NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Vanderbilt swimming program will travel to Athens, Georgia, to compete in the 2019 SEC Championships beginning Tuesday. The event is hosted by the University of Georgia.
The Commodores will face 12 opponents, including nine ranked in the top 25. The championships kick off Tuesday night with the 200-yard medley relay followed by the 800-yard freestyle relay.
“The 200-yard medley relay is a race that really sets the tone for the week for the girls,” s aid Vanderbilt head coach Jeremy Organ.
Last year at the SEC Championships, the Commodores broke the school record in the 200-yard medley relay with Johanna Goldblatt, Hannah Hunt, Breanna Sapienza and Madeline Hunt finishing in 1:39.12. That bested the previous record of 1:40.61.
Tuesday will mark the last SEC Championships for Vanderbilt’s four seniors– Mary Beckwith, Eunsol Chon, Madison Eaker and Goldblatt.
“I’m hoping to earn a few personal best times in my races this week, but most of all I care about having fun and enjoying my last meet with the team,” said Beckwith. “This meet is special to me because I’m finishing out in the pool I grew up racing in and will have lots of support in the stands.”
Veteran leadership will play a crucial role in this week’s championship, according to Organ.
“The meet is a big learning curve for the first-year swimmers and it is really important for the seniors to lead the way,” said Organ.
The Dores look to earn an impactful start in relays and continue their success until the final race on Saturday.
Each session will air on SEC Network+ and live results can be found here.
For behind-the-scenes access, follow @VandySwimming on Twitter and Instagram.
SEC Championship Event Order *
Tuesday:
-200 Medley Relay
-800 Free Relay
Wednesday:
-500 Free
-200 IM
-50 Free
-200 Free Relay
Thursday:
-400 IM
-100 Fly
-200 Free
Friday:
-200 Fly
-100 Back
-100 Breast
-400 Medley Relay
Saturday:
-200 Back
-100 Free
-200 Breast
-Mile
-400 Free Relay
*Prelims will take place each morning, with finals for each event will taking place each evening at 5 p.m. CT.
