Tennessee Swimming & Diving: 2022 SEC Championships Daily Updates

February 15, 2022 | Swimming & Diving

The 2022 SEC Swimming & Diving Championships are February 15-19 at Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center. Each day, this page will be updated with Tennessee Swimming & Diving's results.

Saturday, February 19

Lady Vols Win SEC Championship, Vols Earn Highest Finish Since 2001

For the second time in three years, the Tennessee Lady Vols were crowned the SEC Champions, capping off a dominant performance throughout the entire week. On the other side, the Volunteers rode an incredible week to a second-place finish, marking the team's best conference standing since 2001.

"The way this meet went is an incredibly compelling story," Director of Swimming and Diving Matt Kredich said. "For the women, it's making such a strong statement day after day after day. Never getting caught up in the results and always in the process. We had some incredible performances come out of that. With the men, we knew we would be in a great team race but that doesn't really shape up until the last couple days. Tonight was just electric. Knowing we were racing for an historic finish for us, the first top-2 finish for us in over 20 years, that got everybody energized. To have it come down to the last relay is kind of magical. We were all talking with the Alabama coaches, this is what it's all about. To have it come down to one-on-one in the breaststrokes. We each had one guy in each of the heats and they all battled really well, and it ended up coming down to the relay and out guys on the relay responded like champions. Destroyed the school record and put up one of the top times in the country and did enough to get second. It's a storybook evening."

The Lady Vols opened the night with an electric performance, as junior Kristen Stege defended her SEC title in the 1650 free with a program-record time of 15:42.37, making her the first Lady Vol to win the event in back-to-back years since Kathy Hoffman in 1990-91. Stege's time marked the fastest in the nation this season, and her 1000 free split of 9:27.69 also set a new program record.

Sophomore Mona McSharry picked her second individual medal of the week, taking third in the 200 breast with a 2:07.29 mark. The Lady Vol 400 free relay of Julia Mrozinski, Ellen Walshe, Jasmine Rumley and Tjasa Pintar capped off the night with a silver medal in the 400 free relay, touching the wall in 3:11.38, the second-best time in UT history.

On the men's side, freshman star Jordan Crooks broke his third program record of the week, bringing home the silver medal in the 100 free with a 41.64 mark. Senior Aleksey Tarasenko finished seventh in the event with a 42.86 time, while Björn Kammann (17th) and Seth Thompson-Bailey (19th) also competed in the finals.

In the 200 backstroke, sophomore Harrison Lierz had the best time in the C final at 1:42.43, which ranked eighth in program history. Tennessee scored 18 points between three swimmers in the mile as well, with Rafael Ponce de Leon leading the way in 17th.

In the 200 breast, Jarel Dillard finished eighth overall followed by Brett Champlin in ninth and Michael Houlie in 18th in the final individual event of the night. Entering the event, UT was tied for third with Alabama at 833 facing an 18-point deficit for second. Thanks to 49 combined points, Tennessee entered the 400 free relay down just two points from second.

The Vols would not be denied. The relay began with a program-record 41.44 split from Crooks, besting his mark from just moments earlier and making him the fastest freshman in the 100 free in NCAA Division I history. Micah Chambers, Kammann and Tarasenko sealed the deal by finishing with a 2:48.46 time, the fastest in program history, and bringing home the silver medal to finish in a tie for second with Alabama at 938.

For the week, the men's team brought home 10 medals, with one gold, five silver and four bronze. The group saw 46 swimmers and divers advance to the finals, including 16 A final performances. A total of 21 top-10 marks in the record books were set, including three individual events by Crooks, who exploded onto the national scene with his electric performances all week that featured him winning seven total medals.

The duo of Kammann and Tarasenko bolstered UT's relays and roster in a big way throughout the week, despite both swimmers only having been enrolled since January. Kammann swam the backstroke leg of both bronze medal winning medley relays. The 400 free relay marked his third medal of the meet, while it became Tarasenko's second after he also anchored the 200 free relay lineup that won silver.

A huge boost for the men's team came from the consistent performances by the divers all week. With four men making the SEC roster, every diver that competed in an event advanced to the finals. Bryden Hattie led the way, advancing to two A finals and one B final. The sophomore won silver on the platform, medaling for the second year in a row, and he also brought home the bronze on the 3-meter.

Between the two programs, Tennessee won 27 medals, broke 11 school records, set 47 now top-10 times in school history and saw a combined 99 finals-qualifying performances throughout the week to remember.

