SEC Championships, Day 2: Hubert Kos Edges Will Modglin in Electric 100 Back Showdown
The first full finals session of the SEC Championships in Knoxville, Tenn., featured racing in the women’s and men’s 100 backstroke, 200 butterfly and 100 breaststroke along with men’s 3-meter diving.
A pair of reigning NCAA champions were in action on the men’s side: Hubert Kos raced against Texas teammate and American-record holder Will Modglin plus 2025 national runnerup Jonny Marshall in the 100 back while Luca Urlando highlighted the 200 fly. For the women, Campbell Stoll threw down the top time in the country in the 200 fly.
In the team competition, the Tennessee women have taken the lead with 377 points, followed closely by Texas (345) and Florida (340.5). The Texas men, meanwhile, are ahead of Florida by 21.5 points, 420.5 to 399, with Tennessee holding third (320.5).
Women - Team Rankings - Through Event 13 1. University of Tennessee 377 2. University of Texas 345 3. University of Florida 340.5 4. Auburn University 274.5 5. South Carolina, University of, 254.5 6. Louisiana State University 248 7. University of Alabama 238 8. Texas A&M University 211 9. Georgia, University of 201 10. Missouri 169.5 11. Kentucky, University of 132 12. University of Arkansas 89 13. Vanderbilt University 58
Men - Team Rankings - Through Event 14 1. University of Texas 420.5 2. University of Florida 399 3. University of Tennessee 320.5 4. Kentucky, University of 276 5. Georgia, University of 264 6. Auburn University 257 7. Louisiana State University 254 8. University of Alabama 195.5 9. Missouri 180 10. Texas A&M University 146.5 11. South Carolina, University of, 137
Women’s 100 Backstroke
A second member of the Crooks family has won an NCAA title while representing Tennessee. Jillian Crooks, younger sister of former star sprinter Jordan Crooks, pulled off a come-from-behind win in her home pool to kick off the session. Crooks was behind Alabama’s Emily Jones for most of the race, but she overtook the field coming home to score the win by five hundredths.
Crooks touched in 50.50, good for the seventh-ranked performance in the country this season. The mark was a huge jump from the 51.95 she swam for 12th place in the event last year. Jones came in second in 50.59 while LSU’s Zoe Carlos-Broc took third in 51.14.
Event 9 Women 100 Yard Backstroke
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NCAA: N 48.10 2/23/2024 Gretchen Walsh, Virginia
SEC: S 48.97 3/21/2025 Bella Sims, Florida
Meet: M 48.97 2/22/2025 Bella Sims, Florida
Pool: P 48.26 3/17/2023 Gretchen Walsh, Virginia
52.65 NC
Name Year School Prelims Finals Points
=========================================================================
=== Championship Final ===
1 Crooks, Jillian Tennessee-SE 51.24 50.50 NC 32
r:+0.57 11.92 24.45 (12.53)
37.45 (13.00) 50.50 (13.05)
2 Jones, Emily SR Alabama-SE 51.03 50.59 NC 28
r:+0.60 11.66 24.28 (12.62)
37.32 (13.04) 50.59 (13.27)
3 Carlos-Broc, Zo SO LSU-LA 51.49 51.14 NC 27
r:+0.56 12.00 24.57 (12.57)
37.89 (13.32) 51.14 (13.25)
4 Choate, Catie G JR FLOR-FL 51.38 51.36 NC 26
r:+0.72 11.97 24.54 (12.57)
37.88 (13.34) 51.36 (13.48)
5 Kern, Emma JR Texas 51.81 51.81 NC 25
r:+0.65 12.05 24.90 (12.85)
38.27 (13.37) 51.81 (13.54)
6 Hirai, Mizuki Tennessee-SE 51.70 51.82 NC 24
r:+0.57 12.10 24.90 (12.80)
38.33 (13.43) 51.82 (13.49)
7 Komoroczy, Lora SO Auburn-SE 52.00 51.97 NC 23
r:+0.50 11.82 24.56 (12.74)
38.02 (13.46) 51.97 (13.95)
8 Owens, Kaitlyn 5T Texas A&M-GU 51.62 51.99 NC 22
r:+0.67 11.78 24.33 (12.55)
37.79 (13.46) 51.99 (14.20)
Men’s 100 Backstroke
It’s rare to see the three fastest swimmers in history meet in conference championship final, but that’s what played out in the opening men’s individual race of the meet. Texas’ Hubert Kos and Florida’s Jonny Marshall were racing in short course yards for the first time since Kos beat Marshall by two hundredths to win the NCAA title last season, with both men under the existing NCAA and U.S. Open records. But on this occasion, the showdown came down to Kos and his Texas teammate Will Modglin, who broke the American record earlier this season.
