Urlando Wins Third Gold and Sets Two School Records at SECs

Friday, February 18

Knoxville, Tenn.

9:30 a.m. (Prelims) | 5:30 p.m. (Finals)

University of Georgia

SEC Championships

Photo by: Randy Sartin

Urlando Wins Third Gold and Sets Two School Records at SECs

February 18, 2022 | Swimming & Diving

Friday Finals Results Saturday Prelims Heat Sheet Saturday 1,650 Free Heat Sheet

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – With a repeat title in the 200 butterfly, sophomore Luca Urlando continued a historic performance for the University of Georgia swimming and diving team Friday evening at the 2022 SEC Swimming & Diving Championships at the Allan Jones Aquatic Center.

Urlando finished first in the 200 fly with an A-cut time of 1:39.00, breaking his own school record and setting new SEC Championship and pool records as he defended his conference title. He previously set the meet and pool records in the morning session with a first-place time of 1:40.14. Freshman Matthew Sates, who had already won two golds at the meet, placed second with an A-cut of 1:39.88, the second-fastest time in school history. With the victory, Georgia has won four straight 200 fly titles and nine of the last 15. Urlando is also the first Georgia man to win three individual events at SECs since Chris Colwill and Sébastien Rouault both accomplished the feat in 2006.

Urlando followed his final individual race with another record-setting performance in the 400 medley relay, leading off with a 100 backstroke time of 44.38 and breaking the top mark of 44.64 previously held by Taylor Dale. Joined by Sates, freshman Arie Voloschin, and junior Dillon Downing, the relay team finished fourth with an A-cut of 3:04.76, good for fourth in program history as well.

The Bulldogs also continued their dominance in the women's 200 fly as seniors Dakota Luther and Callie Dickinson both reached the podium. Luther broke her own school record as she finished second with an A-cut time of 1:51.65, while Dickinson finished third with a season-best time of 1:55.01. Additionally, freshman Mia Abruzzo won the C final with a PR of 1:56.84. With the two medals, Georgia has placed two women's swimmers on the podium in the 200 fly at each of the last four championships.

Junior Zoie Hartman also earned the silver medal in the 100 breaststroke with a season-best A-cut of 58.35, while freshman Angharad Evans finished seventh with a PR of 59.30, the seventh-fastest time in program history. Hartman and Luther joined junior Millie Sansome and sophomore Maxine Parker to post a fourth-place A-cut of 3:30.01 in the 400 medley relay, also good for seventh all-time. Sansome was victorious in the 100 backstroke B final with a personal-best B-cut of 52.49, ranking her sixth in school history.

In the men's 100 backstroke, junior Bradley Dunham and sophomore Wesley Ng each notched PRs in both sessions. In the finals, Dunham placed 11^th with a B-cut of 46.27, ranking sixth all-time, while Ng followed in 12^th at 46.48, moving up to seventh on the list. Junior Ian Grum prevailed in the C final with a season-best 46.81. Voloschin also entered the top 10 in the 100 breaststroke with an 18^th-place B-cut of 52.86, the seventh-fastest mark all-time.

At the diving well, freshman Nolan Lewis finished his meet with a score of 279.95, finishing 16^th overall and clinching a scoring performance in all three events. Senior Ellie Crump and sophomore Meghan Wenzel will take to the towers Saturday for the women's platform.

With one day of competition remaining, the Georgia women stand second with 754 points as Tennessee leads with 972.5. In the men's standings, the Bulldogs are part of a tight pack for second place with Tennessee and Alabama as they currently rank fourth with 708 points. Florida leads the overall tally with 976 points.

The SEC Championships conclude Saturday with the 1,650 freestyle, 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke, women's platform, and 400 freestyle relay. The morning session opens at 9:30 a.m., followed by the platform prelims and the mile prelims at 2:25 p.m. The closing session begins at 5:30 p.m. with the final two mile heats. Both sessions will be streamed live on SEC Network+.

For all news and updates about Georgia swimming and diving, follow the Bulldogs on Twitter (@UGASwimDive), Instagram (@ugaswimdive), and Facebook (UGA Swimming and Diving).