KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Both Vanderbilt swimming relay teams that competed on the first day of the SEC Championships recorded their best marks of the season Tuesday at the Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center.
The Commodores began the meet with their fastest time in the 200 medley relay before accomplishing the feat again in the 800 free relay in the final race of the night.
“We’re really happy with those swims tonight, everybody contributed with really good efforts. We’re just coming together as a group and as a team,” head coach Jeremy Organ said. “I think that was a great way to start, and now we need to get ready for tomorrow and do it again.”
The first full day of action at this year’s championships will start on Wednesday with preliminary heats in the 100 back, 200 fly and 100 breast at 8:30 a.m. CT, with finals scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m.
Meet Highlights
-Merritt Zieminick opened this year’s competition for the Commodores when she swam the 1,650 free in the afternoon session.
-Vandy’s 200 medley relay team—which included Aubrey Hull, Emily Constable, Meredith DiPasquale and Melissa Cowen—recorded a season-best mark to begin the first night segment of the championships.
-Bailey Ratzburg, Ellie Butler, Madelyn Porter and Kate Heintz then posted the Dores’ fastest time of the campaign in the 800 free.
Notes
-With a time of 1:40.45 in the 200 medley relay, the Dores moved into sixth place in the event on the program’s all-time performer list.
-The Commodores also recorded the No. 6 time in school history in the 800 free relay after posting a 7:25.11 mark.
-Vandy met the CSCAA National Invitational Championship A standard with its performance in each of the two races as well.
-Ratzburg opened the latter event with a 1:50.69 split, which was not only the team’s fastest mark in the 200 free in 2025-26 but the best of her career.
-It marked the second time this season, and fourth in her collegiate career, that Zieminick swam the 1,650 free.
