Barksdale, Riggs Named to 18 & Under World 100 List

Sept. 22, 2016

COLUMBIA, S.C. — USA Swimming announced its 2016-17 18 & Under World 100 selections on Thursday, which featured South Carolina swimmers Emma Barksdale and Will Riggs. Barksdale was selected for her 4:44.80 time in the 400 IM, while Riggs was chosen based on his 2:00.26 time in the 200 Butterfly.

The list of 50 men and 50 women was selected according to their highest 18 & under world ranking in an individual Olympic event. Barksdale holds a world ranking of 22, while Riggs comes in at 32.

“This is a huge honor for Will and Emma,” said head coach McGee Moody. “They have both competed on the national stage, and I truly believe their best racing is still ahead of them. Making this list is a big step towards their goal of representing their country in 2020. You will not find an Olympian in recent history that did not appear on this list prior to their Olympic success. We are proud to call them Gamecocks!”

Barksdale, returning as a sophomore, took part in eight events as a freshman and qualified for the NCAA Championships. She also swam in three events at the 2016 Olympic Trials, including a pair of top-20 finishes. Her time in the 400 IM at the trials qualified her for the Junior Pan Pacific Championships.

Before joining the Gamecocks, newcomer Riggs qualified for the 2016 Olympic Trials and earned a spot on the USA roster for the 2016 Junior Pan Pacific Championships, where he took fourth in the men’s 200 fly.

Barksdale, Riggs and the rest of the Gamecocks look to kick off their season October 7-8 in Fort Myers, Fla. at the Florida Gulf Coast Invite.

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