SEC Championships
- Tuesday, February 15- Saturday February 19, 2022
- Jones Aquatics Center, Knoxville, Tenn. (Eastern Time Zone)
- Defending Champion: Men- Florida (9x), Women- Kentucky (1x)
- Live Results
- Live Video
- Championship Central
- Psych Sheets
The SEC has released its pre-cut psych sheets for the 2022 conference championship meet, which will be hosted by Tennessee from February 15-19.
As is tradition in the nation’s deepest swimming conference, the psych sheets provide as little information to the public as possible, with swimmers intentionally over-entered in races they’re not going to swim.
Florida, historically the worst offender of over-entering, has maintained that status by entering NCAA Record holder Kieran Smith in 9 events (including the 200 fly and 100 free, which he hasn’t raced yet this season).
The Missouri Tigers historically are one of the few teams that have been truer-to-expectations on these entries, and they have given us some of the few valuable nuggets that can be gleaned from them.
The versatile Jack Dahlgren will swim the 200 free (#4 seed), 100 back (#7 seed), and 200 back (#1 seed) at this meet. That means he won’t swim the 50 free (ranked 6th in the SEC this season) or 100 free (ranked 4th in the SEC this season) at this meet.
Dahlgren has been on a tear this season, swimming multiple best times in multiple events at multiple meets, including new personal bests at dual meets or other non-taper events. He has been a best time in the 100 free at four different meets this season (and, in fact, in four straight flat-start 100 free swims).
Last year, he ranked 4th for the Tigers at SECs by scoring 58 individual points; this year, that total projects to be over 80.
Another noteworthy entry for the Missouri men is Ben Patton. The hyper-versatile junior is entered in the 200 IM (#6 seed), 100 breast (#3 seed), and 200 breast (#3 seed). That means he won’t swim the 100 fly, where he ranks 6th in the SEC this season.
While not a huge surprise, given that this is his regular event lineup at big meets, he’s good enough in the 100 fly to at least give the Missouri coaches a reason to think about it.
The only other swimmer ranked in the top 10 in an event in the conference this season who is not entered in that event is Tennessee’s star freshman Ellen Walshe.
While she does have a healthy event lineup of 5 possible races, the 200 free, where she is the third-best swimmer in the SEC so far this season.
Her remaining entries are the 200 IM (#1 seed), 400 IM (#2 seed), 100 fly (#1 seed), 200 fly (#1 seed), and 100 free (#9 seed).
While the 100 free is not really a better event for Walshe than the 200 free, this is about timing: she has no other entries on the final day of the meet, so if something causes her to miss a day or two earlier in the meet, maybe a late clearance of COVID-19 protocols), it gives her a swim for the final day of the meet.
SEC teams are allowed to enter 22 athletes at the SEC Championships, with swimmers and divers counting as the same number of athletes. Each athlete can swim a maximum of 7 total events, with no more than 3 of those being individual events.
At the conference level, it rarely makes sense, from a points perspective, for an athlete to swim 5 relays and 2 individual events, so most swimmers will compete in 3 individual races.
Teams have until before each prelims session to make scratches.
Where is Gerry Quinn though? He swam at midseason and was pretty close to his PBs. If he’s not with Florida at NCs, that’s a hit to the relays at the very least.
I mean is it? Medleys are
Chaney/Hillis/Friese/Davis (Smith for 400).
Free relays are Friese, Davis, Smith, Chaney
800 relay: Smith, Finke, Freeman, Cancel.
I guess the 800 might be marginally worse, but UF will be fine
My guess is Mestre over Cancel
Can I speak to a manager?
I think Elise Bauer is gonna go sub 16
I see Sates in 100/200/500 free, 100/200 fly and 200/400 IM.
My guess will be the 2free and 2IM (his WJ events) and maybe 2fly… all on different days. Exited to see him start his college swimming career …
Some tough decisions to be made in Knoxville for the Lady Vols. 40 athletes entered, 5 divers and 35 swimmers. I’m not really familiar with all of our divers, but of the 35 swimmers 25 are projected to score before scratches.
15-A finalists
7-B finalists
3-C finalists
Likely some familiar names left on the bench :/ I guess a good problem to have, but still a bummer!
Deleted
It is the downside to having a large and deep team. There are going to be some tough meetings held over the next few days, particularly on the women’s side. Heartbreaking for those that don’t make the cut, especially since the meet is in Knoxville. Non-SEC team swimmers will not be allowed on deck and don’t get to go to team hotel or celebrate on deck ( fingers crossed!).
Enough about swimming, tell us where the Fortnite clash between Florida and NC State is being streamed. Give the people what they want!
I miss when auburn was really good
Same. But there’s confidence Wocho get can the program back. He knew what it took to get Auburn to where they were, and his results after only 1 year are promising.
hosted by Auburn? Or Tennessee?
Knoxville
Tennessee
I commented on the wrong thing…ugh