KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Jillian Cox of the University of Texas secured her second consecutive Southeastern Conference title in the 1650 freestyle, clocking a time of 15:32.75 at the SEC Championships on Tuesday evening at the Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center. The Longhorns continued their strong performance, winning the 800 freestyle relay and extending their lead in the team standings.
Cox’s victory in the 1650 freestyle marked a highlight of the evening, with teammate Kate Hurst finishing third in 15:56.37. Cox, a distance freestyle specialist, is now considered a national favorite in the event, according to Swimming World Magazine.
The Texas women’s team demonstrated their strength in the 800 freestyle relay, finishing first in 6:50.59. Nikolett Padar led off the relay with a school-record time of 1:41.36 in the 200 freestyle, surpassing her previous record set at the Texas Hall of Fame Invite by nearly a full second.
The Longhorns also earned a bronze medal in the 200 medley relay, with the team of Emma Kern, Piper Enge, Campbell Stoll, and Eva Okaro finishing in 1:34.52.
On the diving boards, Bayleigh Cranford secured a silver medal in the 1-meter championship final, totaling 319.50 points. Cranford closed out her performance with a meet-high score of 63.00 on her reverse 2 1/2 somersault tuck. Texas’ Nick Harris narrowly missed the top spot in the men’s 1-meter diving, finishing second with 400.70 points, just behind Tennessee’s Bennett Greene (400.80).
After two days of competition, the Texas Longhorns lead the overall team standings with 232 points. Florida follows in second place with 190 points, and South Carolina is third with 175 points. Florida currently leads the men’s competition with 274 points, followed by Tennessee (213) and Texas (190).
The 2026 SEC Swimming and Diving Championships continue on Wednesday, Feb. 18, with preliminaries in the 100 backstroke, 200 butterfly, and 100 breaststroke scheduled to initiate at 8:30 a.m. CT. The men’s 3-meter diving prelims are set for 11 a.m. CT, followed by the consolation final. Finals in the swimming events and men’s 3-meter diving are scheduled for 4:30 p.m. CT. All sessions will be streamed live on SEC Network+.
