May 13, 2011
By Wes Todd
Assistant Media Relations Director
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – South Carolina rising sophomores Matt Navata and Rachael Schaffer got off to a great start at the Charlotte Ultraswim on Friday, advancing to the championship final in the 400-meter individual medley at the Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center.
Navata, who redshirted for the Gamecocks last season, finished sixth in the championship final with a 4:32.41. He posted a time of 4:30.76 to finish fifth in the morning’s preliminaries and advance to the A-final in his first competitive swim in more than a year. His mark was also a qualifying time for the USA Swimming ConocoPhillips National Championships, which take place in August.
Schaffer, the Gamecock record-holder in the short-course yards version of the 400 IM, clocked a 4:55.97 to take seventh place in her 400 IM championship final. In the morning prelims, she swam a 4:52.51 to finish fifth and earn her own spot in the championship. Her morning swim was good for an 2012 Olympic Trials qualifying mark, which she already possessed coming into the meet.
Two other Gamecock women advanced to the C-final in the 400 IM. Rising junior Whitney Avers finished 21st with a 4:59.11 – shaving more than two seconds off her preliminary time of 5:01.30 – and rising sophomore Abby Galbreath was right behind her with a 4:59.65 to take 22nd; Galbreath swam a 5:01.33 in prelims.
Rising sophomore Amanda Rutqvist won the C-final in the 100-meter breaststroke, posting a time of 1:11.45 to earn what would be a U.S. Olympic Trial cut time; it is unclear what the qualifying time is for Olympic Trials in her native Sweden. Earlier in the day, she took a 20th-place finish in prelims of the 100-meter breaststroke, clocking a 1:12.62 to advance to the C-final. Schaffer finished 35th in that event with a 1:14.08.
Also for the men, rising junior Michael Flach took the top spot in the C-final of the 200 freestyle with a 1:52.50, earning an Olympic Trials cut time of his own. He advanced to the C-final in the 200 freestyle with a 1:53.49, finishing 21st in the preliminary heats. The other men’s competitor for the Gamecocks on Friday was rising senior Ryan Connolly, who swam a 4:49.85 in his preliminary heat of the 400 IM.
Recent graduate Bridget Halligan finished 48th in the 100-meter butterfly with a time of 1:04.53, and rising junior Lindsey Olson swam a 2:08.99 in the 200 freestyle.
Saturday’s action will feature competition in the 200 butterfly, 50 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 400 freestyle and 200 breaststroke. Live results are available through charlotteultraswim.com.
