Gamecocks Set for 2017 SEC Swimming & Diving Championship
Feb. 13, 2017
COLUMBIA, S.C. – It’s postseason time for the University of South Carolina Swimming & Diving program, beginning with the 2017 Southeastern Conference Championships. The five-day conference meet runs Tuesday-Saturday, Feb. 14-18 at the Jones Aquatic Center in Knoxville, Tenn.
Complete coverage from all five days will be streamed through SEC Network+ and the WatchESPN app, and fans are encouraged to follow @GamecockSwim, the official Twitter account of Carolina Swimming & Diving, for direct links to specific broadcasts.
The Gamecocks last competed as a full squad Jan. 27-28 at home as they hosted the SC College Invitational. Both the men and women defeated East Carolina, UNCW, Queens and Wingate.
LAST SEASON AT THE SEC CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Carolina men finished in seventh at the 2016 SEC Championships, held in Columbia, Mo., while the Gamecock women came in 11th. Overall, the Gamecocks finished the meet with five podium spots, broke nine school records and set 40 personal best times.
Among returning Gamecocks, Akram Mahmoud had the highest finish, a first place result in the men’s 1650-yard freestyle. Mahmoud also took second in the men’s 500-yard freestyle. He became South Carolina’s first SEC champion on the men’s side since 2001.
Allyson Nied came in third in the women’s platform dive, Nils Wich-Glasen finished third in the men’s 200-yard breaststroke and Tom Peribonio took third in the men’s 1650-yard freestyle.
CAROLINA’S SEC CHAMPIONSHIPS HISTORY
Since first competing in the SEC Championships in 1992, the Gamecocks have recorded 16 individual SEC event titles. The Carolina men placed fifth in 1992, their best mark, and the women’s finished fifth in both 2004 and 2005.
Michelle Davison is the lone Carolina student-athlete to win three SEC championships; she captured the 3M dive crown in 1998 and won the 1999 titles on both the 1M and 3M boards. Four Gamecocks have won two SEC individual titles: Vivian Alberty (1M dive in 1994 and 1995), Zsolt Gaspar (100 fly in 2000, 50 free in 2001), Allison Brennan (1M and 3M dive in 2006), and Taryn Zack (1M dive in 2009 and 2011).
On the men’s side, South Carolina is looking for their first consecutive individual SEC titles since 2000-01 by Zsolt Gaspar. The Gamecock women last produced an SEC champion on 2012, when Courtney Forcucci won the 1M dive. The only Gamecock to win a women’s swimming event is Amanda Rutqvist, the 2011 SEC champion in the 200 breaststroke.
UP NEXT FOR CAROLINA
Carolina’s divers compete at the NCAA Zone Diving Championships from March 7-9 with an eye toward qualifying for the national meet. The NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships are March 17-19, and the NCAA Men’s Championships are scheduled for March 24-26. All three meets will be held in Atlanta, Ga.
