After three full days at the Southeastern Conference Championships, the No. 2 Texas women’s swim and dive has developed a substantial first place lead and campaign for claiming the SEC title.
Texas approached this season with a goal of claiming the SEC title in their inaugural season in the conference, a goal that could become reality if they can close the final three days of this meet out the way that they opened it.
“It’s going to be a battle, and that’s what we’ve been looking forward to for a long time,” head coach Carol Capitani said.
The Longhorns have 677 points and four first place event victories in the 200-meter medley relay, 200-meter free relay, 500-meter free and 200-meter intermedley. No. 4 Tennessee and No. 5 Florida follow in second and third place respectively, trailing Texas by 296 and 308 points.
Texas showed its force in the championship right out of the gate.
A relay team made up of graduate student Emma Sticklen, freshman Piper Enge, fifth-year Abby Arens and graduate student Grace Cooper secured a first place victory in Texas’ first ever SEC championship race, the 200 medley relay on Tuesday. Their time of 1:33.84 was an SEC record-breaking performance, as well as the second fastest 200-medley relay time in the entire NCAA this season.
Texas finished second behind Tennessee in the 800-free relay, clocking a time of 6:51.61, breaking the previous school record.
The Longhorns took five of the top-10 places in 1-meter diving, claiming places three through five, seventh and 10th.
SEC record holder in the event, Texas freshman Jillian Cox won the 500 free after 2024 NCAA champion and Florida sophomore Bella Sims dropped the race in favor of competing in the 200 IM. Sims also opted out of racing 500 free to race the 200 IM in the SEC Championships last year, where she went on to claim first place.
This year, however, Sticklen and sophomore Campbell Stoll took first and second place in the 200 IM, respectively. Sticklen’s victory resulted in a new school record with a time of 1:52.42.
Sticklen and the Longhorns are rookies in the SEC Championships. However, the transition from the Big 12 appears to be going smoothly for the fifth-year swimmer and the rest of the Texas roster alike.
“(The Big 12 Championships were) a way we could race and have some fun … but I don’t think it sharpened us that well for NCAAs,” Capitani said.
Texas was the Big 12’s most dominant program and ended a 12-year win streak in the conference title with their departure. However, this year provides an opportunity for Texas to sharpen themselves and see if they can emerge as the top program in NCAA swimming’s most competitive conference.
As far as what’s to come, three days of finals stand between Texas and victory. Day four preliminaries took place Thursday morning, and finals are set to begin at 4:30 p.m with the 400 IM, followed by the 100 butterfly, 200 freestyle and women’s 1-meter dive.
