March 28, 2002

ATHENS, Ga. –
The South Carolina men’s swimming and diving team opened up the first day of competition at the NCAA Championships. Senior diver Brandon Hulko placed 12th on the one-meter board with a score of 302.70. Hulko finished 11th last year in the one-meter competition.

Also competing for the Gamecocks in the preliminaries this afternoon was sophomores Istvan Bathazi and Chris McCrary. Bathazi competed in the 200 individual medley and finished 19th with a time of 1:47.32. Bathazi improved from his last year’s finish of 30th place in the 200 IM. McCrary placed 37th in the 50 freestyle with a time of 20.30. This is McCrary’s first year competing at the NCAA Championships.

All three Gamecocks will be back in competition tomorrow afternoon with preliminary competition beginning at 11 a.m. Hulko will be competing in the three-meter board competition. Bathazi will compete in the 400 individual medley, an event he was consolation final champion in last year. Bathazi enters this year’s event with the tenth fastest time in the nation, 3:48.16. McCrary will compete in the 100 butterfly, with his top time of the year at 48.45.