Gators Stun In Friday Finals With Two NCAA Records, Five Gold Medals

The Florida swimming and diving team put on a record-breaking performance on night five of the 2025 SEC Swimming & Diving Championships, winning five gold medals and setting two NCAA records at Gabrielsen Natatorium.

The Gators won the final five swimming events of the night and took home seven total medals. Along the way, they shattered two NCAA records, five program records, five SEC meet records, four SEC records, and four pool records. They also updated eight program top-10 times.

With just one day of competition remaining, the Florida men are in second place, trailing Texas by 162 points, while the women sit in third, just 20 points behind Tennessee.

Julian Smith Breaks NCAA Record in 100 Breaststroke
Senior Julian Smith dominated the 100-yard breaststroke, securing his second individual title of the week while breaking the NCAA record.

After recording the fastest preliminary time in the morning, Smith delivered a 49.51-second swim in the finals, breaking the previous NCAA record by two-hundredths of a second. His time also set new American, U.S. Open, SEC, SEC meet, and pool records. He improved his own program record, which he had set last November.

Smith is now the 13th Gator to win the 100 breaststroke, and this victory marks Florida’s third straight gold medal in the event.

Men’s 400 Medley Relay Smashes NCAA Record
The men’s 400 medley relay team of Jonny Marshall, Julian Smith, Josh Liendo and Alex Painter closed the night with a historic swim, breaking the NCAA record with a time of 2:55.66.

Marshall led off with a 43.91 in the 100 back, followed by Smith’s 48.95 breaststroke leg. Liendo extended the lead with a 42.12 butterfly split — the fastest in history. Freshman Alex Painter anchored with a 40.68 freestyle leg, sealing the victory by more than four seconds.

Their time also set SEC, SEC meet, NCAA, and U.S. Open records, making it one of the fastest relay performances ever.

Women’s 400 Medley Relay Wins First SEC Title Since 2005
The women’s 400 medley relay team of Bella Sims, Anita Bottazzo, Olivia Peoples, and Micayla Cronk made history, winning Florida’s first SEC title in the event since 2005.

Their 3:24.78 finish set program and SEC meet records. Sims led off with a 48.97 backstroke split, which is now the third-fastest time in history and the fastest in the country this season. Her performance also reset her own program, SEC, and SEC meet records, which she had set just an hour earlier in the 100 back final.

Marshall and Sims Sweep 100 Backstroke Titles
For the second consecutive year, Florida swept the 100 backstroke titles, with Jonny Marshall and Bella Sims taking the wins.

Marshall defended his SEC title with a 43.73, breaking his own program record and setting a new SEC meet and pool record. His time is now the fastest in the NCAA this season and ranks seventh-fastest in NCAA history.

Sims became the ninth Gator in history to win the 100 backstroke, earning her first SEC title of the meet with a 49.20 finish.

Bottazzo and Savickas Earn Bronze in 100 Breaststroke
Freshman Anita Bottazzo and senior Aleksas Savickas each claimed bronze medals in the 100 breaststroke.

Bottazzo, competing in her first SEC final, swam a 57.65, securing her first career SEC podium finish. Savickas, who had previously won gold and silver in this event, rounded out his medal collection with a 51.15 finish.