UT out to strong start at SEC championships

The Tennessee men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams jumped out to a strong start Tuesday during the first day of the SEC swimming and diving championships in College Station, Texas.

Tennessee broke two school records in four relay races, while Jodie McGroarty and Tori Lamp placed second and third, respectively, on the 3-meter springboard.

After one day of competition, the women lead the team scoring with 131 points, followed by LSU with 111. The Vols are in fourth with 91 points; Auburn leads with 142.

The highlights:

UT’s relay team of Sam Rairden, Renato Prono, Oystein Hetland, and Ed Walsh placed second in the 200 medley relay with a school-record time of 1:24.53. The time also was the second-fastest in the nation this season.

The women’s 800 free relay team of Mary Griffith, Kate McNeilis, Kelsey Floyd, and Lindsay Gendron placed third with a time of 6:58.91, also a school record.

The women’s 200 medley relay team of Lauren Solernou, Molly Hannis, Floyd, and Faith Johnson won with a time of 1:35.08.

In the 3-meter, McGroarty placed second with a score of 355.10, while Lamp, a Bearden High graduate, scored 345.35 to bring home the bronze.

The men’s 800 freestyle relay team of Rairden, Gustav Aberg-Lejdstrom, Tristan Slater and Sean Lehane put up a time of 6:20.13, a season high and second fastest time in the nation.

Brent Sterling secured fourth place in 1-meter diving with a score of 370.60, a career high for the senior from Central High School.