Day 5 Standings
Women
1. Tennessee - 1313.5
2. Kentucky - 1043
3. Alabama - 1038
4. Georgia - 986
5. Florida - 905
6. Texas A&M - 625
7. Auburn - 584
8. LSU - 541
9. Missouri - 485.5
10. South Carolina - 460
11. Arkansas - 397
12. Vanderbilt - 123

Men
1. Florida - 1414
T2. Tennessee - 938
T2. Alabama - 938
4. Georgia - 919
5. Texas A&M - 865.5
6. Auburn - 827.5
7. Missouri - 716.5
8. Kentucky - 600
9. LSU - 505
10. South Carolina - 417.5

Associate Head Coach Rich Murphy on the emotions of earning the best finish since 2001 on the men's side and winning an SEC title for the women…
"Tennessee swimming & diving has a very rich and proud tradition. That is a weight that we feel every day, when we are fortunate enough to come in this building. Having met some of the guys that came before the more recent teams, there is an obligation that we have to give our all. This men's team left everything in pool this week. As far as the Lady Vols are concerned, they were dynamite. What a pleasure to work with these men and women. Matt Kredich is the epitome of class, hard work and dedication. He is an awesome man, and he sets the example that we all pursue."

On the energy around the pool during the men's 400 free relay…
"That relay exceeded any of the coaching staff's expectations. There was no doubt about who we needed to have on that relay. I turned in the card this morning after the 100 freestyle. We talked about it as a staff and had no hesitations about who we were going to go with. It was just an amazing team performance. Every man and every woman on the rosters contributed to our success. This was for the alumni and the coaches who came before us and put their blood, sweat and tears into this program. I am so pleased that our men and women honored all their hard work with the efforts we had in the pool this week."

Associate Head Coach Ashley Jahn on being SEC Champions again…
"It feels awesome. I am so proud of this entire team. This women's team has done a phenomenal job this entire year, and it's a big statement for our swimming & diving program when they earn the coonskin caps, and this year, the women's team earned the caps and were awarded them this morning. That was really special heading into this last day."

On how bright the future is for the program…
"It's really bright. This is such a great group. They are incredibly competitive, compassionate and supportive. They want to win championships. They love the process, and they are a joy to coach. I know I speak for the rest of the stay when I say that we are really proud of them and are blessed to get to coach them every day. I can't wait to see what the future holds for the entire team."

Diving Coach Dave Parrington on the women's diving team throughout the week…
"Grace Cable and Kara Holt did a wonderful job all week. It could have gone a little bit better today, they had a little bit of a tough one. Still, they contributed to the team standings which was great. Just being at home to win this championship, I have now been a part of three SEC Championships – two women and one men's back in 1996 – just a wonderful, wonderful thing. Like I say to the team, winning is living."

On the men's contributions during the SEC Championships…
"I like to think the divers had a huge part of what we were able to do this week. I am very proud of their effort. Each one contributed mightily and just awfully proud."

Friday, February 18

Three School Records Fall, McSharry Wins Gold on Day 4 of SECs

Tennessee swimming & diving saw three program records broken and five medals won during the penultimate day of the SEC Championships.

Sophomore Mona McSharry led the way for the Lady Vols on the night, becoming an SEC Champion in the 100 breast after throwing down a 57.50 mark. It was the first SEC gold medal of her career after winning silver in the same event last season. She became the first Tennessee women's swimmer to win the event since Molly Hannis achieved the feat in 2012.

The A final of the men's 100 breast featured three Volunteers. Senior Jarel Dillard broke the school record in the event with a 51.23 time to finish second, earning the first SEC medal of his career. Senior Michael Houlie tied for fourth with a 52.03 mark, while junior Brett Champlin placed eighth (52.79). During the prelims, Champlin threw down a 52.46 time to move into eighth in the UT record books.

Sophomore Bryden Hattie won his second medal of the week, bringing home the silver on the platform behind a 422.60 mark. Sophomore Dillon Richardson took eighth in the event with a career-high 352.25 score, which ranked ninth in the Volunteer record books.

The night ended with a bang, as both Tennessee 400 medley relays shattered program records in the event. On the women's side, Josephine Fuller, McSharry, Ellen Walshe and Tjasa Pintar touched the wall in 3:26.88 to win silver in the event. The men's lineup featured Björn Kammann, Dillard, Kayky Mota and Jordan Crooks becoming the first Volunteer 400 medley relay to medal since 2013 thanks to a 3:04.74 time.

