Ten Gamecocks Advance To Thursday’s Finals At SEC Championships

Feb. 21, 2013

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The South Carolina swimming and diving teams will have nine swimmers and one diver in tonight’s finals of the 2013 SEC Championships at the Texas A&M Student Recreation Center Natatorium.

On the day the Gamecocks posted nine NCAA provisional qualifying times and 12 lifetime bests.

In the men’s three-meter diving competition, sophomore Cole Miller advanced to the final for the second straight year, finishing eighth with a score of 339.60. Miller finished sixth at last year’s SEC Championships. Senior Rylan Ridenour placed 10th with a total of 329.50, securing 17 points for the Gamecocks, while junior Andrew Helmich finished 28th (242.25).

For the second straight night, junior Michael Flach will be swimming in a championship final, but this time he will be joined by teammate Gerard Rodriguez. Flach and Rodriguez qualified for the men’s 200 freestyle final by finishing fifth and seventh, respectively, in the preliminaries. Flach swam a NCAA B cut of 1:34.93, which is the second fastest time in school history. Rodriguez turned in the third fastest time in school history with a mark of 1:35.82. Freshman Marwan El Kamash also made the C final of the 200 freestyle as he finished 22nd with a B cut of 1:37.69.

Junior Matt Navata made the finals of the 400 IM for the second straight year. He finished 19th overall with a NCAA B cut of 3:51.48 to qualify for the C final.

In the women’s 400 IM, junior Rachael Schaffer finished 13th to advance to the B final with a NCAA B cut of 4:15.13, while junior Abby Galbreath qualified for the C final with a 20th-place finish in a NCAA provisional qualifying time of 4:19.28.

The Gamecocks also had three swimmers make the cut for the finals in the men’s 100 butterfly. Senior Collin Kaden and juniors Alex Fitton and Jay Warner finished 18th, 19th and 20th, respectively, to advance to the C final. Kaden swam a NCAA B cut of 47.86, which is the sixth fastest time in school history. Fitton posted a B cut of 47.95, which is the seventh fastest mark all-time at South Carolina, and Warner swam the eighth fastest time in school history as he touched the wall in 48.00.

Juniors Meghan Brockington and Lauren Raczkowski finished 34th and 35th, respectively, to lead the Gamecocks in the women’s 100 butterfly. Brockington swam a 55.66, while Raczkowski finished with a personal best of 55.72.

Freshman Caroline Bixler was South Carolina’s top finisher in the women’s 200 freestyle. Bixler placed 41st with a personal best 1:50.34.

The finals are slated to begin tonight at 6 CT. Live video and live results will be available here

Thursday, February 212013 SEC Swimming & Diving ChampionshipsCollege Station, Texas - Student Recreation Center NatatoriumDay 3 PrelimsMen's 400 IM*19. Matt Navata 3:51.48 (NCAA B cut)36. Narayan Naik    4:02.55
Women's 400 IM*13. Rachael Schaffer   4:15.13 (NCAA B cut)*20. Abby Galbreath   4:19.28 (NCAA B cut)31. Whitney Avers  4:33.83
Men's 100 Butterfly*18. Collin Kaden   47.86 (NCAA B cut, PR)*19. Alex Fitton 47.95 (NCAA B cut, PR)*20. Jay Warner       48.00 (NCAA B cut, PR)39. Eric Lethander    49.19 (PR)51. Jake White        52.33
Women's 100 Butterfly34. M. Brockington  55.6635. L. Raczkowski   55.72 (PR)41. Casey Papp        56.1849. Sara Drake        57.5253. Lindsay Pierce    58.4455. Rachel Elliott    1:01.60 (PR)
Men's 200 Freestyle*5. Michael Flach  1:34.93 (NCAA B cut, PR)*7. Gerard Rodriguez    1:35.82 (NCAA B cut, PR)*22. M. El Kamash   1:37.69 (NCAA B cut, PR)34. Alex Eiden        1:38.89 (PR)44. Matt Columbus  1:40.0756. Brooks Ross  1:41.72 (PR)
Women's 200 Freestyle41. Caroline Bixler  1:50.34 (PR)55. Annika Jonsson    1:53.81
Men's Three-Meter Diving*8. Cole Miller      339.6010. Rylan Ridenour    329.5028. Andrew Helmich    242.25
*Advanced to finals