Smith Swims Olympic Trials Cut in Knoxville
June 6, 2016
KONXVILLE, Tenn. — University of South Carolina freshman Jack Smith became the latest member of the Gamecock Swimming & Diving program to qualify for the 2016 US Olympic Trials on Sunday when he swam a qualifying time in the 200m IM. Swimming at the Tennessee Aquatics June Invitational, Smith posted a time of 2:04.92 and is headed to Omaha to compete for a spot on the US Olympic Team.
Smith will join current teammates Emma Barksdale, Cody Bekemeyer, Jeremiah Bohon, Jonathan Boland, Kersten Dirrane, Paige Maynard, Meredith Vay and Taylor Worrell in Omaha. Also, assistant coach Kevin Swander and Carolina alum Michael Flach have posted qualifying times. The 2016 US Olympic Trials will be contested June 26 – July 3 at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Neb.
Smith wasn’t the only Gamecock to race well in Knoxville over the weekend. Barksdale won the 400 IM and placed second in the 200 IM, Dirrane snagged a pair of podium finishes and Brittany Oxley and Alec Rutkowski each made the A finals. A full list of results from Knoxville can be found here.
Gamecocks Akaram Mahmoud and Julia Vincent have already officially punched their tickets to the Rio Summer Olympics in August. Mahmoud will swim for Egypt, while Vincent will dive for South Africa.