Competing in the B final of the women's 100 breast, senior Alexandra Gebel posted a time of 59.91, which ranked eighth in program history, to place 12th. Pintar came in 16th overall.

Freshman Sara Stotler kicked off the night with a 1:55.80 time to take fifth in the 200 fly. During prelims, she threw down a 1:54.60 mark, which ranked sixth in the Lady Vol record books. Fellow freshman Kate McCarville came in 16th. The men's 100 fly was highlighted by Mota coming in sixth behind a 1:43.36 swim.

In the women's 100 back, Fuller threw down the fifth-fastest time in program history with a 52.00 mark, placing sixth overall. Junior Elle Caldow finished 13th in the event followed by senior Bayley Stewart in 21st.

The Vols posted a pair of top-10 times in program history in the 100 back on the day, as Kammann (46.10) and sophomore Harrison Lierz (46.69) moved into sixth and eighth, respectively. Kammann, whose time was later bested with a 46.03 split in the 400 medley relay, placed sixth overall, while Lierz came in 13th.

Day 4 Standings
Women
1. Tennessee – 972.5
2. Georgia – 754
3. Kentucky – 712
4. Alabama – 685
5. Florida – 616
6. Texas A&M – 510
7. Auburn – 402
8. LSU – 375
9. Missouri – 372.5
10. South Carolina – 357
11. Arkansas – 292
12. Vanderbilt - 93

Men
1. Florida – 976
2. Tennessee – 739
3. Alabama – 711
4. Georgia – 708
5. Texas A&M – 636.5
6. Auburn – 624.5
7. Missouri – 589.5
8. Kentucky – 462
9. LSU – 422
10. South Carolina – 336.5

Associate Head Coach Ashley Jahn's thoughts on the day…
"This was a really awesome day. It is tough to describe it until you start looking individually at the events. Taking a look at the 200 butterfly, the people that we had come back tonight in finals are all newcomers to our program. It is a big deal to score points as a freshman at SEC's. Kate who was in the B final, was her third B final of the meet with an incredible weeks of performance. With Summer Smith and Sara Stotler—it was Sara's third final of the meet—also an incredible performance. Also, it was Summer's second A final of the meet. I am really proud of those three. We had two veterans miss the final, but those were great solid performances and I am really proud of the 200 fly group as a whole. Taking a look at the 100 backstrokes, we had three people make it back and two of them were new to the program. Josephine Fuller in her first A final at SECs, that is a huge deal. Elle Caldow who was really great, just missed coming back in her first event yesterday but rallied and made it back in the B final of the 100 backstroke tonight. Bayley Stewart is a graduate transfer, a veteran performer, and had a great performance scoring points for the team in the C final. When I take a look at the 100 breaststroke event, that was the power pack two with three entries in that. All three entries scored and two veteran performers that made it back to the B final with Tjasa and Alex. Mona with the win in the A final tonight was really special to watch."

On Mona McSharry's presence and energy brought to the team on the night…
"Mona continues to bring a level of competitive intensity that is just awesome for our entire team and all of our female athletes. She is curious and continues to look for ways to get better. She holds herself to an extremely high standard. I think the thing that she has done well this meet is taking a deep breath stepping back and taking a look at the whole picture and enjoying the competition. It was something that came a little bit easier last year. This year, she has set even higher standards and goals for herself. It is awesome to watch her in the first championship meet of this season to start to realize some of those goals."

On ending the night with the 400 medley relay breaking the school record…
"Man, that relay was awesome. With Josephine on the third 100 backstroke of the day, she was a freshman leading off a relay in a really intense field. This is one of the most competitive fields in the country, and she handled it like a pro. She gave us a great leadoff and put Mona in a position to do what she does, which is being composed and race. One step at a time getting closer to the competition. Ellen's 100 fly splitting 49 on that was just an incredible performance. She is going to keep getting better at that 100 fly, so that is exciting. And for Tjasa, a veteran anchor for us on more relays than I can count, to split 47.6 on that was awesome."

Associate Head Coach Rich Murphy on Jarel Dillard's performance and the Vols' 400 medley relay...
"We are thrilled for Jarel Dillard, and our breaststroke men. Jarel is an incredible story in terms of year-over-year improvement. Props to our strength coach, Greg Adamson, for his great work as an outstanding coach and mentor for our men. Greg's fingerprints are all over the success we've had at this meet. The medley relay is a thrilling way to end an outstanding day. I'm so happy for Kayky Mota and his role in this relay over time to be the captain of tonight's relay. This relay was a team achievement, and we look forward to being relentless tomorrow morning."

