KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Kentucky’s swimming and diving team concluded competition at the 2026 Southeastern Conference Championship on Saturday with a program record in the men’s 200-meter backstroke, achieved by senior Devin Naoroz.
Naoroz’s performance highlighted the final day of the championship, beginning with a program-best time of 1:40.57 in the preliminary heats. He then surpassed his own mark in the B-Final, becoming the first Kentucky swimmer to complete the event in under 1:40, finishing with a time of 1:39.84. The achievement was marked by an emotional embrace with fellow senior Ryan Merani, according to UK Athletics.
Beyond Naoroz’s record-breaking swim, several other Wildcats posted strong performances. Sophomore Alec Lampen qualified for the C-Final in the 200 backstroke with a time of 1:44.59. On the women’s side, Libby Grether and Marie Belli both qualified for the C-Final, clocking times of 1:56.74 and 1:56.82 respectively. Senior Fernanda De Goeij as well advanced to the B-Final in the event, recording a time of 1:54.58 in the prelims.
The 200-meter individual medley also saw strong showings from Kentucky swimmers. Hayden Penny qualified for the B-Final with a time of 2:00.10, while De Goeij (1:58.62) and Belli (1:59.17) also secured spots in the B-Final. Adomas Gatulis, a three-event individual scorer for the men’s team, qualified for the C-Final with a time of 1:45.78.
Freshman swimmers Falemana Tuufui and Lysander Osman continued to impress in the 100-meter freestyle, posting the second and third-fastest times in program history with 42.24 and 42.35 seconds, respectively, earning them both qualification for the B-Final.
In Saturday evening’s finals, Penny finished second in the C-Final of the 200 IM with a time of 1:59.59, improving upon her preliminary time. De Goeij swam a 2:03.15 in the B-Final of the 200 IM, while Belli finished fifth in the same heat with a time of 1:59.78. Gatulis secured second place in the C-Final of the 200 IM, recording a time of 1:44.98. Tuufui and Osman competed in the 100 free B-Final, finishing sixth (42.40) and eighth (43.41) respectively.
Grether improved her preliminary time in the 200 backstroke C-Final, finishing in 1:56.10, while Belli swam a 1:57.33 in the same heat. De Goeij concluded her individual events with a time of 1:56.12 in the B-Final.
The Wildcats also set a program record in the men’s 400-meter freestyle relay, finishing with a time of 2:49.68. The relay team consisted of Tuufui, Osman, Justin Peresse and AJ Terry – the same quartet that set a program record in the event on Friday night.
The Kentucky men finished eighth overall in the conference championship with 582 points, while the women placed twelfth with 284.5 points. The team now prepares for NCAA Championship and Zone qualifiers, with hopes of sending individual swimmers to the national stage.
