Vols’ 200 Free Relay Shatters NCAA Record, Spink & Crooks Defend Titles on Day 3 of SECs

Vols’ 200 Free Relay Shatters NCAA Record, Spink & Crooks Defend Titles on Day 3 of SECs

February 19, 2025 | Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving, Men's Swimming & Diving

Wednesday Results Thursday Prelims Heat Sheet

ATHENS, Ga. – The Tennessee men's 200 free relay shattered an NCAA record, and the Vols and Lady Vols combined to win five medals, including three gold, on day three of the SEC Championships.

The lineup of Jordan Crooks, Gui Caribe, Lamar Taylor and Nikoli Blackman clocked a staggering time of 1:12.80 to blow past the previous record of 1:13.35 held by Florida. Crooks led things off with a time of 17.96, and Caribe followed up with second-fastest split in the field at 18.04. Taylor kept the momentum going with an 18.25 split, and Blackman anchored the final stretch with an 18.55 effort to claim the Vols' first SEC title in the event since 2001.

Sprint freestyle success would be a theme all night, as the Vols and Lady Vols combined to win the final four heats of the 50 free. Camille Spink defended her title by clocking a personal-best effort of 21.23, the second-fastest time in program history. She became the first SEC swimmer to win to back-to-back championships in the event since former Lady Vol Erika Brown did it three times from 2018-20.

In the men's event, Crooks blasted a 17.85 to breeze past the field, improving his school record in the event. With the victory, he became the first swimmer in SEC history to win four straight titles in the 50 free and is just the 10th athlete to achieve the feat in any event.

Caribe brought home bronze in the race, clocking an 18.42 mark for the No. 2 time in school history. Taylor won the B final behind the No. 3 effort in program history at 18.82 followed by Blackman, who posted the No. 5 time in school history during prelims (19.05), in 13th. Micah Chambers won the C final with the seventh-fastest time (19.23) in program history, while Pedro Sansone took 21st.

The Lady Vol 200 free relay podiumed for the 13th time in the last 14 seasons to kick things off for the night. The squad of Spink, Josephine Fuller, Jillian Crooks and Amber Myers threw down a time of 1:26.49 to bring home the bronze and notch the second-best time in school history.

Notables

In total, 20 Vols and Lady Vols competed in Wednesday's finals with a combined six A finalists, seven B finalists and seven C finalists. Three school records fell and 11 new top-10 times in school history were set.
Ella Jansen improved her own school record in the 500 free, clocking a 4:34.27 mark to win the B final.
In the women's 200 IM, Sara Stotler (1:54.56) and Josephine Fuller (1:54.91) took fourth and fifth in the event. Stotler's time was the fifth-fastest in school history. In the B final, Emily Brown threw down the No. 6 time on the Lady Vol leaderboards at 1:55.24 to finish 10th. Brooklyn Douthwright placed 17th in the event, winning the C final.
Four Lady Vols competed in the women's 500 free, as Kate McCarville had the top finish, taking eighth in the A final. Julia Mrozinski joined Jansen in the B final, touching the wall in 11th. Lauren Wetherell rounded things out in 24th.
Lynae Shorter led the way on women's 3-meter diving, punching her ticket to the B final and placing 13th overall with a score of 283.45. It's the second top-16 finish of her career at SECs, and she improved 10 spots from her performance last year in the event.
In the women's 50 free, Jillian Crooks placed 11th, Mona McSharry took 18th and Amber Myers finished 23rd.
Björn Kammann placed 21st in the men's 200 IM.
According to SwimSwam, Lamar Taylor is the first swimmer in NCAA history to break an NCAA record in the same event at the Division I and Division II levels. Taylor was a six-time national champion at Henderson State before joining Tennessee.

Women's Team Rankings
1. Texas - 677
2. Tennessee - 381
3. Florida - 369
4. Georgia - 322.5
5. South Carolina - 273
6. Texas A&M - 268
7. LSU - 248
8. Alabama - 236
9. Auburn - 180.5
10. Missouri - 177
11. Kentucky - 163
12. Arkansas - 135
13. Vanderbilt - 86

Men's Team Rankings
1. Texas - 505
2. Florida - 421.5
3. Tennessee - 327.5
4. Georgia - 309
5. Texas A&M - 264
6. LSU - 237
7. Alabama - 225
8. Auburn - 199
9. Kentucky - 176
10. South Carolina - 152
11. Missouri - 128

Men's Medal Count
1. 50 Free – Jordan Crooks (17.85)
1. 200 Free Relay – Jordan Crooks, Gui Caribe, Lamar Taylor, Nikoli Blackman (1:12.80) – NCAA RECORD
1. 200 Medley Relay – Lamar Taylor, Kevin Houseman, Gui Caribe, Jordan Crooks (1:20.22)
3. 50 Free – Gui Caribe (18.42)
3. 3-Meter – Bennett Greene (416.85)

Women's Medal Count
1. 50 Free – Camille Spink (21.23)
1. 800 Free Relay – Brooklyn Douthwright, Camille Spink, Julia Mrozinski, Ella Jansen (6:49.83)
2. 200 Medley Relay – Josephine Fuller, McKenzie Siroky, Sara Stotler, Mona McSharry (1:34.27)
3. 200 Free Relay – Camille Spink, Josephine Fuller, Jillian Crooks, Amber Myers (1:26.49)

Top-10 Times/Scores
1. 50 Free – Jordan Crooks (17.85)
1. 500 Free – Ella Jansen (4:34.27)
1. 200 Free Relay – Jordan Crooks, Gui Caribe, Lamar Taylor, Nikoli Blackman (1:12.80)
1. 800 Free Relay – Brooklyn Douthwright, Camille Spink, Julia Mrozinski, Ella Jansen (6:49.83)
1. 200 Medley Relay – Lamar Taylor, Kevin Houseman, Gui Caribe, Jordan Crooks (1:20.22)
2. 50 Free – Camille Spink (21.23)
2. 50 Free – Gui Caribe (18.42)
2. 200 Free Relay – Camille Spink, Josephine Fuller, Jillian Crooks, Amber Myers (1:26.49)
2. 200 Medley Relay – Josephine Fuller, McKenzie Siroky, Sara Stotler, Mona McSharry (1:34.27)
3. 50 Free – Lamar Taylor (18.82)
4. 800 Free Relay – Nikoli Blackman, Björn Kammann, Martin Espernberger, Joaquin Vargas (6:17.91)
5. 50 Free – Nikoli Blackman (19.05)
5. 200 IM – Sara Stotler (1:54.56)
6. 200 IM – Emily Brown (1:55.24)
7. 50 Free – Micah Chambers (19.23)