Mona McSharry on her emotions after winning the 100 breast and being able to do it at her home pool…
"Definitely some nerves, but I think they helped push me and made sure that I got my hands on the wall first. I think it's just unbelievable. I mean winning is great but being able to do it in a pool that you're in every morning and every evening and with so many teammates standing around is just unbelievable."

Diving Coach Dave Parrington on the men's platform performance…
"Dillon had his breakout performance today. After a rough couple of days on the springboards, I think a day off for him was very beneficial. He got up and just competed with fire today in the prelims, where you have to get it done. Tried to give away a little bit of his last dive, but he had a nice little pad so that was great. I am really proud of Dillon. Bryden was on fire in the prelims and did a great job. The judging was good, but tough, and very consistent, so that was great. In the final tonight, with Dillon, we threw a big Forward 4 1/2 Somersault Tuck, scoring 75 points, which is great. We would have loved to defend that championship with Bryden on the platform, but he lost to a great champion. Juan Hernandez is just a wonderful guy and a heck of a diver and very seasoned. I am very proud of our guys, we put a lot of points on the board for the team, and we will take this and move on. And not to mention Jacob Reasor, who finished 13th, he is just getting better all the time. He has just got to be able to find a way to put it all together at a meet. He keeps on showing signs, I am just waiting for that breakout performance and that is not far away."

Thursday, February 17

Walshe Joins Elite Company After Winning Two Golds on Day 3 of SECs

Freshman sensation Ellen Walshe put together one of the best performances in SEC Championship history Thursday night, winning the 400 IM with a school-record time of 4:01.53 and then following that up with a victory in the 100 fly (50.34) less than 45 minutes later. With the double on day three and her gold in the 200 IM on Wednesday, the Dublin, Ireland, native swept her individual events for the meet.

Walshe became the first swimmer in SEC history to win the 100 fly, 200 IM and 400 IM during the same meet. One of just three Lady Vols to ever win three individual events in a single SEC Championship, Walshe became the first freshman to ever achieve the feat. She joined Erika Brown and Christine Magnuson in the accomplishment.

Walshe's 400 IM marked the fastest time by a freshman in SEC history and ranked as the seventh-best time by a freshman in NCAA history.

Fellow freshman star Jordan Crooks continued his incredible week by breaking the school record in the 100 fly with a 45.33 time to finish third overall in the event.

Freshman Brooklyn Douthwright put together a strong performance in the women's 200 free, bringing home the silver medal behind a time of 1:43.45. The mark ranked sixth in Lady Vol history. Fellow freshman Julia Mrozinski finished fifth in the event, while senior Tjasa Pintar came in seventh.

Just behind Walshe in the 100 fly was senior Trude Rothrock, winning the bronze medal behind a 51.26 mark to sixth in UT history. It was the first individual SEC medal of her career. Freshman Sara Stotler took sixth in the event with a personal-best 52.22 time.

Freshman Björn Kammann finished fifth in the event with a time of 45.57, while senior Kayky Mota placed sixth with a 45.83 mark. Sophomore Harrison Lierz took ninth in the event with a 45.90 time. Kammann posted the fourth-fastest time in program history, while Lierz's mark ranked tied for fifth. Luke Brice, who finished 11th overall with the 10th-best time in program history at 46.34, and Micah Chambers (16th) also earned spots in the B Final.

During the 200 free, Aleksey Tarasenko threw down the eighth-fastest time in program history at 1:34.37. He finished 14th overall in the event.

In the women's 400 IM, freshman Summer Smith posted the ninth-fastest time in UT history with a 4:09.97 to place sixth overall in the event. Senior Alexis Yager came in eighth.

On the women's 3-meter springboard, senior Grace Cable finished seventh overall thanks to a season-best score of 331.45.

