Swimming and Diving Travels to SEC Championships
Feb. 13, 2018
COLLEGE STATION, Texas –
South Carolina swimming and diving travels to Texas A&M for the 2018 Southeastern Conference Championships this week. The Gamecocks compete at the Rec Center Natatorium in College Station, Texas, in the five-day meet along with 11 other SEC teams.
South Carolina’s men are one of eight SEC teams ranked in the CSCAA Top 25. Seven top-25 women’s teams will be competing in the meet.
Complete coverage of the meet is available through SEC Network+ and WatchESPN, with the day five finals being broadcast live on SEC Network. Fans may also stay up-to-date through the official Gamecock Swimming and Diving Twitter, @GamecockSwim.
The Gamecocks had a record-breaking showing at last season’s SEC Championships, tallying 30 top-10 finishes, 17 school records, nine podium finishes and four event SEC titles. South Carolina returns all four individual SEC Champions for this year’s competition.
Several returners are on pace for top finishes at the SEC Championships. The Gameocks will look to senior diver Julia Vincent to set the tone for the competition on day one during the 1-meter. Vincent currently holds the second-best score in the conference with a 365.75 after setting a school record at the SC College Invitational this season.
Thursday, the focus will be on Fynn Minuth to defend his title in the 500 freestyle after placing first in the event last year. Minuth is second in the conference in the event with a season-best time of 4:16.07.
Vincent will also defend an SEC title on day three of the competition as she competes in the 3-meter. The Gamecock took first at last season’s SEC Championship with a school-record score and currently ranks second in the conference in the event.
Friday will also feature junior Emma Barksdale in one of her best events, the 400 IM. Barksdale is currently ranked fifth in event in the SEC and has been a standout for the Gamecock women throughout the 2017-18 season.
Senior Nils Wich-Glasen aims to secure his first conference event title in the 100 or 200 breaststroke. He will have his first opportunity on Saturday during the 100 breaststroke, in which he is currently ranked sixth in the SEC. He will compete again on the final day of the meet in the 200 breaststroke, where he holds a slightly higher rank at No. 5.
Sunday will be the biggest day of competition for the Gamecocks as two South Carolina student-athletes look to defend their SEC titles from last season. Allyson Nied was the first in South Carolina history to take first in the women’s platform at the SEC Championship, and is poised to take home another title with the third-highest platform score in the conference this season.
Akram Mahmoud defends his 1650 freestyle title for the second year after becoming the first Gamecock male to win consecutive event titles since 2000-01. Currently at No. 5 in the SEC in the event, Mahmoud looks to finish his career as a three-time SEC Champion in the event.
Barksdale also has a shot at the women’s 1650 freestyle title. The junior holds the fourth-fastest time in the SEC at 16:16.53 after swimming the second-best 1650 freestyle in school history at the SC College Invitational.
UP NEXT FOR CAROLINA
South Carolina will continue its championship season with appearances at NCAA Zone B Diving and the National Invitational Championship. The NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships are March 21-24 in Columbus, Ohio, and the NCAA Men’s Championships are March 28-31 in Minneapolis, Minn.
