Feb. 20, 2015
AUBURN, Ala. –
Freshman Heather Merritt and redshirt sophomore Kevin Leithold downed two more school records on the fourth day of the SEC Championships. Merritt finished the 100 backstroke preliminary in 54.14, breaking the previous school record of 54.74 record from 2009. Leithold broke his own record in of 53.36 in the 100 breaststroke with his time of 52.97 in the preliminary.
The Gamecock men are currently in ninth place with 359 points while the women are in 11th with 308 points. Florida leads the men’s competition with 980 points and Georgia is in first place on the women’s side with 1082 points.
Freshman Arkram Mahmoud finished 24th overall after racing in the C final of the men’s 200 butterfly. Mahmoud advanced to finals after recording a personal record of 1:46.43, which ranks fourth in school history, in the preliminary competition.
Freshman Caleb Tosh and junior Bobby Bittner also swam in the preliminary of the 200 butterfly. Tosh finished in 26th place with a career-best 1:47.16 while Bittner placed 37th with a career-best 1:49.77.
In the women’s 200 butterfly, senior Annika Jonsson led the Gamecocks with a 25th place finish (2:00.05), just missing the C final. Freshman Taylor Worrell (2:00.57) and seniors Elisabeth Worrell (2:00.98) and Charlotte Ward (2:02.21) placed 31st, 34th and 43rd, respectively.
Sophomore Jonathan Boland placed 20th overall in the men’s 100 backstroke with his time of 48.31. He set a personal record in the preliminary of 48.26, which ranks third in school history.
Senior Michael Covert came up just short of the C final with his 25th-place finish (48.45) in the 100 backstroke preliminary.
Heather Merritt (54.67) and Ashleigh Ferguson (54.68) finished 23rd and 24th overall in the women’s 100 backstroke, respectively. Merritt set a school record with her time of 54.18 in the preliminary to advance to the C final.
Sophomores Megan Carlson and Caroline Petrone also swam in the women’s 100 backstroke preliminary. The pair finished 31st and 41st with times of 55.34 and 58.34, respectively.
Freshman Nils-Wich Glasen placed 12th overall in the men’s 100 breaststroek with his personal record of 53.11, which ranks second in school history. Leithold finished 14th overall (53.52) and senior Alex Vance finished in 24th place with a time of 55.91.
Sophomore Evan Mahoney finished just short of the C final of the 100 breaststroke in 26th place with a personal record of 55.98. Freshman Jeremiah Bohon (56.20), senior Jared Kauffman (56.21) and freshman Thomas Hang (56.91) placed 28th, 29th and 33rd, respectively.
Senior Patricia Kranz and freshman Marissa Roth placed 10th and 24th in the women’s platform diving with scores of 238.05 and 196.70, respectively.
The Gamecock women wrapped up the night with yet another school record in the 400 medley relay. The team of Ferguson, Ellen Johnson, Merritt and Meredith Vay combined for 3:39.48 and an 11th place finish. The men’s relay team was disqualified.
NOTABLES
- Through four days of competition the Gamecocks have set six school records.
- The women’s team has broken three relay records.
- Akram Mahmoud and Caleb Tosh recorded NCAA B cuts in the 200 butterfly.
- Taylor Worrell, Elizabeth Worrell and Charlotte Ward all recorded career-best times in the 200 butterfly.
- Megan Carlson’s time in the 100 backstroke is a personal record.
- Heather Merritt and Ashleigh Ferguson recorded NCAA B cuts in the 100 backstroke
- Jeremiah Bohon and Thomas Hang both set personal records in the 100 breaststroke.
- Jonathan Boland’s time in the 100 backstroke is a NCAA provisional cut.
Nils Wich-Glasen and Kevin Leithold’s times in the 100 breaststroke are NCAA B cuts
UP NEXT
The Gamecocks conclude the SEC Championships with the fifth and final day on Saturday.
Preliminaries being at 10 a.m. CT with finals slated to follow at 6 p.m. CT.