Day 3 Standings
Women
1. Tennessee – 758.5
2. Georgia – 537
3. Florida – 520
4. Kentucky – 496
5. Alabama – 485
6. Texas A&M – 363
7. LSU – 314
8. South Carolina – 272
9. Missouri – 271.5
10. Auburn – 258
11. Arkansas – 170
12. Vanderbilt - 90

Men
1. Florida – 744
2. Georgia – 496
3. Tennessee – 483.5
4. Alabama – 481
5. Texas A&M – 457.5
6. Auburn – 414.5
7. Missouri – 344
8. Kentucky – 322
9. LSU – 305
10. South Carolina – 221.5

Associate Head Coach Ashley Jahn on the progression of Ellen Walshe and her success…
"Ellen has been really professional about everything, including her process and competitiveness. She knew exactly what she needed to do to prepare. She did a great job communicating that to her teammates and coaches so that we could support her on this mission to win the 400 IM and 100 fly. She really did a phenomenal job with that, and it was great to watch her have success in a really competitive field. It is very exciting."

On 10 Lady Vols competing in the A finals on the night…
"Our men's and women's teams have been on a mission all year. That mission included performing in ways that give us opportunities to win championships. With SECs being our first championship meet, the women have come out every session with specific goals, and they have executed those really well. To have three A finalists in each individual swimming event and a diver on the board tonight was a phenomenal example of what the team said they wanted to do back in August. They have stuck to that mission and have set that standard for themselves, and they executed well tonight. The exciting part is that we have a supporting cast in B and C finals. A lot of people have not had their second event yet. Ellen is the only athlete who is done with her events, winning all three of her individual events, but everybody else has a lot of swims to go. We are excited to only be halfway through this meet and attack the next two days."

Associate Head Coach Rich Murphy on his overall thoughts for the day…
"A really fun night for the Vols and Lady Vols. We had another really competitive day, and I am thrilled with our fight. We talk about being selfless warriors, and today was a great effort for the team.

"We started with Gus Rothrock earning his first night swim at SECs; he's worked his tail off all year and has been a major point contributor all season long. The men's 100 fly was awesome. We had a school record broken and four guys were under 46 in the event. Harrison got us ignited with a 45.9 today, and it's his first day under 47 and 46. Luke Brice is the definition of a selfless warrior, and he went a massive lifetime best to get third in the B final. Luke has fought his way up from not going to SECs his first two years to a B final in his next two.

"Björn likely qualified for NCAAs today and is now fourth all time in program history, which is so impressive as a freshman. Kayky had a big contribution today in the A final and has done a great job mentoring this event group.

"We wrapped up with some really strong efforts in the men's 200 free. Aleksey Tarasenko went back to back best times and continues his outstanding racing. Seth Thompson-Bailey and Will Jackson continued their good work in the 200 free, and I am really excited for their 100 free. We are fired up for two more days of competing."

Diving Coach Dave Parrington on Grace Cable making it to the A finals…
"That was one tough prelims today. Kind of like the men's final the other night you saw the women up there in the prelims today with a high-quality field. Some people that did not dive as well from other teams a couple of days ago on the 1-meter stepped up their game tonight. Some people that we expected to be in the final the other day stepped up their game this afternoon and got into the final. Grace obviously made the 1-meter final, but for the first time in her career, she made the 3-meter final which was huge for her. She told me how badly she wanted to do that. Both her and Kara Holt in the prelims today, each one of them came to me with such determination and fire in their eyes and they got up and flat out competed. Unfortunately, Kara did not quite score, but I was really happy with how she competed against a great field. Grace in particular making the finals and finishing seventh, she dropped a few spots from prelims but improved her score. She is very happy, and I am incredibly proud of her."

Ellen Walshe on winning the 400 IM and 100 fly…
"The 400 IM was first and I wanted to try to break four minutes. It was 4:04 this morning and the fly was a little soft, so if I put a little bit more into that I wonder where I would get. I pushed it at the end and I got a personal best, so I'm happy with it.

"I really enjoy swimming the 100 fly, especially short course. I enjoy under water and we worked a lot on building my tempo a lot higher and it's definitely worked. It would have been nice under 50 seconds, but you're going to get what you're going to get when your legs are burning."

Wednesday, February 16

Crooks Posts Top Freshman Time Ever, UT Wins Three Golds on Day 2 of SECs

Three freshmen swimmers earned gold medals and two school records were shattered, as Tennessee swimming & diving had an impressive showing on day two of the SEC Championships.

Thanks to a combined 21 swimmers advancing to the finals, the Vols and Lady Vols won eight total medals and set 11 top-10 times in program history on the day.

