Jan. 30, 2016

GREENVILLE, N.C. — The South Carolina swimming & diving program earned four more team victories Saturday afternoon in a tri-meet with East Carolina and William & Mary. The Gamecock men earned a 193-105 victory over ECU and a 179-107 triumph over the Tribe. In the women’s competition, Carolina was a 170-129 winner over the Pirates and took down the Tribe, 175-110.

With the victories, both Gamecock programs finish the dual portion of the 2015-16 season with 6-3 records. The Gamecock women have now won their last six dual meets.

Overall, Carolina won 19 events in Greenville to claim the four team victories. Emma Barksdale led the Gamecocks with three individual victories, her second straight three-win meet, while Lauren Lamendola, Jordan Gotro, Akaram Mahmoud and Nils Wich-Glasen each took home two event wins.

QUOTABLES

HEAD SWIMMING COACH McGee Moody – “We had a good day today. We had an opportunity to race two very good programs. All three teams competed really well, and our team came out on top, so I am proud of that.” — On the four wins his team earned today

“Akaram Mahmoud is really starting to hit his stride, and Emma Barksdale had another great day. We’re ready to go heading into SEC Championships and NCAA Championships.” — On the individual performances that stood out in the win

“We still have a couple of events where we are looking to improve, but overall I am proud of way our team fought today. Our women especially were locked in a very close battle for most of the day and showed a ton of heart to get two wins.” — On the determination his team showed in the victories

HEAD DIVING COACH Todd Sherritt – We had a pretty good day today. The team had a lot to overcome, as the facilities required a great adjustment. Jordan Gotro was able to overcome it and broke the ECU pool record. Lauren Lamendola was also outstanding, winning both boards and shattering the ECU pool record in the 3-meter. We still need to go back, work hard and make a few adjustments to be ready for the conference championships, but if the team trains correctly going into the conference meet, I believe we will see some medals.” — On the performance from his team on the road

MEN’S RECAP

The Gamecocks started the men’s portion of the meet in the best way possible — with a win. Jonathan Boland, Wich-Glasen, Kevin Leithold and Patrick McCrillis took the 200-yard medley relay with a swim of 1:31.35 to set the tone.

Carolina dominated the 1,000-yard freestyle with a 1-2-3 finish. Mahmoud swam the race in 9:05.22 for the victory, while reigning SEC Freshman of the Week Cody Bekemeyer came in second at 9:14.26. Travis Morrin rounded out the podium with a time of 9:31.69.

Tomas Peribonio led Carolina in the 200-yard freestyle, placing second, just .01 seconds behind the winner, with a swim of 1:40.50. That was followed by the 100-yard backstroke, where Bryce Kananowicz came in third at a time of 51.29.

Wich-Glasen claimed the first of his two individual wins with a swim of 55.77 in the 100-yard breaststroke. The victory was his fifth of the season in the discipline and extended his winning streak in the race to three meets. Phillip Willett was second, at 56.76.

Caleb Tosh was the next Gamecock to touch the wall first, winning the 200-yard butterfly. His swim of 1:51.47 edged Mahmoud by just .03 seconds, and Jack Smith checked in third with a performance of 1:54.12

In the 50-yard freestyle, Boland paced Carolina with a second-place result, in a time of 21.31. Leithold was the top finisher in the 100-yard freestyle, completing the race in 46.57 to take third, and Evan Freed led Carolina with a second place mark in the 200-yard backstroke. His time was 1:50.26.

It was Wich-Glasen who got the Gamecocks back into the winner’s circle. His swim of 2:00.17 was tops in the 200-yard breaststroke and was followed by teammates Willett (2:03.21) and Jeremiah Bohon (2:03.77).

Mahmoud won again and the Gamecocks scored a second consecutive podium sweep in the 500-yard freestyle. The winning time was 4:26.17, with Peribonio’s 4:30.62 good for second and Fynn Minuth’s 4:33.56 taking third by nearly six seconds.