Modglin had the most speed in the field, but Kos moved slightly ahead by the halfway point and extended the mark to 0.14 over the back half. Kos finished in 43.86, a hundredth quicker than he swam in prelims, while Modglin touched in 44.00. Modglin owns the country’s top performance in this event with the 43.26 he swam in November, while Kos now ranks second.
Georgia’s Ruard Van Renen, the third-place swimmer at the 2025 NCAA meet, came in third here in 44.56, one hundredth ahead of Marshall (44.57).
Event 10 Men 100 Yard Backstroke
=========================================================================
NCAA: N 43.20 3/28/2025 Hubert Kos, Texas
SEC: S 43.20 3/28/2025 Hubert Kos, Texas
Meet: M 43.73 2/20/2025 Jonny Marshall, Florida
Pool: P 44.07 12/5/2013 Nick Thorman, SwimMAC
46.29 NC
Name Year School Prelims Finals Points
=========================================================================
=== Championship Final ===
1 Kos, Hubert SR Texas 43.87 43.86PNC 32
r:+0.70 10.21 20.93 (10.72)
32.40 (11.47) 43.86 (11.46)
2 Modglin, Will C JR Texas 44.16 44.00PNC 28
r:+0.75 10.06 20.95 (10.89)
32.54 (11.59) 44.00 (11.46)
3 Van Renen, Ruar SR UGA-GA 44.81 44.56 NC 27
r:+0.56 10.34 21.40 (11.06)
32.82 (11.42) 44.56 (11.74)
4 Marshall, Jonny JR FLOR-FL 44.80 44.57 NC 26
r:+0.76 10.35 21.11 (10.76)
32.74 (11.63) 44.57 (11.83)
5 Saravia, Ulises Tennessee-SE 44.50 44.74 NC 25
r:+0.63 10.37 21.33 (10.96)
32.93 (11.60) 44.74 (11.81)
6 Osman, Lysander FR UK 44.87 44.76 NC 24
r:+0.66 10.38 21.47 (11.09)
33.02 (11.55) 44.76 (11.74)
7 Buff, Scotty JR FLOR-FL 45.23 44.85 NC 23
r:+0.66 10.49 21.66 (11.17)
33.13 (11.47) 44.85 (11.72)
8 Hagar, Tommy E JR Alabama-SE 45.26 45.23 NC 22
r:+0.71 10.63 21.80 (11.17)
33.54 (11.74) 45.23 (11.69)
Women’s 200 Butterfly
Texas has been the dominant team in the women’s 200 fly in recent seasons as Emma Sticklen has captured three consecutive national titles in the event. With Sticklen now graduated, the Longhorns have a new standout in Campbell Stoll. After a wire-to-wire SEC win, Stoll holds the top time in the country in the event. She finished in 1:50.60, dropping a full second from her previous best time of 1:51.64. In the national standings, Stoll moved ahead of Michigan’s Hannah Bellard, who went 1:50.72 last month.
Tennessee grabbed second and third here, with Emily Brown going 1:51.52 and Ella Jansen touching in 1:52.08. Brown moved up to fourth in the country while Jansen sits sixth. South Carolina’s Jordan Agliano was well back in fourth (1:53.80).
Event 11 Women 200 Yard Butterfly
=========================================================================
NCAA: N 1:49.11 3/22/2025 Emma Sticklen, Texas
SEC: S 1:49.11 3/22/2025 Emma Sticklin, Texas
Meet: M 1:49.17 2/22/2025 Emma Sticklin, Texas
Pool: P 1:49.95 3/18/2023 Emma Sticklen, Texas
1:57.11 NC
Name Year School Prelims Finals Points
=========================================================================
=== Championship Final ===
1 Stoll, Campbell JR Texas 1:53.36 1:50.60 NC 32
r:+0.65 24.24 51.89 (27.65)
1:20.40 (28.51) 1:50.60 (30.20)
2 Brown, Emily Tennessee-SE 1:53.49 1:51.52 NC 28
r:+0.70 24.45 52.55 (28.10)
1:21.29 (28.74) 1:51.52 (30.23)
3 Jansen, Ella Tennessee-SE 1:53.26 1:52.08 NC 27
r:+0.73 24.85 53.02 (28.17)
1:21.80 (28.78) 1:52.08 (30.28)
4 Agliano, Jordan SR South Carolina-S 1:54.50 1:53.80 NC 26
r:+0.66 25.91 55.09 (29.18)
1:24.16 (29.07) 1:53.80 (29.64)
5 Sartori, Sofia SR LSU-LA 1:54.25 1:54.11 NC 25
r:+0.71 25.48 53.99 (28.51)
1:23.47 (29.48) 1:54.11 (30.64)
6 Kruger, Lainy A JR FLOR-FL 1:56.17 1:55.83 NC 24
r:+0.67 25.86 55.04 (29.18)
1:24.71 (29.67) 1:55.83 (31.12)
7 Zambelli, Giuli SO LSU-LA 1:56.17 1:56.53 NC 23
r:+0.75 26.51 55.77 (29.26)
1:25.43 (29.66) 1:56.53 (31.10)
8 Whitaker, Ava G JR Texas A&M-GU 1:55.91 1:56.80 NC 22
r:+0.73 26.23 55.55 (29.32)
1:25.80 (30.25) 1:56.80 (31.00)
Men’s 200 Butterfly
Since the start of 2025, Luca Urlando has redefined speed in the 200 fly. He has lowered the American, NCAA and U.S. Open records on three occasions over that span, swimming as fast as 1:36.41 in November. Urlando was not close to that mark at the conference meet, falling almost two seconds short, but the Georgia Bulldog still went wire-to-wire while recording a time that only one other man in college swimming has ever reached.