Freshman Jordan Crooks had a day to remember, setting the program record in the 50 freestyle three times on the day. After breaking the record to earn the top seed out of qualifying, he then posted an 18.72 split during UT's silver medal winning 200 free relay. The George Town, Cayman Islands, native capped off the incredible day by winning gold with the nation-leading time of 18.53. He became the first Volunteer to win the event since 1996. His time makes him the fastest freshman ever and the fifth-fastest performer ever.

Senior Aleksey Tarasenko finished tied for 10th behind a mark of 19.47, which was tied for ninth in UT history.

In the women's 500 free, freshman Julia Mrozinski became the first Lady Vol ever to win the event and shattered the program record with a time of 4:35.95. Junior Kristen Stege medaled for the second year in a row, placing third behind a 4:38.50 mark. Sophomore Alyssa Breslin finished eighth overall in the event, while freshman Kate McCarville placed 10th. During prelims, Breslin threw down a personal-best 4:42.02 time to move into ninth in program history.

Freshman Ellen Walshe dominated the 200 IM with an impressive 1:52.97 time, which ranked second in Lady Vol history. Senior Alexis Yager finished in a tie for sixth, while freshman Sara Stotler came in eighth overall. Stotler had a strong prelim showing, recording the sixth-best time in program history with a 1:56.36 mark.

In the women's 50 free, Anna-Julia Kutsch (21.60) and Jasmine Rumley (21.81) brought home the silver and bronze medals. Kutsch's mark moved her into third all time in the UT record books, while Rumley boasts the program's fourth-best time. Mona McSharry placed 11th in the event.

Tennessee opened the night with a statement, winning silver in both the men's and women's 200 free relays. Crooks, Scott Scanlon, Nolan Briggs and Tarasenko threw down a time of 1:16.48, which ranked second in program history. The women's relay, consisting of Kutsch, McSharry, Rumley and Tjasa Pintar, posted the eighth-best time in the UT record books at 1:27.39.

Competing in the first meet of his college career, freshman Joaquin Vargas finished 11th in the men's 500 free behind a 4:17.54 time. The mark ranked him seventh in Tennessee history in the event.

Day 2 Standings
Women
1. Tennessee - 467.5
2. Georgia - 373
3. Alabama - 367
4. Kentucky - 299
5. Florida - 287
6. Texas A&M - 236
7. Auburn - 208
8. Missouri - 206.5
9. LSU - 202
10. South Carolina - 188
11. Arkansas - 163
12. Vanderbilt - 90

Men
1. Florida – 497
2. Texas A&M – 360
3. Alabama – 358
4. Tennessee – 338.5
5. Georgia – 308
6. Auburn – 307
T7. Kentucky – 277
T7. LSU – 277
9. Missouri – 269
10. South Carolina – 202.5

Associate Head Coach Ashley Jahn thoughts on the day…
"It was a really good day today and a lot of fun. The athletes brought great preparation and energy to this morning. They did a phenomenal job this morning so that they would have opportunities to get on the podium tonight. It was a lot of support and excitement. This team is on a mission and it is really exciting to see."

On the impact the newcomers have brought to the team so far…
"I think it is a testament to our team and how a part of the team and family they are made to feel from the moment they get to campus. It makes it possible and opens up doors for those performances. When someone feels like they are a part of the group when they are shown, told and supported that they can make an impact. It opens up opportunities, and I think that is what happened in this case. These young performers on our team have been led by an incredible group of older athletes or more seasoned Lady Vols and Vols. They are modeling what they see and believe about this team and they are doing it at a very high level."

On Julia Mrozinski setting the program record and becomes first Lady Vol ever to win it…
"I just think it is a great performance. I think she raced that exactly how she likes to race. It is her birthday so that is also a great birthday present for her. She really competed in the event in her comfort zone. She likes to be out and she did it in the right way against a really competitive field. She is a great competitor and it was just an awesome performance."

Associate Head Coach Rich Murphy on the men winning a pair of medals and the impact of the newcomers…
"Overall, we had a really thorough team effort tonight. Our men were competitive and the relay competitiveness spotlighted it. The relay was a ton of fun and something exciting to start off a great team night. Scott Scanlon has been a consistent performer for us and was again tonight. Nolan Briggs is as competitive as they come, and Aleksey Tarasenko has injected a fight that has made our team better. That's been impactful in the 50s today, last night's relay and the way he closed the relay tonight.

"Jordan Crooks led off our relay in another best time and continued his progress through the individual 50 which was a program record and another step in his learning process. His pursuit and absorption of feedback is exceptional and his humility is something we really appreciate.

