Welcome to the thrilling first day of the 2026 SEC Swimming and Diving Championships! Today, we're diving into the timed finals of the 1650 freestyle, with the women and men competing in alternating heats. But here's where it gets controversial... The SEC Championship meet record holder, Jillian Cox, is the top seed with a time of 15:41.70, while Florida's Ahmed Jaouadi enters with the top conference time of 14:39.10. Will Cox's record-breaking performance be enough to secure her another championship title? Or will Jaouadi's impressive time challenge her dominance? Let's find out!
Women's 1650 Freestyle:
- NCAA Record: 15:03.31 - Katie Ledecky (Stanford), 2017
- SEC Record: 15:27.84 - Brittany MacLean (Georgia), 2014
- SEC Championship Record: 15:30.33 - Jillian Cox (Texas), 2025
- Pool Record: 15:15.17 - Katie Ledecky (Nation's Capital), 2013
- 2026 NCAA Championships Qualifying Time: 16:25.29
Top 8 Finishers (Through Heat 2):
- Mackenzie Brandt (Alabama) - 16:12.50
- Breckin Gormley (South Carolina) - 16:18.78
- Julia Strojnowska (Auburn) - 16:27.26
- Stella Watts (Alabama) - 16:32.46
- Peyton Drexler (Missouri) - 16:32.96
- Danielle Gleason (Missouri) - 16:35.38
- Sharon Guerrero Cho (Kentucky) - 16:46.78
- Lolly Milbaum (Alabama) - 16:49.27
Heat 2 saw South Carolina's Breckin Gormley and Auburn's Julia Strojnowska battle for the top spot through the first 500, with Gormley holding a slight lead. Missouri's Danielle Gleason and Peyton Drexler also made a strong push for the top three by the 950 mark. Gormley dominated the race, opening up a significant lead by the 1200 and consistently splitting under 30 seconds. She touched the wall in 16:18.78, a massive improvement on her previous best.
Heat 1 was led by Alabama's Mackenzie Brandt, who entered the championships with no time in the event. She set the pace with the fastest 500 of the four swimmers, turning in 9:47.23 at the 1500 mark. Kentucky's Sharon Guerrero Cho and Alabama's Lolly Milbaum battled for second place, with Guerrero Cho ultimately touching the wall in 16:46.78.
Men's 1650 Freestyle:
- NCAA Record: 14:12.08 - Bobby Finke (Florida), 2020
- SEC Record: 14:12.08 - Bobby Finke (Florida), 2020
- SEC Championship Record: 14:12.08 - Bobby Finke (Florida), 2020
- Pool Record: 14:38.91 - Akram Mahmoud (South Carolina), 2017
- 2026 NCAA Championships Qualifying Time: 15:06.60
Top 8 Finishers (Through Heat 2):
- Ahmed Hafnaoui (Florida) - 14:30.74
- Dziugas Miskinis (Kentucky) - 14:46.91
- Silas Beth (LSU) - 14:56.09
- Joao Pierre Campos (Alabama) - 14:59.46
- Mac Clark (Tennessee) - 15:03.96
- Tommy-Lee Camblong (Georgia) - 15:14.10
- Ryan Turner (South Carolina) - 15:22.00
- Luke Waldrep (Auburn) - 15:23.32
Heat 2 was dominated by LSU's Silas Beth, who roared out to the lead through the first 1000 yards and maintained his momentum to cruise to a heat win in 14:56.09. Tennessee's Mac Clark clocked his fastest-ever 1650 to earn a third-place finish in the heat. Florida's Ahmed Hafnaoui, a major draw for his first SEC Championships, dominated Heat 1 with a time of 14:30.74.
So, who will emerge as the champion in the 1650 freestyle? Will Cox defend her title and break records? Or will Jaouadi challenge her dominance and claim the championship? Stay tuned for the live recap of the second day of the SEC Championships!