Urlando touched in 1:38.46, 1.3 seconds clear of the field. Among active NCAA swimmers, only Urlando and Arizona State’s Ilya Kharun have ever clocked faster times. Urlando might need every bit of his best form to keep pace with Kharun at the national meet next month. Meanwhile, it was a big race for the Georgia Bulldogs as Drew Hitchcock grabbed second in 1:39.76, good for No. 5 in the country this season.
Two swimmers shared third-place honors, with Texas’ Kyle Peck and Tennessee’s Martin Espernberger both touching in 1:40.42. Notably, Rex Maurer made a rare appearance in the event and finished eighth in 1:41.35.
Event 12 Men 200 Yard Butterfly
=========================================================================
NCAA: N 1:36.41 11/25/2025Luca Urlando, Georgia
SEC: S 1:36.41 11/21/2025Luca Urlando, Georgia
Meet: M 1:37.18 2/21/2025 Luca Urlando, Georgia
Pool: P 1:37.56 11/22/2025Ilya Kharun, ASU
1:43.79 NC
Name Year School Prelims Finals Points
=========================================================================
=== Championship Final ===
1 Urlando, Luca SR UGA-GA 1:39.87 1:38.46 NC 32
r:+0.62 21.71 46.27 (24.56)
1:11.65 (25.38) 1:38.46 (26.81)
2 Hitchcock, Drew SO UGA-GA 1:40.48 1:39.76 NC 28
r:+0.64 22.51 47.52 (25.01)
1:13.23 (25.71) 1:39.76 (26.53)
3 Peck, Kyle SO Texas 1:40.87 1:40.42 NC 26.5
r:+0.62 22.68 48.39 (25.71)
1:13.88 (25.49) 1:40.42 (26.54)
3 Espernberger, M Tennessee-SE 1:41.56 1:40.42 NC 26.5
r:+0.65 22.54 48.11 (25.57)
1:14.03 (25.92) 1:40.42 (26.39)
5 Youssef Nasr, A FR Auburn-SE 1:40.73 1:41.02 NC 25
r:+0.74 22.44 48.24 (25.80)
1:13.80 (25.56) 1:41.02 (27.22)
6 Zubik, Jan K SR Missouri-MV 1:41.19 1:41.13 NC 24
r:+0.64 22.36 48.46 (26.10)
1:14.87 (26.41) 1:41.13 (26.26)
7 Lucas, Cooper SO Texas 1:41.83 1:41.14 NC 23
r:+0.68 22.28 47.99 (25.71)
1:14.29 (26.30) 1:41.14 (26.85)
8 Maurer, Rex JR Texas 1:41.87 1:41.35 NC 22
r:+0.72 22.51 48.72 (26.21)
1:15.02 (26.30) 1:41.35 (26.33)
Women’s 100 Breaststroke
Florida sophomore Anita Bottazzo remains the country’s dominant swimmer in the 100 breaststroke. Bottazzo, a native of Italy, threw down a nation-leading time of 56.87 in October, and that mark has held up atop the standings since. She faced a challenge at the conference meet, however, from Tennessee’s McKenzie Siroky. Siroky finished third in the 100 breast at last season’s NCAA Championships and qualified for her first World Championships team over the summer in the 50-meter breast.
Siroky had home-pool advantage in Knoxville, but Bottazzo steadily built a lead and held strong down the stretch. She finished in 57.11, a time no other swimmer has beaten this season. However, Tennessee did finish second and third: Siroky clocked 57.62, which ranks third in the country this season, while Simone Moll placed third in 58.47. The Lady Vols also got points from Emelie Fast winning the B-final, helping the home team build a 32-point lead over Texas in the team competition heading into Thursday.