"Joaquin Vargas amplified the relay momentum swimming in his first individual swims as a Vol today and went a sixth-best time in Vol history with his outstanding effort in the 500 tonight. We are very excited for his future."

Diving Coach Dave Parrington's thoughts on the day… "Kind of an up and down day and a little bit disappointing of course not having anybody in the evening final. It was certainly tough for me sitting there watching it. We still had some good things. We really got hit by the fourth round in the preliminaries, just had a bad round for us. Unfortunately, they weren't just sort of little misses that you can kind of come back from; they were bad misses. Certainly for both Bryden Hattie and Matthew Wade who were more in the hunt at that point. They had a lot of ground to make up, and Bryden, to his credit, suddenly made a valiant effort to get back when he just came up half a point short of making the final. Matt has been struggling a little bit coming back from Spain had a little bit of a back issue going on and just a little too much juice on his fourth dive. Dillon Richardson got off to a poor start but came back his last couple of rounds. Jacob Reasor was a little bit up and down, but we're hanging in there. We just need to learn from it and move forward."

On what he wants to see from women's performance Thursday… "I'd like to see much of what we saw on Tuesday from the women on the 3-meter tomorrow. I'd like see both of them get in a final, and to be honest with you, Kara Holt is not a favorite to make the final, so we'd love to see her get on the scoreboard. Grace Cable lets you make a run at making the final and then they all fly tomorrow night."

On Bryden Hattie refocusing… "Bryden is one of those guys who's got a short memory. Honestly a little disappointment, the night for him was really pretty good, but he was right there. He never used to see himself as a springboard diver, he does now, but maybe not yet as a 1-meter diver. I don't think it's going to have a whole lot of a negative effect on him at all. Having a day off tomorrow. Today was a tough day, bouncing back after a lot of emotional excitement yesterday, and maybe it was a little bit of that going on. I think he'll just brush it off and get back up on the tower. We'll get a light session in tomorrow. Keep them fresh and just go after it."

Tuesday, February 15

UT Wins Four Medals on Opening Night of SEC Championships

Tennessee swimming & diving brought home four medals and posted five top-10 times in program history during a strong start on the first day of the 2022 SEC Championships at Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center.

In the final event of the night for the women, Tennessee threw down the fastest time in the nation this season to win the 800 freestyle relay at 6:56.81. The performance by the lineup of Julia Mrozinski, Ellen Walshe, Trude Rothrock and Tjasa Pintar marked the third-best time in program history. Mrozinski's leadoff split of 1:43.21 was a new personal best and moved her into a tie for fourth in the Lady Vol record books.

The Lady Vols kicked off the 200 medley relay by bringing home the silver medal with a time of 1:34.63. That mark, which was posted by the lineup of Josephine Fuller, Mona McSharry, Walshe and Anna-Julia Kutsch, ranked second in program history.

On the men's side of the 200 medley relay, the lineup of Björn Kammann, Michael Houlie, Kayky Mota and Jordan Crooks threw down a mark of 1:23.35 to finish third. The time was the third-fastest in the Volunteer record books.

Sophomore Bryden Hattie won the second medal of his collegiate career, earning the bronze on the 3-meter springboard with a score of 414.00. Senior Matthew Wade finished fifth overall with a 380.30 mark.

After earning a spot in the women's 1-meter diving finals, senior Grace Cable finished fifth overall with a score of 290.65, which was a 20-point improvement from her prelim score.

The men's 800 free relay placed eighth with a 6:21.01 time, which was more than five seconds faster than its seed time. Made up by Seth Thompson-Bailey, Joaquin Vargas, Will Jackson and Aleksey Tarasenko, the lineup's mark ranked 10th in UT history.

Day 1 Standings
Women
1. Texas A&M - 155
2. LSU - 150
3. Kentucky - 148
4. Tennessee - 145
T5. South Carolina - 139
T5. Georgia - 139
7. Florida - 130
8. Alabama - 114
9. Auburn - 107
10. Missouri - 97
11. Arkansas - 78
12. Vanderbilt - 60

Men
1. Texas A&M - 156
2. Tennessee - 155
3. Kentucky - 153
4. LSU - 139
5. Alabama - 137
6. Florida - 133
7. Missouri - 122
8. Georgia - 114
9. South Carolina - 105
10. Auburn - 90

Associate Head Coach Ashley Jahn's thoughts on the performances…
"We had two really great relays tonight. I'm really proud of that 200 medley relay for getting us started off in the swimming event. To have the young people that we had on that relay, we had freshman leading off. Josephine did a great job just with her composure and preparation. She did really well, I'm proud of her. Then Mona had a great 50 breaststroke split. Another freshman in Ellen, swimming that fly leg. Having AJ (Kutsch) in her first year as a Lady Vol, that was really powerful and phenomenal relay. I'm really proud of them. Second in this conference is a great honor. Alabama put up a great fight, that's a phenomenal relay, and I really look forward to contesting that again at NCAAs."

