Alabama
SEC Swimming & Diving Championships (W. Swimming)
Alabama Women’s Swimming & Diving Opens SEC Championships with Relay Gold
2/17/2021 6:44:00 PM | Swimming & Diving
The quartet of Rhyan White, Kaila Wong, Morgan Scott and Cora Dupre won the race by nearly a second, bettering the Alabama record by nearly two seconds
ATHENS, Ga. – What a way to start a championship! The Alabama women's swimming and diving team opened the 2021 Southeastern Conference Championships off with its first relay title since 1985, taking top honors in the 200 medley relay here at the Gabrielson Natatorium in Athens, Ga.
Rhyan White, Kaila Wong, Morgan Scott and Cora Dupre smashed the Crimson Tide record on the way to the title, going 1:34.68 and finishing nearly a second ahead of second-place Missouri. White led off the relay with a 23.35, the second-fastest 50 backstroke time in the history of swimming.
The Tide then came back in the second race of the night and broke not just one, but two school records on the way to taking fourth place in the 800 freestyle relay. Scott, Kalia Antoniou, Gracie Felner and Kensey McMahon combined to go a 7:01.36, slashing more than four seconds off its previous school mark, set in the fall. Scott also set a new school mark in the 200 freestyle as the lead off leg of the relay with a 1:43.69, bettering the mark she set last season at this meet.
Interim Head Coach Ozzie Quevedo
"What a great start to the week. To get things going with a championship, winning our first relay title since the mid-80s … it's hard to beat that, but then we smashed three school records along the way and that makes it better. We are so proud of our ladies and the work and dedication that they've put into preparing for these championships. I think it's extra special that our first win of the week was a relay, because it speaks to the team aspect of swimming and diving that is so important to this group. We're also so excited for Rhyan … to put up one of the two fastest in the history of our sport is simply amazing. Now, we have to keep our focus and build on today as we go through the week."
Other Notes from Day One
- While women's swimming is being held in Athens, Ga., this week, the men's and women's diving is being held in Columbia, Mo., this week
- Diving got underway with the women's 1-meter springboard, where Tanesha Lucoe scored for the Tide, taking 11th place with 269.90 points
- Alabama's last SEC 200 medley relay title came in 1985 with Carmel Clark, Angelika Knipping, Linda Valerio and Kim Nicholson taking the win at the old Stegeman Pool in Athens, Ga., leading Alabama to the SEC team title
- Prior to the start of the meet, Halia Bower was named to the 2021 Women's SEC Swimming and Diving Community Service Team
Up Next
- Thursday marks the first full day of competition, with prelims starting at 10 a.m. ET and finals getting underway at 6 p.m. ET
- Swimming has the 500 freestyle, 200 individual medley and 50 freestyle as well as the 200 freestyle relay on Thursday
- Diving has the women's 3-meter and the men's 1-meter springboards in Columbia
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Players Mentioned
