Jan. 10, 2015
DURHAM, N.C. –
The South Carolina swimming and diving team earned a split decision with Duke as the men defeated the Blue Devils 158-136 and the women fell 165-135. Harvard edged out both the Gamecock men and women with scores of 180-120 and 154-146, respectively. The men’s squad improved to 4-3 while the women are now 5-4.
South Carolina’s men and women opened the meet with a fourth-place results in the 200 medley relay. Juniors Ashleigh Ferguson and Ellen Johnson along with freshmen Heather Merritt and Meredith Vay clocked in at 1:46.32 for the women, while seniors Michael Covert and Jared Kauffman teamed up with freshmen Nils Wich-Glasen and Patrick McCrillis to finish in 1:32.82 for the men.
The Gamecocks swept the men’s distance events, claiming first through third in the 500 and 1,000 freestyle. Freshman Akram Mahmoud earned his first collegiate win in the 1,000 freeestlye with a time of 9:13.50. Tomas Peribonio finished just behind Mahmoud in 9:13.63 to take second place and Travis Morrin finished third. In the 500 freestyle, junior Marwan El Kamash touched the wall first with a time of 4:30.12, followed by Mahmoud (4:30.68) and Peribonio (4:32.40). On the women’s side, senior Victoria Mitchell led the Gamecocks, taking first place in both 500 and 1,000 freestyle. Freshman Sarah Smith finished second in the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:56.63, just one second shy of her personal record.
Vay recorded a trio of top-five finishes, as she placed second in the 200 freestyle, third in the 100 freestyle and fourth in the 50 freestyle. El Kamash (200 freestyle) and Kevin Leihtold (100 butterfly) added a pair of second-place finishes. Leithold missed his season best time by less than one second.
Wich-Glasen tallied two wins, finishing first in the 200 breaststroke (1:58.91) and 200 IM (1:50.88). His NCAA B cut time in the 200 breaststroke broke the facility record at Taishoff Aquatic Pavilion.
Both the men and women concluded the meet with a third-place finish in the 400 freestyle relay.
In the diving well, the Gamecocks swept the women’s one-meter competition as Patricia Kranz, Lauren Lamendola and Julia Vincent finished first through third, respectively. Lamendola took first place on the three-meter springboard while Vincent secured second place. Senior Cole Miller added a win for South Carolina on the one-meter springboard and finished second on the three-meter. Sophomore Jordan Gotro had a pair of top-three finishes, taking second on the one-meter and third on the three-meter.
NOTABLES
Men
– Akram Mahmoud (9:13.50) and Tomas Peribonio (9:13.63) set personal records in the 1,000 freestyle and their times rank third and fourth in school history, respectively.
– Nils Wich-Glasen tallied his sixth win in the 200 breaststroke this season.
– Wich-Glasen broke the facility record at Taishoff Aquatic Pavilion with his time of 1:58.91 in the 200 breaststroke.
– Cole Miller tallied his third win on the one-meter springboard this season with a score of 344.00.
– Jordan Gotro’s score of 340.55 on the one-meter is a season best.
Women
– Megan Carlson posted a season-best time in the 200 backstroke (2:03.23).
– Ashleigh Ferguson recorded a personal record in the 100 freestyle with her 53.38 split in the 400 freestyle relay.
– Lauren Lamendola earned her second win this season on the three-meter springboard with a score of 329.70.
– Patricia Kranz tallied her fifth win on the one-meter this season.
QUOTABLE
Head swimming coach McGee Moody
“Obviously we were hoping for better results. Going 1-3 was not what we wanted but I thought we had some good races. Tomas Peribonio and A. Akram Mahmoud had great performances in the 1000 and 500 freestyles, as did Marwan El Kamash in the 500. Victoria Mitchell had a great race in the 1000 freestyle. Megan Carlson and Annika Jonsson had a really tough back-to-back at the end of the meet racing in the 200 IM and then the 400 freestyle relay. We had great energy at the end but it wasn’t where it needed to be at the beginning. We’ll regroup and get ready for Missouri next weekend.”
UP NEXT
South Carolina returns home for conference action against Missouri on Jan. 17.
