Gator Men Claim 10th-Straight SEC Championship
This is just the third time an SEC program has reached at least 10 consecutive titles; Women’s team finishes fifth with 905 points
Results<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_documents_2022_2_19_SEC-5FSaturday-5FFinals-5FResults.pdf&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=4hjgHaclcET1Z1YWPtBWElhhqI9EAHshlJbDfWoIqhOChqtdHoXuhoVa73NdI34e&s=eZyDlpp2vJ9k5MnEdZh0y7u39b5a6zJHf6ciC1TzPt0&e= > | Day 5 Prelim Recap<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_news_2022_2_19_mens-2Dswimming-2Ddiving-2Dgators-2Dsend-2D15-2Dto-2Dfinals-2Don-2Dfinal-2Dday-2Dof-2Dsec-2Dchampionships.aspx&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=4hjgHaclcET1Z1YWPtBWElhhqI9EAHshlJbDfWoIqhOChqtdHoXuhoVa73NdI34e&s=vz7LjTgRupne1KJmtggA2dGbbHcMCYIWb5XdbbAKg90&e= > | Meet Notes<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_documents_2022_2_15_SEC-5FChampionships-5FNotes.pdf&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=4hjgHaclcET1Z1YWPtBWElhhqI9EAHshlJbDfWoIqhOChqtdHoXuhoVa73NdI34e&s=-FocPV6EkJLEMz-4I5xwfUyEF7JiLoGxNhoBUA2_lwo&e= > | Championship Central<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__utsports.com_sports_2022_1_25_2022-2Dsec-2Dswimming-2Ddiving-2Dchampionships-2Dcentral.aspx&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=4hjgHaclcET1Z1YWPtBWElhhqI9EAHshlJbDfWoIqhOChqtdHoXuhoVa73NdI34e&s=1G2g63FAJCdXPRot_-RA5cqHAJI2YMeChYbEE6wSok8&e= >
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Ten-Peat.
The No. 5 Florida men notched their 10th-consecutive SEC Championship on Saturday night, scoring 1414 points. This title gave the men their 43rd SEC Championship in program history, the second-most by any SEC team across all sports. This title gave Florida its 253rd SEC championship and the Gators have now won a title in 44 consecutive seasons – the league’s longest active streak.
This is just the third time in the history of the SEC Championships that a team has reached 10 consecutive titles (Florida – 13 from 1955-1968; Auburn – 16 from 1996-2012).
The women finished fifth in the event, with 905 points. They had a total of 32 finalists throughout the meet, including nine A-Final qualifiers and five women finishing in the Top-15 of the 1650 free. Florida’s 400 free relay team of Talia Bates, Ekaterina Nikonova, Micayla Cronk and Katie Mack won bronze for the Gators on Saturday night en route to a school record.
The Gators racked up a total of six medals on Saturday night, including three gold medals.
The Gator women racked up 94 points in the 1650 free, with five of the eight swimmers scoring points. Tylor Mathieu led the way for Florida, touching the wall seventh overall with a time of 16:13.39. Elise Bauer (16:15.18), Anna Auld (16:16.87) and Leah DeGeorge (16:17.75) followed closely behind Mathieu, finishing 10th, 11th and 12th, respectively.
Leah Braswell posted a 15th place finish with a swim of 16:20.71, while Kathleen Golding rounded out the point scorers in 21st, registering a swim of 16:27.95. Nikki Miller and Lain Shahboz finished back-to-back at 26/27, with swims of 16:37.70 and 16:39.60, respectively.
The Gator men absolutely dominated the 1650 free, with Trey Freeman earning gold after a stellar last 150 to take the lead with a swim of 14:39.74. That time marks the second fastest time in the nation this year behind teammate Bobby Finke and moves him into fourth place in Florida’s record book.
Right behind Freeman was Watson, who posted a time of 14:40.45 to earn bronze – his first individual medal of the championships. That swim pushed him to fifth in program history. The Gators then swept 5th-9th place to rack up an astounding 173 points: Oskar Lindholm (14:50.78), Alfonso Mestre (14:53.32), Nicholas Hernandez-Tome (14:54.46), Jack VanDeusen (14:55.57) and Brennan Gravley (14:58.86).
Rosie Zavaros led the way for Florida in the 200 back, touching the wall in 10th place overall with a time of 1:54.56. Her sister, Mabel Zavaros, finished fourth in the heat and 12th overall with a swim of 1:54.95 to round out the Gators in the 200 back.
