Swimming and Diving . February 21, 2024

Gamecocks Near Multiple Program Records on Night Three of SECs

Auburn, Ala. – South Carolina swimming & diving completed the third day of action at the SEC Championships on Wednesday with numerous entries into the program record books. The team had a total of nine individuals qualify for finals appearances with four of them in the B-finals.

The Gamecock divers had their best performance of the meet so far with freshman Max Spencer qualifying for the B-finals of the 3-meter dive. The freshman put up a 320.85 in the prelims to finish 16^th and placed fourth in the B-finals to finish 12^th overall.

Also putting points on the board was sophomore Charley Bayer who finished 23^rd in the prelims with a 306.90. The men’s divers will compete next on Friday in the platform event.

In the women’s 200 free relay, Aubrey Chandler, Dylan Scholes, Peyton Curry, and Nicholle Toh combined for a time of 1:29.23 that landed them in second place of their heat and in ninth place overall. The time makes the group the third-fastest in program history.

Mark Shperkin, Michael Laitarovsky, Jackson Davis, and Wylie Kruse combined for a 1:17.34 in their 200 free relay, becoming the second-fastest team in program history. The time put them in seventh place overall.

Shperkin’s leadoff split of 19.45 was a new career-best time for the senior and solidifies him as the second-fastest 50 free swimmer in program history.

Breckin Gormley was South Carolina’s lone representative in the women’s 500 free. The sophomore placed fourth in the C-final and 20^th overall with a time of 4:45.54. The time was a new personal best and puts her at sixth in the all-time top-10.

In the men’s 500 free, the freshmen duo of Raymond Prosinski and Connor Fry both qualified for finals with Prosinski in the B-final and Fry in the C-final. Fry set a new personal best time in the C-finals of 4:17.98 to place second in his heat and 18^th overall.

Prosinski earned his spot in the B-final after swimming a 4:17.16 in the prelims. He came back for a 4:23.08 in the finals to place 16^th overall. His preliminary time puts him at eighth in the program’s all-time top-10.

Both Greta Pelzek and Laura Goettler made the finals of the 200 IM. Goettler placed seventh in the C-final and 22^nd overall while Pelzek placed sixth in the B-final and 14^th overall. Pelzek’s preliminary time of 1:57.39 made her ninth-fastest in the field and jumps her up to third in the program’s all-time top-10.

Scholes got back in the water for the B-final of the 50 free. The sophomore swam a 22.45 to place fifth in her heat and 13^th overall. Her preliminary time of 22.43 was a new personal best.

In the men’s 50 free, Shperkin claimed first in the C-final, making him 17^th overall with a 19.58. Laitarovsky also made the finals of the event but was disqualified for a false start.

Through the third night of finals, the Gamecock women are tied for eighth place with Kentucky with both teams having 173 points. The men are in ninth place with 183 points.

The SEC Championships will continue on Thursday with the women’s 1-meter, 400 IM, 100 fly, and 200 free. Swim prelims will begin at 10:30am ET with diving prelims at 1:00pm ET. Finals will start at 6:30 p.m. ET. Live results and streaming link can be found here.

For all the latest South Carolina swimming and diving information, continue to follow GamecocksOnline.com or the team on social media (@GamecockSwmDive).

Results

Men’s 3-meter

Finals

12 – Spencer – 338.65

Prelims

16 – Spencer – 320.85

23 – Bayer – 306.90

31 – Hoard – 215.15

Women’s 200 Free Relay

9 – Chandler, Scholes, Curry, Toh – 1:29.23

Men’s 200 Free Relay

7 – Shperkin, Laitarovsky, Davis, Kruse – 1:17.34