Vols Finish Third at Men’s SEC Swimming Championships, Epitropov Wins Gold & Sets School Record

Tuesday, February 23

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SEC Championships - Men's Swimming

Vols Finish Third at Men’s SEC Swimming Championships, Epitropov Wins Gold & Sets School Record

February 26, 2021 | Swimming & Diving

2021 Men's SEC Complete Results

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The final night of the 2021 Men's SEC Swimming and Diving Championships proved eventful for the Volunteers as they staked their claim to a third-place finish in the championship standings, while Lyubomir Epitropov won gold in the 200 breaststroke in school-record time.

UT closed out the SEC Championships with 850.5 points, finishing third overall. It is the second time in the last three seasons the Vols have claimed a top-3 spot. Tennessee also finished third in 2019.

It is the 33rd time in school history the Vols have finished top-3 at the SEC Swimming & Diving Championships.

"We're a really young team but we've got some fantastic leadership," associate head coach Lance Asti said. "Both the young guys and the older really bought in and the resiliency of this team is the difference maker. I couldn't be happier with the way they kept battling back. I really like the future of this team. We're really young, but the best is yet to come and it's really easy to see us continuing to move up in the SEC."

Tennessee finished the final night with two more medals as Epitropov and Michael Houlie shared the 200 breaststroke medal stand. Epitropov swam a 1:54.34 in prelims and entered the 200 breast final as the second overall qualifier behind Georgia's Jack Dalmolin.

The Veliko Turnovo, Bulgaria native, proceeded to crush his time from the morning as he threw down a lifetime-best 1:52.69 to win the SEC title. Epitropov's time set a new school-record, breaking the old program-best time of 1:53.58 set by Matthew Dunphy in 2019.

"The team needed a boost," Asti said. "Some other teams were doing a good job of coming at us hard and we needed a lift. The timing was just perfect. To have two guys up on the podium at the same time representing the coonskin cap was great. Having an SEC champion is really special and to do it in such a situation where the team really needed it for team success makes it even more special."

Houlie joined Epitropov on the podium as he finished third in the 200 breast to take home bronze. The Cape Town, South Africa native, swam a lifetime-best in the event, touching in 1:53.97. His time is the third-fastest in program history.

The bronze is the second breaststroke medal for Houlie at these SEC Championships, following his silver medal performance in the 100 breast on Thursday.

1650 FREESTYLE
The final night got started for Tennessee with Rafael Ponce de Leon Castilla swimming the 1650 free. The freshman posted a personal-best time of 15:22.47 as he finished 16th overall.

200 BACKSTROKE
UT did not return any swimmers for finals in the 200 back, but during prelims Benjamin Blevins-Boor went a personal-best time of 1:45.59.

100 FREESTYLE
In the 100 freestyle, Seth Thompson-Bailey and Scott Scanlon swam in the B-final. Thompson-Bailey placed fifth in the heat in 43.37, with Scanlon seventh at 43.38. In the C-final, Nolan Briggs was seventh in a time of 44.16.

In prelims, a pair of Vols swam personal-best times as Micah Chambers and Will Jackson posted times of 43.96 and 44.56, respectively.

200 BREASTSTROKE
While Epitropov and Houlie stole the headlines for the 200 breaststroke group, junior Jarel Dillard and redshirt junior Parker Kaye had themselves a solid day as well. Dillard swam a lifetime-best in prelims, touching the wall in 1:55.54. His time is the ninth-fastest in school history.

Dillard went 1:56.05 to finish fifth in the B-final.

Kaye set a personal-best time in prelims with a 1:57.86. He returned for the C-final, swimming 1:58.45 to place eighth in the heat.

200 BUTTERFLY
Tennessee returned three swimmers for the 200 fly, placing one in each of the three finals heats. Kayky Mota swam in the A-final, finishing seventh in 1:44.05. In the B-final, freshman Jordan Tiffany placed sixth with a time of 1:45.75.

Joel Giraudeau rounded out the trio in the C-final, putting together a time of 1:45.65. His time ties his personal-best set earlier this season.

During the morning session, Luke Brice turned in a lifetime-best swim in the 200 fly, getting to the wall in 1:50.03.

400 FREE RELAY
The Vols quartet of Chambers, Houlie, Thompson-Bailey and Scanlon capped the 2021 Men's SEC Swimming & Diving Championships for UT, finishing ninth in the 400 free relay with a time of 2:55.59.

VOL MEDAL WINNERS
Lyubomir Epitropov – 200 Breast – Gold

Bryden Hattie – Platform – Gold

Michael Houlie – 100 Breast – Silver

Michael Houlie – 200 Breast – Bronze

VOL TIME DROP – NIGHT FOUR
Rafael Ponce de Leon Castilla – 1650 Free – 15:22.47 (PR)

Benjamin Blevins-Boor – 200 Back – 1:45.59 (PR)

Micah Chambers – 100 Free – 43.96 (PR)

Will Jackson – 100 Free – 44.56 (PR)

Lyubomir Epitropov – 200 Breast – 1:52.69 (PR) – School Record

Michael Houlie – 200 Breast – 1:53.97 (PR)

Jarel Dillard – 200 Breast – 1:55.54 (PR)

Parker Kaye – 200 Breast – 1:57.86 (PR)

Luke Brice – 200 Fly – 1:50.03 (PR)