jiWONYw9Ddl-ylu27tS7L9vS1IrRM9-jncJO50RYy_0&e= >, John VanDeusen<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D13972&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=4IgQ5eMCGP9ELrfT_JDzCYG_IYlXM1kcOLJN3XXmsec&s=8PfDuk6HSDeZ_zAHPC_BIDXQuUTfVVmKB31ltXw_kqw&e= > and Caleb Kravitz<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D13958&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=4IgQ5eMCGP9ELrfT_JDzCYG_IYlXM1kcOLJN3XXmsec&s=_OrIdVPqYodCfVXWigouVLZk_KttVHycDSeqzNBu8qY&e= > all took the next three spots behind Finke in B-cut fashion. Amro Al-Wir<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D13938&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=4IgQ5eMCGP9ELrfT_JDzCYG_IYlXM1kcOLJN3XXmsec&s=jJcRDJbPpx607BTQiT3ktXLg3dw4uog_z5Fj1S4s31Y&e= > earned a B-cut with his second-place nod behind Vargas, finishing with a swim of 1:57.63 in the 200 breast.
In the Gators last regular season meet they faced Auburn for the second time this season. UF won nine of 16 events and produced several more top-three performances and B-cut times.
Championship History
The 2021 Southeastern Conference Championships marks the 80th conference competition, dating back to 1937. The Gators would win the inaugural title that season before claiming the next four championships.
Florida leads the SEC with 41 championship titles, doubling their closest competitor, Auburn (18). The Gators and Tigers have taken the conference crown 59 of 79 years.
In total, UF has won 25 SEC Male Swimmer of the Year awards and has garnered four SEC Diver of the Year selections. Florida coaches have been named Coach of the Year 28 times, with the last coming last season as Anthony Nesty<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_coaches.aspx-3Frc-3D1110&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=4IgQ5eMCGP9ELrfT_JDzCYG_IYlXM1kcOLJN3XXmsec&s=h35bvIzA3Wo04nIGIYpXpRQjc7xvqpy8NNmSfX3L154&e= > earned the honor in his second season at the helm of the program. Additionally, Florida diving coaches have earned Coach of the Year honors eight times throughout program history.
Last Year SEC’s Flashback
Last year at the SEC Championships, Florida won its 41th conference title (eight in a row) with 1,193 points over the five days of competition in Auburn, Ala..
The Gators, who would edge out Texas A&M by 219 points, clinched five event titles at the championships (four individual and one relay).
Smith would take home a pair of individual titles in the 500 free and 400 IM, while Finke took home the 1650 free title.
On the first day of competition, Florida would earn their eighth-consecutive 800 free relay victory.
SEC Championship Schedule
Tuesday Feb. 23, 11 a.m. ET: Time Trials
Tuesday Feb. 23, 6 p.m. ET: Finals: 200 Medley Relay, 800 Free Relay
Wednesday Feb. 24, 11 a.m. ET: Prelims: 500 Free, 200 IM, 50 Free,
Wednesday Feb. 24, 7 p.m. ET: Finals: 500 Free, 200 IM, 50 Free, 200 Free Relay
Thursday Feb. 25, 11 a.m. ET: Prelims: 400 IM, 100 Fly, 200 Free, 100 Breast, 100 Back
Thursday Feb. 25, 7 p.m. ET: Finals: 400 IM, 100 Fly, 200 Free, 100 Breast, 100 Back, 400 Medley Relay
Friday Feb. 26, 11 a.m. ET: Prelims: 200 Back, 100 Free, 200 Breast, 200 Fly, 1650 Free
Friday Feb. 26, 7 p.m. ET: Finals: 200 Back, 100 Free, 200 Breast, 200 Fly, 1650 Free, 400 Free Relay
