Stege and Hartman Win Gold on Second Night of SECs

Wednesday, February 15

Bryan-College Station, Texas

10:30 a.m. (Prelims) | 6:30 p.m. (Finals)

University of Georgia

SEC Swimming & Diving Championships

February 15, 2023 | Men's Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving

Wednesday Results Thursday Prelims Heat Sheet

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – With an electrifying win in the 500 freestyle and a dominant 200 IM victory, the University of Georgia men's and women's swimming and diving teams earned their first two gold medals of the 2023 SEC Swimming & Diving Championships Wednesday at the Texas A&M Campus Recreation Center Natatorium.

Sophomore Rachel Stege outlasted her sister, Kristen, of Tennessee in the women's 500 freestyle final, touching first at 4:36.31, winning by just four-hundredths of a second. Stege's personal-best time now ranks ninth in school history and gave Georgia its 13^th 500 freestyle title in the last 18 seasons. Senior Jillian Barczyk finished seventh in the final with a personal-best time of 4:40.63. Sophomores Abby McCulloh (11th – 4:40.63) and Duné Coetzee (12^th – 4:40.75) scored in the B final with season-best times, while junior Sloane Reinstein placed 22^nd at 4:44.48.

In the women's 200 IM final, senior Zoie Hartman earned her seventh career SEC title with a decisive A-cut of 1:53.58. After ranking third through two legs, Hartman dropped a 32.74 on the breaststroke leg to pull ahead for the win. Hartman has now finished top-two in each of her 10 individual races at the SEC Championships during her career. Graduate Callie Dickinson finished 11^th with a personal-best B-cut of 1:56.90 in the consolation final. Additionally, sophomore Eboni McCarty won the 50 freestyle B final with a time of 22.27.

On the men's side, junior Jake Magahey finished second in the 500 freestyle for the third-consecutive season, posting an A-cut time of 4:10.03. In the B final, graduate Andrew Abruzzo and junior Tommy-Lee Camblong placed 13^th and 14^th respectively. Later in the session, senior Zach Hils placed sixth in the 200 IM with a time of 1:43.52, following a PB of 1:42.27 in prelims, the sixth-fastest time in school history. In another 'A' finalist performance, fellow senior Dillon Downing tied for seventh in the 50 freestyle, turning in a time of 19.17, while junior Meghan Wenzel placed sixth in the women's 1-meter with a score of 294.05.

In the opening 200 freestyle relay, Downing and Hils joined teammates Bradley Dunham and Wesley Ng to take sixth with a season-best B-cut of 1:17.10, the third-fastest relay in school history. In the women's race, McCarty joined junior Julianna Stephens, freshman Emma Norton, and sophomore Briana Roberson to finish 10^th at 1:30.25.

Following the successful second day, the Georgia women moved up to fourth place with 329 points, while the men's team ranks fifth with 268.5 points.

The SEC Championships continue Thursday with the 400 IM, 100 butterfly, 200 freestyle, and men's 3-meter diving. Swimming prelims begin at 10:30 a.m. EST, followed by diving prelims at 1 p.m. and finals at 6:30 p.m. Live coverage of the meet is available 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).

STANDINGS
Men

Florida, 542.5
Texas A&M, 380
Auburn, 380
Tennessee, 347
Georgia, 268.5
Alabama, 249
Missouri, 214.5
South Carolina, 203.5
Kentucky, 162
LSU, 131

Women

Florida, 502
LSU, 378
Tennessee, 375
Georgia, 329
Alabama, 306
Kentucky, 300
South Carolina, 286
Texas A&M, 226
Auburn, 222
Arkansas, 205
Missouri, 177
Vanderbilt, 94

RESULTS
Women's 200 Freestyle Relay
Gold: LSU – 1:26.70
Silver: Alabama – 1:27.21
Bronze: Florida – 1:27.28

Men's 200 Freestyle Relay
Gold: Florida – 1:14.19
Silver: Tennessee – 1:15.34
Bronze: Auburn – 1:15.94

Women's 500 Freestyle
Gold: Rachel Stege (Georgia) – 4:36.31
Silver: Kristen Stege (Tennessee) – 4:36.35
Bronze: Emma Weyant (Florida) – 4:37.96

Men's 500 Freestyle
Gold: Jake Mitchell (Florida) – 4:09.85
Silver: Jake Magahey (Georgia) – 4:10.03
Bronze: Alfonso Mestre (Florida) – 4:10.15

Women's 200 IM
Gold: Zoie Hartman (Georgia) – 1:53.58
Silver: Josephine Fuller (Tennessee) – 1:55.01
Bronze: Lauren Poole (Kentucky) – 1:55.12

Men's 200 IM
Gold: Baylor Nelson (Texas A&M) – 1:40.86
Silver: Kaloyan Bratanov (Texas A&M) – 1:42.50
Bronze: Ben Patton (Missouri) – 1:42.98

Women's 50 Freestyle
Gold: Maggie MacNeil (LSU) – 20.98
Silver: Mona McSharry (Tennessee) – 21.74
Bronze: Kalia Antoniou (Alabama) – 21.75

Men's 50 Freestyle
Gold: Jordan Crooks (Tennessee) – 17.93
Silver: Josh Liendo (Florida) – 18.39
Bronze: Adam Chaney (Florida) – 18.71

Women's 1-meter
Gold: Brooke Schultz (South Carolina) – 345.05
Silver: Maha Amer (Florida) – 337.85
Bronze: Chiara Pellacani (LSU) – 330.95