ATHENS, Ga. – In its inaugural appearance, the No. 2 Texas Women's Swim and Dive program won the 2025 SEC Championship Saturday night at Gabrielsen Natatorium. The Longhorns collected 1,450 total points, 271 points over second-place Florida (1,179).
Texas has now won 13-consecutive conference titles (12 Big 12, 1 SEC) across two conferences, all since the arrival of head coach Carol Capitani. It's the 37th overall conference crown for the women's swim and dive program since 1983 (14 Southwest Conference, 22 Big 12, 1 SEC).
The Longhorns diminished Florida's two-year conference championship winning streak that ranged from 2023-24.
Senior Emma Sticklen was named the SEC Swimmer of the Meet and shared the Commissioner's Cup Trophy with Tennessee's Camille Spink after both student-athletes recorded the highest points total at 96 apiece.
UT started the night on fire as freshman Jillian Cox won the 1,650 in a sensational 15:30.33, smothering her previous school record of 15:34.66 (Nov. 22, 2024) while simultaneously setting a new SEC Meet record and pool record. The previous SEC Meet record was set in 2016 by Georgia's Brittany MacLean and the previous pool record was owned by Georgia's Abby McCulloh in 2024. Freshman Kate Hurst also earned a spot on the podium after turning in a personal-best time of 15:47.93 to place third.
Freshman Lillie Nesty represented Texas in the 200 back final, compiling a personal-best time of 1:52.51 to finish fifth.
Sophomore Erin Gemmell clocked in a personal-best time of 47.47 in the 100 free to clinch a bronze medal in the event.
In the second-to-final event of the night on the women's side, senior Abby Arens (2:07.94) accumulated a season-best time to finish fourth in the 200 breast while freshman Piper Enge (2:08.01) threw down a season-best time to place fifth.
To put a bow on a remarkable conference meet, Gemmell, Sticklen, Nesty and Arens shattered the school record in the 400 free relay to finish runner-up at 3:09.26 and claim Texas' 20th medal of the week to seal the conference title.
The Texas divers put together a strong showing all week, filing an SEC-best 335 total points through three events. The 335 points by the divers are also an SEC Meet record. That's 217 more total points than Texas A&M, who tallied the second-most points from diving at 118. Senior Hailey Hernandez collected a pair of bronze medals in the 1 and 3-meter while true freshman Alejandra Estudillo Torres took home a pair of silver medals in the 3-meter and platform. Estudillo Torres' 81 points were the most of any SEC diver competing at the conference meet.
Medal Count (20)
First Place (7)
– 200 medley relay (Sticklen, Enge, Arens, Cooper) – 1:33.84
– 200 freestyle relay (Cooper, Sticklen, Arens, Longi) – 2:18.10
– 500 freestyle (Cox) – 4:31.54
– 200 IM (Sticklen) – 1:52.42
– 100 butterfly (Sticklen) – 49.40
– 200 butterfly (Sticklen) – 1:49.17
– 1,650 freestyle (Cox) – 15:30.33
Second Place (7)
– 800 freestyle relay (Gemmell, Nesty, Chase, Longi) – 6:49.83
– 200 IM (Stoll) – 1:53.37
– 3-meter dive (Estudillo Torres) – 369.50
– 200 freestyle (Gemmell) – 1:42.32
– 200 butterfly (Stoll) – 1:51.64
– platform dive (Estudillo Torres) – 318.10
– 400 freestyle relay (Gemmell, Sticklen, Nesty, Arens) – 3:09.26
Third Place (6)
– 1-meter dive (Hernandez) – 316.20
– 3- meter diving (Hernandez) – 335.05
– 400 IM (Stoll) – 4:03.11
– 100 butterfly (Arens) – 51.21
– 200 butterfly (Bray) – 1:52.61
– 1,650 freestyle (Hurst) – 15:47.93
Team Standings
TEXAS – 1,450
Florida – 1,179
Tennessee – 1,172
Georgia – 689.5
South Carolina – 635.5
Alabama – 620
LSU – 609
Texas A&M – 566.5
Auburn – 524.5
Missouri – 398
Kentucky – 345
Arkansas – 244
Vanderbilt – 165