University of Tennessee Athletics
Saturday Night at the SECs
February 20, 2016 | Swimming & Diving
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Tennessee is wrapping up the final session of the SEC championships with six swimmers and one diver in championship finals.
The Tennessee women are in a tight race for the team title entering the final day. They are in second place, 19 points behind Texas A&M with big point potential coming tonight. The Vols have four swimmers in the championship heat of the 100-yard freestyle, plus five swimmers in the B and C heats. Rachel Rubadue enters the platform final as the No. 1 seed.
On the men's side, senior Sean Lehane will go for his third-consecutive 200 backstroke title. He'll enter tonight tied for the fastest prelim time. Freshman Ethan Browne is in his first career A final, repping the Vols in the 200 breaststroke.
WOMEN'S 200 BACKSTROKE
Who's Swimming Tonight?
B Final: Amanda Carner (1:54.41)
C Final: Lauren Driscoll (1:56.00)
Seniors Amanda Carner and Lauren Driscoll both made the finals in their final SEC individual events. Carner neared her school-record time, swimming in 1:54.41 to record the 10th-fastest time in the field. Driscoll had the 18th-fastest time in the field.
MEN'S 200 BACKSTROKE
Who's Swimming Tonight?
A Final: Sean Lehane (1:40.89)
B Final: Joey Reilman (1:43.54)
Two-time defending champion Sean Lehane is where he wants to be: back in the middle lane of the 200 backstroke finals. He tied with Joe Patching for the fastest preliminary time in 1:40.89. Freshman Joey Reilman uncorked his best college time in 1:43.54 to make the B final. It is the seventh-fastest time in program history.
WOMEN'S 100 FREESTYLE
Who's Swimming Tonight?
A Final: Kira Toussaint (47.78), Faith Johnson (48.26), Harper Bruens (48.51), Madeline Banic (48.70)
C Final: Alex Cleveland (49.77)
Just like the 50 freestyle, the Tennessee women will have four qualifiers in the championship final of the 100 freestyle. Kira Toussaint swam the second-fastest time in program history (47.78), good for the No. 2 qualifying time. Faith Johnson and Madeline Banic also swam career-best and UT top-10 times to qualify. Harper Bruens is in her second career 100 freestyle final. Alex Cleveland also swam into the C final as the 23rd qualifier.
MEN'S 100 FREESTYLE
Who's Swimming Tonight?
B Final: Ryan Coetzee (43.26), Kyle DeCoursey (43.97)
The Vols have a pair of underclassmen in the B final. Sophomore Ryan Coetzee swam the ninth-fastest prelim time of 43.26, just missing the championship final. Kyle DeCoursey grabbed the final spot in the B final.
WOMEN'S 200 BREASTSTROKE
Who's Swimming Tonight?
B Final: Colleen Callahan (2:12.78)
C Final: Hannah Holman (2:13.42)
Colleen Callahan swam 2:12.78 in the prelims, good for the 14th-fastest time in the prelims. Hannah Holman swam 2:13.42, the 18th-fastest time to make the C final.
MEN'S 200 BREASTSTROKE
Who's Swimming Tonight?
A Final: Ethan Browne (1:55.86)
C Final: Matthew Dunphy (1:57.91), Ross Dibblin (1:58.03)
Freshman Ethan Browne is in his first career championship final, tying for sixth in the prelims in a career-best time of 1:55.86. He was also in the consolation finals of the 100 breaststroke. Matthew Dunphy and Ross Dibblin are both racing another B final, having also been in the 100 breaststroke final.
WOMEN'S PLATFORM DIVING
Who's Diving Tonight?
A Final: Rachel Rubadue (300.45)
Freshman Rachel Rubadue is in her third championship final of the meet, posting the top platform qualifying score of 300.45, her second time to score above 300. She already has one medal at this meet, having placed third on the 3-meter springboard. Fellow freshman Emily Pelletier had several new dives in her list and scored big points for the Vols by finishing 10th overall with a career-best score of 232.05.
