400 Medley Relay SEC Record & Three Lady Vol Golds, Leads Day Four at SEC Championships

Thursday, February 19

Knoxville, Tenn.

All Day

University of Tennessee

SEC Championships

Lady Vols 400 Medley Relay Team Celebrates Gold Medal Performance

400 Medley Relay SEC Record & Three Lady Vol Golds, Leads Day Four at SEC Championships

February 19, 2026 | Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving, Men's Swimming & Diving

SEC Championships Day 4 Results SEC Championships Central Friday Prelim Heat Sheets Photo Gallery

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee came into day four looking to continue its strong start to the SEC Championships. Another medley relay SEC record and three gold medals highlighted a phenomenal evening at the pool that saw eight total medals come to Tennessee.

In the women's 400 Medley Relay, the team of Jillian Crooks, McKenzie Siroky, Mizuki Hirai, and Camille Spink shattered the SEC record in the event, finishing with a 3:24.58 en route to a gold medal. All four swimmers put up amazing splits to earn the win, giving the Lady Vols their second SEC record of the week.

Camille Spink logged her second gold medal of the day in the 200 Free, defending her title from last season. In a close race throughout, Spink held off Texas' Nikolett Padar by .04 seconds, improving her second-best time in program history in the event with a 1:41.71. Spink now has three gold medals on the week and eight in her career. With the win, Spink becomes the first Lady Vol to win the event in consecutive years, and the first swimmer to medal in the event in three straight years since Lindsay Gendron medaled in the event four years in a row from 2011-14.

Ella Jansen added to the Lady Vols' gold medal total with a win in the 400 IM. This marked the third career gold medal for Jansen, and the first individual gold for the sophomore. Jansen was joined on the podium by Emily Brown, who took the bronze while setting the fourth-best time in the event in UT history with a 4:04.07. Mizuki Hirai also earned her first individual medal of her collegiate career, picking up the silver medal in the 100 Fly with the third-best time in program history of 50.46.

On the men's side, Gui Caribe earned his first-ever SEC medal in the 100 Fly. The senior collected the silver medal in the event, improving his second ranked time in program history with a 43.93. Caribe had two medal performances for the Vols, joined in the men's 400 Medley Relay by Ulises Saravia, Gabe Nunziata, and Lucio Paula as they won the bronze for the Vols. The trio, all freshman, each played vital roles in the relay, as they along with Caribe set the second-fastest time on the men's side with a 3:01.20. They weren't the only freshman to take home medals on the men's side, as Koby Bujak-Upton got in on the action with a bronze medal of his own in the 200 Free.

Desharne Bent Ashmeil and Lynae Shorter each made the A-Final in the women's 3-meter. Bent Ashmeil led the way for Tennessee in the diving well, placing sixth overall with a 332.60. Shorter earned her best career finish in the 3-meter, finishing competition on the evening in eighth. Emma Rhines also placed for the Lady Vols in the event, finishing 19th.

Director of Swimming & Diving Matt Kredich
"Another fantastic night for our team, especially coming off this morning where in some cases we were a little flat or just on the wrong side of the cut lines. I think the team did a great job of shaking off that frustration tonight with renewed enthusiasm, passion, and great competitiveness. To have another SEC record for the women, with four outstanding splits. I think it speaks to the connectedness of that team and everybody played their part. Camille's win in the 200 Freestyle was really different from the win she had last year. She's growing in her understanding of that event, and she put together a tactically really advanced race and relied on her competitiveness to get her hand on the wall. That really lit a fire for our team. Then in the 400 IM, Ella [Jansen] and Emily [Brown] have been stalwarts in that event all year for us. Loved seeing Ella get the win. She's one of the hardest workers that has ever put on a Lady Vol cap. She's very competitive and it's wonderful to see her win that and for Emily Brown to establish herself on the national stage."

"Gui Caribe's 100 Fly; I think getting second was a big upset. That's the highest he's ever finished in that event, and 43 seconds moves him into really elite company. Mizuki Hirai continues to impress. That was a really close race and she's getting better almost every time she hits the water. Lucio Paula was also outstanding in the 100 Fly. He too keeps getting better each time he hits the water. Both of these new freshmen are really exciting. Koby was in a heat in the 200 Free where first and sixth were separated by two tenths of a second. It was awesome to see him as a freshman get his hand on the wall for a medal. For the men in the 400 Medley Relay, their finish was impressive because the first three guys were freshmen. Each of them had a performance that either equaled what they did in finals of their event. It's also been a while since we had two female divers in finals of an event at SECS, so I'm just thrilled with how well our diving squad has taken to the new staff and how they've responded."