Boland’s turn in the spotlight came in the 100-yard butterfly, where he won the race in 49.91. That was followed by the 200-yard IM, where Willett (1:52.20), Bekemeyer (1:52.88) and Leithold (1:53.01) swept the podium.

Carolina turned in the second-fastest time in the last event of the meet, the 400-yard freestyle relay. Boland, Peribonio, Minuth and McCrillis turned in a time of 3:04.56.

Gotro once again was victorious in both men’s diving events. He scored a total of 328.95 to win the 1-meter and came back with a mark of 386.175 in the 3-meter to take another title

WOMEN’S RECAP

The first race of the day was the 200-yard medley relay, where the Gamecocks came in third. Ashleigh Ferguson, Ellen Johnson, Paige Maynard and Taylor Vincent turned in a performance of 1:47.40.

Barksdale stood tall for the first of three events when she won the 1,000-yard freestyle, swimming the event in 10:12.36. She has won the race both times she’s entered it this season. Sarah Smith placed second, at 10:18.20.

In the 200-yard freestyle, Taylor Worrell guided the Gamecocks to the win. Her swim of 1:52.38 edged out teammate Maggie Harman by .29 seconds.

Ferguson won the 100-yard backstroke, collecting the title with a time of 57.51. The win was the first this season for the senior, and teammate Megan Carlson placed third, at 57.84.

Kersten Dirrane was the top Gamecock in the 100-yard breaststroke, swimming the race in 1:06.04 to check in second. But it wasn’t long before another Carolina swimmer placed first, with Maynard winning the 200-yard butterfly. The winning time was 2:01.68.

In the 50-yard freestyle, Taylor Vincent’s 24.33 was just .40 seconds out of first and earned her a third place finish. Next came the 100-yard freestyle, where Caroline Petrone was the top Gamecock, at fourth place, swimming a time of 52.71.

Carlson led South Carolina in the 200-yard backstroke, placing third with a swim of 2:03.45. That set the stage for the 200-yard breaststroke, where Barksdale secured the victory with a time of 2:17.19. Brittany Oxley was third, at 2:21.20.

One week after winning three races in South Carolina’s quad meet, Harman took another victory in the 500-yard freestyle. The reigning SEC Freshman of the Week came up with a time of 4:56.44 in a very tight race. Worrell placed third, in a time of 4:57.04.

After Maynard led Carolina in the 100-yard butterfly, with a swim of 56.44 to place third, Barksdale captured her third and final win of the day. The freshman grabbed the 200-yard IM for the fourth race in a row and fifth overall, bringing it home in 2:04.15. Carlson’s 2:06.95 claimed third in another close race.

The last race of the day was the 400-yard freestyle relay, where Carolina’s best quartet finished third. Harman, Petrone, Maynard and Meredith Vay combined for a time of 3:30.46.

Lamendola beat out a field full of high-performing Gamecocks to win the 1-meter dive. Her score of 312.75 was less than two points ahead of teammate Julia Vincent, who finished with a total of 310.875. Mikaela Lujan finished third, at 266.85.

The senior also won the 3-meter title, setting a Minges Natatorium record with a score of 352.75. Vincent came in second, with a cumulative mark of 327.75.

NOTABLE

• Carolina’s men are now 9-2 all time against East Carolina and 1-1 against William & Mary.
• Saturday’s dual was the first for the Gamecock men against William & Mary since a 49-45 loss in 1965.
• On the women’s side, the Gamecocks are now 5-1 against the Pirates and 1-0 against the Tribe.
• Barksdale now has nine solo victories in her freshman season across four separate events.
• Gotro now has 11 individual victories this season in diving.
• Lamendola is up to three individual victories this season and has 10 for her Gamecock career.
• Mahmoud now has 13 individual victories this season across five events, and Wich-Glasen has 13 across three disciplines.

UP NEXT FOR CAROLINA

Moody’s squad is now set for the 2016 championship season, which begins with the SEC Championships. The annual clash for conference supremacy runs Feb. 16-20 in Columbia, Mo.