University of Tennessee Athletics
SEC Championships: Inside Swimming
February 14, 2012 | Men's Swimming & Diving
Feb. 14, 2012
Tennessee is hosting the SEC Swimming and Diving Championships for the first time at Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center beginning Wednesday morning.
The conference meet starts off at 10 a.m. with preliminaries in the 200-yard medley and 800 freestyle relays. While the first day is dedicated to diving and relays, here is a look at the stroke-by-stroke glance at the Vols' swimmers heading into the conference meet:
THE FREESTYLE
In the sprint relays, Tennessee has been steadily improving as the season has progressed. Junior captain Ed Walsh clocked an NCAA B-Cut time of 19.97 seconds in the 50 in the final meet of the season against Florida at home. Sophomore Oystein Hetland was not far behind with a B-Cut in 20.16. Both are top-10 times in the conference this season.
Sophomore Samuel Rairden, who was a surprise All-American in the 100 backstroke last season, has been the Vols' standout swimmer in the 100 and 200 freestyle. He swam an NCAA B-cut time of 1:37.01 in the 200 freestyle, the fourth-fastest time in the SEC this season. He ranks seventh in the 100.
Sophomore Sam Petersen has been Tennessee's primary distance swimmer this season with an NCAA B-cut of 15:22.23 in the 1650 freestyle. Senior Carl Jones should not be forgotten either. In 2008, he swam the second-fastest 1650 in program history in 15:05.53.
THE BACKSTROKE
As in years past, senior Ricky Henahan leads the way in the backstroke events. In the conference standings, he is tied for the second-fastest time in the 100 backstroke (47.91) and ninth in the 200 backstroke (1:47.28).
Rairden is also entered in the 100 and 200 backstroke events, races he excelled at the end of his freshman year.
THE BUTTERFLY
Sophomore Oystein Hetland will be the Vols' top performer in the 100 butterfly. He's swam the eighth-fastest time in 48.51. Freshmen Jacob Thulin and Ryan McFall are also scheduled to compete. McFall is also on the list to compete in the 200 butterfly.
THE BREASTSTROKE
Fresh off his return from the Pan-Am Games, sophomore Renato Prono completed the race of his career, swimming the 100 breaststroke at Louisville in an NCAA B-Cut in 54.28, the second-fastest time in the SEC this year. Breaststroke veteran Jake Epperson will join him.
Epperson finished third in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke last season. He already has an NCAA B-Cut in the 100 in a time of 55.14.
THE IM
Freshman Tristan Slater has been the Vols' top performer in the individual medleys so far this season. He's posted a time of 1:49.83 in the 200 IM and a 3:55.23 in the 400 IM. Slater will be joined by Epperson in the 200 IM.