On the freshmen starting and the seniors finishing the 800 free relay…
"Julia was really excited about the order of the relay. She was excited to lead off, which I love. Leading off is a great position, and that position can feel like it brings some weight because you're getting the rest of the relay started, and Julia was excited about it. She put us in a great position. Ellen taking over for her did a phenomenal job as well. The 200 freestyle short course yards is a relatively new event for her, and she executed that swim with a lot of professionalism. Most people watching wouldn't have known that she hasn't swam that race a lot. Trude, who has a lot of experience with 200 freestyles and the 800 free relay, threw down a veteran performance. Then Tjasa loves the anchor position. It's Tjasa's birthday today and what better way to celebrate your birthday than winning an SEC title, breaking a 10-year-old pool record and swimming the fastest time in the country this season."

Associate Head Coach Rich Murphy's thoughts on the day…
"I am really thrilled with our young guys tonight. Bryden Hattie is one of our leaders, and he and Matthew Wade did a really nice job getting the energy going with the diving. I think that helped us start the afternoon with a lot of confidence. I really want to give a lot of kudos to our newcomers; they were outstanding today. Our freshmen and mid-year guys really led in a lot of ways today. Björn was awesome leading off the relay. With Jordan, that was one of our fastest splits in program history on the end. I was really pleased with the composure and professionalism we saw in the racing from Joaquin Vargas and Aleksey Tarasenko in the 800 freestyle relay. Scoring all four divers was very significant and gave us a nice boost as I mentioned to start the day. It was great to see our newest Vols really contribute at their first SEC Championships. All in all, it was a good start and looking forward to having a great morning tomorrow."

On Jordan Crooks' anchor leg of the 200 medley relay…
"I think it is really a reflection of what we have seen in practice and throughout the year. It is another step in his progression. We are just thrilled with how we soaks up and sponges up the opportunities to learn and watch video to get better. He is really a student of his swimming and is curious about how to get better. We are trying to support that with the best of our ability and continue to challenge him to think big and continue to take the next step."

Diving Coach Dave Parrington's thoughts on diving setting the tone for the day…
"Today was pretty close to what I envisioned in my mind. Before talking about the ones who were in the final, Kara Holt was honestly not expected to score. She came within a few points from doing so, and that was a great start to the meet for her. Dillon Richardson was diving in his first SEC meet, and he showed some rookie moments but did some good stuff. Jacob Reasor really opened up and got things off the ground by hitting his first couple of dives and then everyone followed suit. In the men's prelims, Matthew Wade had to scrap in with a clutch dive in round five. He came through and got him over the hump and into the final. Bryden was consistent as a rock all day long. In the women's prelims, Grace had to hit a clutch dive to get into that final in the end and did so. That speaks to a lot of the type of training we have been doing leading into this meet. In the finals, Grace stepped up and moved up a couple of spots scoring great points for the team. I am very proud of her performance and competitiveness. In the men's 3-meter, what a battle that was and what a fantastic competition. Those guys held their own. Matt slipped up a little bit in his fifth round, which was the one he was so clutch on in the prelim, with a slight technical error. Bryden had a great performance. He is renowned as a platform diver, and his springboard has been getting steadily better and better and it showed tonight. He was third, and the two guys ahead of him were super seniors and the guy who was fourth was also a super senior. It says a whole lot. If things were to be normal, we would have been on top of the perch. Just very proud but we have to put that behind us and carry that ball forward."

Tjasa Pintar's thoughts on being part of the top 800 free relay and having the top time in the nation...
"It was really great, we had really good team energy from the beginning. It is awesome to have SECs at home. We have a good team, and we are really deep, so just really excited. We knew we could do really well, and we just stayed together, we competed, and it was definitely a team effort. I am glad for all of us. I had no idea. It's definitely great going into NCAAs. I know we can do even better in NCAAs. It is all just really exciting."