Swimming and Diving Announces 2017-18 Schedule
July 27, 2017
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina swimming and diving head coach McGee Moody announced his team’s 2017-18 competition schedule on Thursday. The Gamecocks face a strong schedule, highlighted by four home events and matchups against four top-25 programs.
“We’re excited about his year’s schedule,” Moody said. “I think we’ve put together a schedule that will allow us to compete against not only the top teams in the SEC, but the top teams in the country. We ask our student-athletes day after day to step up and compete, race and train at a high level, and we’re excited to be able to add these teams to our 2017-18 season and test ourselves week-in and week-out.”
The South Carolina women will start off their fall schedule with a tri-meet in Columbia, Mo., on Oct. 14. The Gamecocks will face off against Missouri, who finished 13th in the NCAA Championships last season, and Arkansas. In their 2016 matchup against Arkansas, the Gamecocks defeated the Razorbacks 177-123.
The men will join the women on Oct. 19 as both squads face Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind. The Boilermaker men had a strong finish at last season’s NCAA Championship with a 13th-place finish to their women’s 23rd. The Gamecocks will stay on the road for their matchup on Oct. 21 at Cincinnati before returning home to finish the fall season.
To kick off the home schedule, the Gamecocks will host two straight dual meets. The North Carolina Tar Heels will compete in Columbia on Oct. 26, followed by Auburn on Nov. 4. The Tigers contribute to the Gamecocks’ top-25 opponents with 12th- and 18th- place finishes for their men and women, respectively. North Carolina also recorded a top-25 finish at the NCAA Championships with their women placing 17th.
The Gamecocks will make their fifth-consecutive appearance at the Georgia Tech Invitational on Nov. 16-18 to close out the fall season in Atlanta.
South Carolina swimming and diving will start 2018 on the road as it heads to Greenville, N.C., to face East Carolina on Jan. 13. The Gamecocks will then return home to host Georgia Tech on Jan. 20.
For the second year, South Carolina will be hosting the SC College Invitational on Jan. 26-27. The Gamecocks will host UNCW, East Carolina, Queens and Wingate in Columbia after taking first place at last season’s competition.
To round out the regular season, swimming and diving will travel to Blacksburg, Va., for the Virginia Tech College Invitational on Feb. 2-4.
Texas A&M will host the 2018 SEC Championships in College Station, Texas, on Feb. 14-18. The Gamecocks boasted an SEC Champion last season in Akram Mahmoud, who will return in 2018 to defend his 1650 freestyle title.
This season’s NCAA Men’s and Women’s Championships will be held in separate locations, with the women competing in Columbus, Ohio, on March 21-24 and the men competing in Minneapolis, Minn., on Mar. 28-31. The Gamecocks return five All-American swimmers from last season’s NCAA Championships, where the men finished 15th.
