Gamecocks Finish NCAAs with Five All-America Performers
March 17, 2018
COLUMBUS, Ohio –
South Carolina capped off the 2018 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships with its fifth All-America performance as Albury Higgs finished in 15th-place overall in the 200-yard breaststroke.
The Gamecocks finished the week in a tie for 20th place in the overall team standings, the first top-20 finish for the South Carolina women at the NCAA Championships since 2004.
DAY 4 RECAP
Higgs qualified 13th in the 200-yard breaststroke prelims with a time of 2:08.90, her career-best time in the event, which was just .06 shy of the best time for a Gamecock swimmer this season.
The sophomore came out in the final evening of competition with a time of 2:09.45 in the event’s B-Final to post the Gamecocks’ fifth All-America performance of the NCAA Championships.
Mikaela Lujan scored in the top-10 in two of five rounds of the platform diving prelims but fell just 20.10 points shy of qualifying for the consolation final.
QUOTABLES
“This was the best NCAA Championships performance I have been a part of since I’ve been the head coach here. We finished in a tie for 20th, our first top-20 finish since 2004, and had five All-America performances. I’m very pleased with how well we performed throughout the week.”
— HEAD SWIMMING COACH MCGEE MOODY-
“Mikaela (Lujan) had a decent day on the platform with just one miss that kept her out of the top sixteen. This week has been one for the books.
We finished up second overall in diving points from Julia (Vincent)’s performance. What a way to finish her senior year, finishing second and third in the country. It was truly an honor to coach her. She will go down as one of the greatest divers we have had at our school and she will be missed.”
— HEAD DIVING COACH TODD SHERRITT-
UP NEXT FOR CAROLINA
South Carolina swimming and diving now turns its attention to the men’s NCAA Championships, which will be hosted by the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minn., on Mar. 21-24. For updates, follow South Carolina Swimming and Diving on twitter at @GamecockSwim.
