Mahmoud, Wich-Glasen and Bekemeyer Shine on Final Day of SEC Championships
Feb. 18, 2017
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Akram Mahmoud, Nils Wich-Glasen and Cody Bekemeyer put on a show for South Carolina on the final day of the 2017 SEC Championships. Mahmoud defended his SEC title in the 1650-yard freestyle and is going home with the gold for the second consecutive year.
Wich-Glasen earned his second silver medal of the meet as he took second in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:52.41. His time set a new school record, topping the record he set in 2015 of 1:52.60. Bekemeyer also took home some hardware as he finished third in the 1650-yard freestyle with a time of 14:49.09.
On the women’s side, Kersten Dirrane had the best finish for Carolina when she took fourth place in the 200-yard breaststroke, setting a new personal best with a time of 2:08.58.
MEN’S RECAP
South Carolina started the final day of competition with four Gamecocks in the 1650-yard freestyle. Following Mahmoud and Bekemeyer’s medal-winning performances, Tomas Peribonio finished in eighth place with a time of 14:56.77 and Travis Morrin took 31st with a time of 15:33.91.
Bryce Kananowicz was the lone Gamecock in the 200-yard backstroke final and finished with a time of 1:44.98, good for 21st overall. Jonathan Boland also was the sole representative of Carolina in the 100-yard freestyle. He set a PR in the prelims with a time of 43.67 and took 15th overall with a time of 43.84.
Joining Wich-Glasen in the 200-yard breaststroke, Jeremiah Bohon came in 20th with a time of 1:58.81 and Thomas Hang finished at 23rd in 2:00.16. Jordan Gotro made an appearance in the platform finals tonight, setting a new school record and taking seventh with a score of 386.05.
The Gamecocks wrapped up the evening with the 400-yard freestyle relay. The group made up of Boland, Peribonio, Wich-Glasen and Patrick McCrillis finished the race in 10th place with a time of 2:55.70.
WOMEN’S RECAP
Three Gamecocks started the night off with the 1650-yard freestyle, with each one setting a new personal record. Smith led Carolina with a time of 16:26.86 for 16th overall, Elizabeth Maltby followed at 16:39.23 for 21st and Megan Carlson took 22nd with a time of 16:42.28.
Emily Cornell and Heather Merritt represented the Gamecocks in the 200-yard backstroke, where Cornell finished 15th with a time of 1:56.58 and Merritt posted a time of 1:58.47, good for 24th place.
Dirrane was in good company in the 200-yard breaststroke as Albury Higgs and Emma Barksdale each competed in the finals. Higgs earned 13th place with a time of 2:11.49, while Barksdale finished first in the C final with a time of 2:11.30, good for 17th overall.
Setting another school record for South Carolina, Meredith Vay, Edith Lingmann, Barksdale and Merritt finished 10th in the 400-yard freestyle relay with a time of 3:19.31.
NOTABLE
- Akram Mahmoud became the first mal to win an individual SEC title in consecutive years since 2000-01 (Zsolt Gaspar).
- The women’s side posted it’s highest finish with ninth place since the team finished eighth in 2012.
- Carolina set a total of 21 school records and 81 personal records throughout the course of the meet.