Notables

Jake McCoy put up a strong performance in the B-Final for Tennessee in the 400 IM, finishing third in the race and placing 11th. His time of 3:41.97 allowed the freshman to move up the Vols' top ten list in the event to third all-time with a 3:41.97. Mac Clark continued competition in his first SEC Championships, finishing 21st in the 400 IM
In the men's 100 Fly, Lucio Paula used a second place finish in the B-Final to log a second place finish in his first SEC Championships. The Sao Paulo, Brazil native logged a personal best in the contest of 45.04, moving him to fourth in program history. Kamal Muhammad came in 23rd in the 100 Fly for the Vols.
Nikoli Blackman won the B-Final for the Vols in the 200 Free, finishing with a time of 1:32.04. Ben Bricca featured in the C-Final for Tennessee, finishing sixth.
Emily Armen and Julia Burroughs each competed in the B-Final in the 200 Free for Tennessee, with Armen finishing in 12th place and Burroughs in 14th. Julianna Bocska finished the 200 Free in 23rd.
Nicole Zettel placed 20th in the 400 IM.

Women's Team Rankings
1. Texas - 718
2. Tennessee - 647
3. Florida - 563.5
4. Auburn - 431.5
4. South Carolina - 431.5
6. Alabama - 401
7. LSU - 358.5
8. Georgia - 342
9. Texas A&M - 325
10. Missouri - 278
11. Kentucky - 197
12. Arkansas - 185
13. Vanderbilt - 86

Men's Team Rankings
1. Texas - 813.5
2. Florida - 703
3. Tennessee - 585.5
4. Georgia - 496
5. Auburn - 462
6. Kentucky - 371
7. LSU - 356
8. Alabama - 313.5
9. Missouri - 279
10. Texas A&M - 234.5
11. South Carolina - 204

Women's Medal Count
1. 100 Back - Jillian Crooks (50.50)
1. 200 Free - Camille Spink (1:41.71)
1. 200 Medley Relay - Mizuki Hirai, McKenzie Siroky, Ella Jansen, Camille Spink (1:32.80)
1. 400 IM - Ella Jansen (4:01.97)
1. 400 Medley Relay - Jillian Crooks, McKenzie Siroky, Mizuki Hirai, Camille Spink (3:24.58)
2. 100 Fly - Mizuki Hirai (50.46)
2. 200 Fly - Emily Brown (1:51.52)
2. 100 Breast - McKenzie Siroky (57.62)
3. 200 Fly - Ella Jansen (1:52.08)
3. 200 Breast - Simone Moll (58.47)
3. 800 Free Relay - Ella Jansen, Emily Armen, Amelia Mason, Emily Brown (6:54.56)
3. 400 IM - Emily Brown (4:04.07)

Men's Medal Count
1. 1-Meter: Bennett Greene (400.80)
2. 100 Fly - Gui Caribe (43.93)
2. 800 Free Relay - Koby Bujak-Upton, Nikoli Blackman, Gabe Nunziata, Ben Bricca (6:10.31)
2. 3-Meter: Bennett Greene (421.20)
3. 3-Meter: Frazer Tavener (403.90)
3. 200 Fly - Martin Espernberger (1:40.42)
3. 200 Free - Koby Bujak-Upton (1:31.67)
3. 400 Medley Relay - Ulises Saravia, Gabe Nunziata, Lucio Paula, Gui Caribe (3:01.20)

Top-10 Times/Scores
1. 200 Fly - Emily Brown (1:51.52)
1. 200 Medley Relay - Mizuki Hirai, McKenzie Siroky, Ella Jansen, Camille Spink (1:32.80)
1. 400 Medley Relay - Jillian Crooks, McKenzie Siroky, Mizuki Hirai, Camille Spink (3:24.58)
1. 800 Free Relay - Koby Bujak-Upton, Nikoli Blackman, Gabe Nunziata, Ben Bricca (6:10.31)
2. 200 Fly - Ella Jansen (1:52.08)
2. 200 Free - Camille Spink (1:41.71)
2. 100 Back - Jillian Crooks (50.50)
2. 100 Back - Ulises Saravia (44.50)
2. 100 Fly - Gui Caribe (43.93)
2. 400 Medley Relay - Ulises Saravia, Gabe Nunziata, Lucio Paula, Gui Caribe (3:01.20)
3. 100 Fly - Mizuki Hirai (50.46)
4. 100 Back - Nick Simons (45.42)
4. 100 Breast - Gabe Nunziata (51.35)
4. 400 IM - Emily Brown (4:04.07)
5. 100 Back - Ben Bricca (45.46)
5. 200 Medley Relay - Ulises Saravia, Gabe Nunziata, Gui Caribe, Nikoli Blackman (1:22.48)
6. 100 Breast - Simone Moll (58.47)
6. 800 Free Relay - Ella Jansen, Emily Armen, Amelia Mason, Emily Brown (6:54.56)
T7. 100 Back - Mizuki Hirai (51.70)
9. 100 Back - Lexi Stephens (51.97)