Defending SEC Runner-Up Maxime Rooney Scratches 200 Free

2019 SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Tuesday, February 19 – Saturday, February 23
• Gabrielsen Natatorium, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia (Eastern Time Zone)
• Defending Champion: Texas A&M Women (3x), Florida men (6x)(results)
• Live results
• Live Video – SEC Network
• Championship Central
• Day 2 Recap
• Day 3 heat sheets

Last year’s SEC runner-up in the men’s 200 yard freestyle, University of Florida junior Maxime Rooney, has scratched the event on day 3 of the 2019 championship meet. Instead, he’ll favor the 100 fly on Thursday morning.

Rooney would have been the 4th seed in prelims of the 200 free, as compared to the 6th seed in the 100 fly. The 200 free was Rooney’s best event coming out of high school, and was one in which he broke a National High School Record in 2016. His 1:33.57 likely already has him qualified for NCAAs in that event at well, so don’t be surprised if he switches back for nationals.

The Gators are stacked with 200 freestylers. They’ve got 4 of the 9 best in the conference so far this season. Rooney isn’t the only one that they scratched though: freshman Kieran Smith is also out of the 200 free (he would have been the 8th seed in 1:35.06). He’ll swim the 400 IM as the 7th seed instead.

Other Day 3 Scratches:

• Florida freshman Mabel Zavaros has dropped the 400 IM, where she was the 7th seed in 4:10.22 and the 200 free where she was the 18th seed. That gives her an off day before swimming the 200 fly on Friday and the 200 back on Saturday to finish her meet.
• After her SEC Record on Wednesday evening in the 200 IM, Meghan Small will swim the 200 free, and not the 100 fly, on Thursday. She would have been the 4th seed in the 100 fly, but instead is just the 25th seed in the 200 free, leaving her out of the circle seeded heats. If she could use her 1:43.31 relay leadoff split from Tuesday, however, which is her lifetime best, she’d be the top seed, so an A final is still very much in play.
• Arkansas’ Anna Hopkin will swim the 200 free as the 5th seed instead of the 100 fly as the 8th seed on Thursday. She’s already qualified for the NCAA Championships.
• Texas A&M freshman Shaine Casas has dropped the 100 fly, where he was the 7th seed – the lowest seed of his 4 possible events. After swimming the 200 IM on Wednesday, he’ll finish his meet with the 100 back and 200 back. His NCAA qualification is likely secured thanks to his 1:43.2 in the 200 IM yesterday.
• Georgia’s Dakota Luther has dropped the 200 free as the 11th seed (which would have been top 10 after other swimmers’ scratches) to focus on the 100 fly (7th seed). She’ll finish her meet individually on Friday with the 200 fly.