Swimming & Diving to Compete in 2026 SEC Championship – UK Athletics

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky swimming and diving program will journey to Knoxville, Tenn for the 2025 Southeastern Conference Championship, which is held on the Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center from Feb. 16-21.

Last season, the Wildcat males completed ninth and the ladies, eleventh. Levi Sandidge took house silver as a junior within the 1650 freestyle, whereas a handful of different Wildcats cracked the highest 5, ten, and A finals.

Sandidge appears to steer the lads’s workforce along with his SEC Championship expertise, having received each medal within the 1650 freestyle race. Sandidge now ranks No. 2 within the SEC within the 1650 free and No. 18 within the 500 free. Carson Hick additionally comes into the championship with numerous private bests and expertise, making giant waves since this time final yr. Finishing prime 5 alongside Sandidge within the 1650 free the previous two years, Hick comes into the championship at No. 20 within the 500 freestyle within the SEC, not having swam the complete 1650 free in competitors but this season.
Ryan Merani, one other senior, is a multi-time SEC A-Finalist and NCAA Qualifier. Devin Naoroz is coming off a scorching meet with improved occasions in opposition to Cincinnati a few weeks again.

Adomas Gatulis can also be one to maintain your eyes on, as he has dominated the breaststroke occasions all through the season and enters his second SEC Championship. Additionally, there are fairly a number of freshmen that must be enjoyable to observe over the subsequent week. The two-time SEC Freshman of the Week and quickest sprinter in Kentucky swimming historical past, Falemana Tuufui, is among the many prime of the rivals throughout the convention. After breaking his personal program document within the 50 free 4 occasions, Tuufui is ranked No. 10 within the 50 free and No. 25 within the 100 free. Lysander Osman, who’s tied with Naoroz for this system document 100 again time, is one other freshman to observe.

The girls’s workforce leans on senior Grace Frericks who was a three-event scorer final yr on the SEC Championship. Another senior, Fernanda De Goeij, has been scorching this season and appears to make large waves on the SEC Championship as soon as once more. The breaststroke duo of Olivia Stewart and Sarah Anne Shaffer look to compete for the Wildcats, pushing them to a robust end on the championship.

On the boards, sophomore Avery Giese comes into the convention championship with one SEC Diver of the Week award beneath her belt, naming her amongst a few of the finest within the convention already. She reached a remaining in her freshman yr, and appears to make use of that have to propel the ladies’s rating this week.

The Wildcats are in an amazing place for fulfillment within the upcoming week in Tennessee, hoping to come back away with new private bests, faculty data, and extra. To learn additional details about the 2026 SEC Swimming and Diving Championship, try the championship central web page here.

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