Over on the men’s side, Kieran Smith won his third individual medal of the meet after claiming the SEC title in the 200 back with a time of 1:39.51. That mark is the third-fastest time in the nation this season and puts him fourth in the Florida record book.
In the women’s 100 free, Talia Bates and Ekaterina Nikonova picked up huge points for the Gators in the B-Final. The duo finished 1-2 in the final and 9th and 10th overall with times of 48.17 (Bates) and 48.43 (Nikonova).
The men earned another medal during the 100 free, with Adam Chaney taking home his third individual medal of the meet with a bronze (41.83). Macguire McDuff touched the wall fourth in the A-Final to rack up 26 points with a swim of 42.24, while Eric Friese posted a sixth-place finish after his swim of 42.65.
Alberto Mestre rounded out the Gators in the 100 free, touching the wall first in the B-Final with a time of 42.55.
Amro Al-Wir (1:53.90) and Kevin Vargas (1:54.45) each put up huge swims in the A-Final of the 200 breaststroke, finishing fourth and fifth, respectively. Al-Wir’s time of 1:53.90 put him seventh in Florida’s record books.
Peter Bretzmann finished 12th overall in the 200 breast with his performance of 1:55.58, while Julian Smith rounded out the Gators in the C-Final, posting a time of 1:55.82 – good for 19th overall.
In the women’s platform, Maha Amer and Elettra Neroni finished sixth and seventh, respectively to garner 47 points for the Gators. Amer posted a score of 260.15, while Neroni registered a mark of 232.00.
The women’s 400 free relay team of Talia Bates, Ekaterina Nikonova, Micayla Cronk and Katie Mack swam their way to the bronze medal and a school record with a time of 3:12.37.
On the men’s side, the Gators secured their fifth and final relay win with a time of 2:46.91 from Macguire McDuff, Adam Chaney, Eric Friese and Kieran Smith.
2022 SEC Gold Medalists
* 400 free relay – McDuff, Chaney, Friese, K. Smith – 2:46.91
* Pool record
* Kieran Smith – 200 back – 1:39.51
* Trey Freeman – 1650 free – 14:39.74
* Adam Chaney – 100 back – 44.51
* Fastest time in nation
* First Gator to win the event since 2011
* Broke Ryan Lochte’s school record of 44.60 that has held since the 2005 season
* 400 Medley Relay – Chaney, Al-Wir, Friese, K. Smith – 3:02.61
* Pool record
* Kieran Smith – 400 IM – 3:39.33
* Men’s 200 freestyle relay (Chaney, Friese, Smith, McDuff) – 1:15.18
* SEC Meet record, pool record
* Men’s 200 Medley Relay (Chaney, Hillis, Friese, Mestre) – 1:22.06
* Men’s 800 Freestyle Relay (Smith, Freeman, Lindholm, Mestre) – 6:08.00
* SEC Meet record
2022 SEC Silver Medalists
* Eric Friese – 100 fly – 44.86
* Kieran Smith – 500 free – 4:10.15
2022 SEC Bronze Medalists
* 400 free relay – Bates, Nikonova, Cronk, Mack – 3:12.37
* Fastest time in program history
* Adam Chaney – 100 free – 41.83
* Tyler Watson – 1650 free – 14:40.45
* Trey Freeman – 200 free – 1:32.20
* Adam Chaney – 50 free – 18.81
What They’re Saying
Head Coach Anthony Nesty on how it feels to lead the Gators to their 10th-straight title
“As an alumni and now as a coach, it has been my lifelong dream to be the coach at Florida and it came through a couple of years ago. 10 in a row. We are going to enjoy this, but like you said, we have a lot more work to do.”
Final Standings – Men
1. Florida – 1414
2. Tennessee – 938
3. Alabama – 938
4. Georgia – 919
5. Texas A&M – 865.5
6. Auburn – 827.5
7. Missouri – 716.5
8. Kentucky – 600
9. LSU – 505
10. South Carolina – 417.5
Final Standings – Women
1. Tennessee – 1313.5
2. Kentucky – 1043
3. Alabama – 1038
4. Georgia – 986
5. Florida – 905
6. Texas A&M – 625
7. Auburn – 584
8. LSU – 541
9. Missouri – 485.5
10. South Carolina – 460
11. Arkansas – 397
12. Vanderbilt – 123
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