SEC Championships, Day 2: Hubert Kos Edges Will Modglin in Electric 100 Back Showdown
The first full finals session of the SEC Championships in Knoxville, Tenn., featured racing in the women’s and men’s 100 backstroke, 200 butterfly and 100 breaststroke along with men’s 3-meter diving. A pair of reigning NCAA champions were in action on the men’s side: Hubert Kos was set to race against Texas teammate and American-record holder Will Modglin plus 2025 national runnerup Jonny Marshall in the 100 back while Luca Urlando highlighted the 200 fly.
Women’s 100 Backstroke
A second member of the Crooks family has won an NCAA title while representing Tennessee. Jillian Crooks, younger sister of former star sprinter Jordan Crooks, pulled off a come-from-behind win in her home pool to kick off the session. Crooks was behind Alabama’s Emily Jones for most of the race, but she overtook the field coming home to score the win by five hundredths.
Crooks touched in 50.50, good for the seventh-ranked performance in the country this season. The mark was a huge jump from the 51.95 she swam for 12th place in the event last year. Jones came in second in 50.59 while LSU’s Zoe Carlos-Broc took third in 51.14.
Event 9 Women 100 Yard Backstroke
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NCAA: N 48.10 2/23/2024 Gretchen Walsh, Virginia
SEC: S 48.97 3/21/2025 Bella Sims, Florida
Meet: M 48.97 2/22/2025 Bella Sims, Florida
Pool: P 48.26 3/17/2023 Gretchen Walsh, Virginia
52.65 NC
Name Year School Prelims Finals Points
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=== Championship Final ===
1 Crooks, Jillian Tennessee-SE 51.24 50.50 NC 32
r:+0.57 11.92 24.45 (12.53)
37.45 (13.00) 50.50 (13.05)
2 Jones, Emily SR Alabama-SE 51.03 50.59 NC 28
r:+0.60 11.66 24.28 (12.62)
37.32 (13.04) 50.59 (13.27)
3 Carlos-Broc, Zo SO LSU-LA 51.49 51.14 NC 27
r:+0.56 12.00 24.57 (12.57)
37.89 (13.32) 51.14 (13.25)
4 Choate, Catie G JR FLOR-FL 51.38 51.36 NC 26
r:+0.72 11.97 24.54 (12.57)
37.88 (13.34) 51.36 (13.48)
5 Kern, Emma JR Texas 51.81 51.81 NC 25
r:+0.65 12.05 24.90 (12.85)
38.27 (13.37) 51.81 (13.54)
6 Hirai, Mizuki Tennessee-SE 51.70 51.82 NC 24
r:+0.57 12.10 24.90 (12.80)
38.33 (13.43) 51.82 (13.49)
7 Komoroczy, Lora SO Auburn-SE 52.00 51.97 NC 23
r:+0.50 11.82 24.56 (12.74)
38.02 (13.46) 51.97 (13.95)
8 Owens, Kaitlyn 5T Texas A&M-GU 51.62 51.99 NC 22
r:+0.67 11.78 24.33 (12.55)
37.79 (13.46) 51.99 (14.20)
Men’s 100 Backstroke
It’s rare to see the three fastest swimmers in history meet in conference championship final, but that’s what played out in the opening men’s individual race of the meet. Texas’ Hubert Kos and Florida’s Jonny Marshall were racing in short course yards for the first time since Kos beat Marshall by two hundredths to win the NCAA title last season, with both men under the existing NCAA and U.S. Open records. But on this occasion, the showdown came down to Kos and his Texas teammate Will Modglin, who broke the American record earlier this season.
Modglin had the most speed in the field, but Kos moved slightly ahead by the halfway point and extended the mark to 0.14 over the back half. Kos finished in 43.86, a hundredth quicker than he swam in prelims, while Modglin touched in 44.00. Modglin owns the country’s top performance in this event with the 43.26 he swam in November, while Kos now ranks second.
Georgia’s Ruard Van Renen, the third-place swimmer at the 2025 NCAA meet, came in third here in 44.56, one hundredth ahead of Marshall (44.57).
Event 10 Men 100 Yard Backstroke
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NCAA: N 43.20 3/28/2025 Hubert Kos, Texas
SEC: S 43.20 3/28/2025 Hubert Kos, Texas
Meet: M 43.73 2/20/2025 Jonny Marshall, Florida
Pool: P 44.07 12/5/2013 Nick Thorman, SwimMAC
46.29 NC
Name Year School Prelims Finals Points
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=== Championship Final ===
1 Kos, Hubert SR Texas 43.87 43.86PNC 32
r:+0.70 10.21 20.93 (10.72)
32.40 (11.47) 43.86 (11.46)
2 Modglin, Will C JR Texas 44.16 44.00PNC 28
r:+0.75 10.06 20.95 (10.89)
32.54 (11.59) 44.00 (11.46)
3 Van Renen, Ruar SR UGA-GA 44.81 44.56 NC 27
r:+0.56 10.34 21.40 (11.06)
32.82 (11.42) 44.56 (11.74)
4 Marshall, Jonny JR FLOR-FL 44.80 44.57 NC 26
r:+0.76 10.35 21.11 (10.76)
32.74 (11.63) 44.57 (11.83)
5 Saravia, Ulises Tennessee-SE 44.50 44.74 NC 25
r:+0.63 10.37 21.33 (10.96)
32.93 (11.60) 44.74 (11.81)
6 Osman, Lysander FR UK 44.87 44.76 NC 24
r:+0.66 10.38 21.47 (11.09)
33.02 (11.55) 44.76 (11.74)
7 Buff, Scotty JR FLOR-FL 45.23 44.85 NC 23
r:+0.66 10.49 21.66 (11.17)
33.13 (11.47) 44.85 (11.72)
8 Hagar, Tommy E JR Alabama-SE 45.26 45.23 NC 22
r:+0.71 10.63 21.80 (11.17)
33.54 (11.74) 45.23 (11.69)
Women’s 200 Butterfly
Men’s 200 Butterfly
Women’s 100 Breaststroke
Men’s 100 Breaststroke
Men’s 3-Meter Diving
