Kentucky’s swim and dive team competed in the six-day SEC Championships in Athens, Georgia. 

The Cats did not leave the Gabrielsen Natatorium empty-handed as junior Levi Sandidge took home the silver medal in the 1,650-meter freestyle, placing one higher than last year. In this event, he came into the championship ranked No. 6 in the SEC.

Kentucky totaled 31 new top 10 times and 51 new personal bests. 

Day One

To start the championship, Kentucky’s women’s diving team placed second in the 1-meter division and scored 43 points. 

After coming into the competition ranked No.10, freshman Avery Giese placed ninth in the B Finals with a score of 286.75 after placing 14th in the preliminary round. Giese earned 20 points for the Cats. 

Sophomore Kristy Pfaff fell one place outside the finals cut, placing 17th at 253.95. Despite not making the finals, Pfaff still earned another nine points for the women’s team. 

Standings after day one:

-Women’s team: Second (43 points)

Day Two

The second day started on the boards. Fifth-year senior Sam Duncan ended the finals in eight place after scoring 321.15, scoring 22 points for the Cats. 

The first swim event of the week was the women’s 200 medley relay. The team, which included graduate students Torie Buerger, Bridget Engel, junior Lydia Hanlon and freshman McCall Freiburger, placed 11th overall with a 1:38.16, scoring 32 points for the Cats. 

For the men’s 200 medley relay, sophomore Devin Naoroz, freshman Adomas Gatulis, junior Logan Ingerick and junior Drew Johnson placed 10th overall with a 1:25.38, scoring 34 points. 

In the women’s 800-yard freestyle relay, the Cats placed ninth overall with a 7:06.85. Junior Grace Frericks, freshman Hayden Penny, junior Maddy Hartley and sophomore Lauren West scored 40 points for the women’s team. 

The men’s relay team achieved the NCAA B-standard time and received credit, as it was its first time reaching this time all season. 

Standings after day two:

-Women’s team: Eigth (115 points)

-Men’s team: Ninth (102 points)

Day Three​

Sophomore Carson Hick placed 10th overall in the men’s 500 freestyle at a 4:10.89 in the B Final after coming in at No. 13 in the country. Not only did he add 17 points for the team, Hick beat the program record by nearly four seconds. 

Sandidge placed 19th in the C-Finals at 4:15.39, the third-best time in program history. He added six points to the men’s side. Sandidge entered the championship ranked No. 19 in the SEC for this event.

For the men’s 200 IM, Junior Ryan Merani swam a 1:42.80, which was the third fastest time in school history. Merani finished 10th and added 17 points to the team’s score. 

Standings after day three:

-Women’s team: 11th (163 points)

-Men’s team: Ninth (176 points)

Day Four

Sophomore Paige Housman finished the women’s 400-yard IM C Final in 22nd place. Housman broke her personal best, which she had set just a few weeks earlier. 

Hick set the third-best time in program history in the 200 free with a 1:34.10 also in the preliminary round. He placed 19th overall with a 1:33.61 in the final, adding six points for the Cats. 

In the men’s 1-meter diving, Duncan placed eighth overall with a 337.70, adding 22 points for the Cats. 

Standings after day four:

-Women’s team: 11th (166 points)

-Men’s team: Ninth (231 points)

Day Five

Merani finished at fifth for the men’s 200 butterfly with a 1:40.82 and 25 more points for the Cats. This was Kentucky’s first swimmer to qualify for an A Final, and he recorded a new second-best time in program history. 

For the men’s 100 back, Naoroz swam a program best of 46.17 in the preliminary round, qualifying for the B final. He placed 14th with a 46.25 in the finals to add 13 points.  F

Kentucky’s women’s 400-yard medley placed ninth overall with a 3:33.34. Paige Taber, Engel, Hartley and Frericks added 40 points for the Cats. 

The men placed eigth with a 3:06.24. Naoroz, Gatulis, Merani and Justin Peresse added 44 points to the men’s side. 

Abby Devereaux ended the women’s platform diving event in seventh after diving a 222.95, racking up 12 points.

Standings after day four:

-Women’s team: 11th (249 points)

-Men’s team: Ninth (320.5 points)

Day Six

The final day started with the women’s 1-meter diving. Giese and Devereaux totaled 32 points for the team. Giese ended the event in ninth with a 286.75, while Devereaux placed 13th, diving a 275.10.

For the men’s 200-yard medley relay, Kentucky placed 10th overall at 1:25.38. Naoroz, Gatulia, Ingerick and Johnson added 32 points. 

In the 800-yard freestyle relay, the women placed ninth, adding 40 points, while the men placed seventh, adding 46 points. 

In the men’s 3-meter diving, Duncan qualified for the A-Final with a preliminary score of 351.35. Duncan dove a 321.15 in the final to find himself in eighth place. His performance added 22 points for the men’s team. 

Merani placed fifth overall in the men’s 200-yard butterfly. He swam a 1:40.82, adding 25 points for the team. 

Sandidge placed second overall in the men’s 1,650-yard freestyle, finishing with a 14:30.61 to break his previous school record. Hick finished in fourth, just outside of the podium with a 14:43.83.

Frericks placed seventh overall in the women’s 200-yard backstroke, putting up 23 more points for the Cats. 

Engel found herself in seventh overall in the 200-yard breaststroke with a 2:08.76. 

The women ended the 2025 SEC Championship in 11th place with 349 points, while the men finished in ninth with 431.5 points. 

The Cats will start preparing for the NCAA Championship and Diving Zones until March 13-29. 

Before their final meet, Kentucky swimmers and divers will have a last-chance meet against Tennessee from Feb. 28 to March 1.