Event 13 Women 100 Yard Breaststroke
=========================================================================
NCAA: N 55.73 3/22/2019 Lilly King, Indiana
SEC: S 56.64 3/22/2024 Mona McSherry, Tennessee
Meet: M 57.06 2/22/2024 Mona McSharry, Tennessee
Pool: P 56.64 12/1/2017 Molly Hannis, TNAQ
1:00.30 NC
Name Year School Prelims Finals Points
=========================================================================
=== Championship Final ===
1 Bottazzo, Anita SO FLOR-FL 57.78 57.11 NC 32
r:+0.65 12.24 26.75 (14.51)
41.80 (15.05) 57.11 (15.31)
2 Siroky, McKenzi Tennessee-SE 58.66 57.62 NC 28
r:+0.64 12.44 26.89 (14.45)
42.31 (15.42) 57.62 (15.31)
3 Moll, Simone Tennessee-SE 58.86 58.47 NC 27
r:+0.70 12.69 27.62 (14.93)
42.60 (14.98) 58.47 (15.87)
4 Bank, Lina SR Missouri-MV 58.96 59.27 NC 26
r:+0.65 12.76 27.79 (15.03)
43.36 (15.57) 59.27 (15.91)
5 Mayne, Molly JR FLOR-FL 59.64 59.39 NC 25
r:+0.68 12.69 27.72 (15.03)
43.03 (15.31) 59.39 (16.36)
6 Bukvic, Martina FR LSU-LA 59.47 59.56 NC 24
r:+0.65 12.85 27.83 (14.98)
43.35 (15.52) 59.56 (16.21)
7 Enge, Piper SO Texas 59.63 59.77 NC 23
r:+0.62 12.96 28.11 (15.15)
43.85 (15.74) 59.77 (15.92)
8 McQuinn, Ella SO Texas A&M-GU 1:00.01 1:00.29 NC 22
r:+0.65 12.67 28.07 (15.40)
44.03 (15.96) 1:00.29 (16.26)
Men’s 100 Breaststroke
Earlier this season, Nate Germonprez joined the exclusive sub-50 club in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 49.71, establishing himself as a contender to win a national in the event. He snuck under that barrier once again here as he edged out much-improved Florida Gator Koen de Groot and Texas teammate Campbell McKean for the win.
Germonprez led the entire race and finished in 49.92. He is the only swimmer to reach 49-second territory this season. Second place went to de Groot in 50.22, good for the No. 2 spot in the national standings, while McKean went 50.42 for third, just off the lifetime best of 50.37 he swam in December. From there, there was a large gap back to Tennessee freshman Gabe Nunziata in fourth (51.35).
Event 14 Men 100 Yard Breaststroke
=========================================================================
NCAA: N 49.51 2/21/2025 Julian Smith, Florida
SEC: S 49.51 2/21/2025 Julian Smith, Florida
Meet: M 49.51 2/20/2025 Julian Smith, Florida
Pool: P 50.78 2/18/2022 Derek Maas, Alabama
52.58 NC
Name Year School Prelims Finals Points
=========================================================================
=== Championship Final ===
1 Germonprez, Nat JR Texas 50.05 49.92PNC 32
r:+0.62 10.48 23.12 (12.64)
36.15 (13.03) 49.92 (13.77)
2 de Groot, Koen SR FLOR-FL 50.72 50.22PNC 28
r:+0.62 10.54 23.30 (12.76)
36.60 (13.30) 50.22 (13.62)
3 McKean, Campbel FR Texas 51.65 50.42PNC 27
r:+0.62 10.98 23.73 (12.75)
36.82 (13.09) 50.42 (13.60)
4 Nunziata, Gabe Tennessee-SE 51.74 51.35 NC 26
r:+0.62 10.95 23.99 (13.04)
37.41 (13.42) 51.35 (13.94)
5 Gatulis, Adomas SO UK 51.35 51.51 NC 25
r:+0.63 10.50 23.75 (13.25)
37.35 (13.60) 51.51 (14.16)
6 Agustsson, Eina FR South Carolina-S 51.75 51.69 NC 24
r:+0.62 11.14 24.35 (13.21)
37.83 (13.48) 51.69 (13.86)
7 Zivanovic, Uros SO Auburn-SE 51.70 51.74 NC 23
r:+0.60 10.57 23.93 (13.36)
37.49 (13.56) 51.74 (14.25)
8 Thome, Levi JR LSU-LA 51.72 51.81 NC 22
r:+0.65 11.25 24.12 (12.87)
37.77 (13.65) 51.81 (14.04)