Gamecocks Prepped for Three-Day VT Invite
Carolina will travel to Blacksburg, Va., for the final meet before next month's SEC Championships.
COLUMBIA, S.C.- South Carolina men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams get set to compete in their final competition leading into the championship season as they travel to Blacksburg, Va., for the annual, three-day VT Invite on Friday through Saturday. Each day of the meet will consist of a morning preliminary session followed by an evening finals session.
South Carolina is coming off of a sweep in its annual quad-meet on the women’s side and a 2-1 finish on the men’s side that saw Gamecock swimmers and divers post 15 event wins in the two-day SC College Invite last weekend.
“This weekend is big for our program,” said head coach McGee Moody. “It sets the tone for our championship season.”
Freshman Anton Down-Jenkins continued to set the standard for the Gamecock divers, sweeping both springboard events for a third-consecutive week. He earned SEC Male Diver of the Week (the first of his career) for his efforts at the SC College Invite, his second-consecutive weekly conference award after being named Freshman of the Week last Week.
MEET INFORMATION:
Prelims – 10 a.m. / Finals – 6 p.m. (Fri. & Sat.) | Finals – 10 a.m. (Sun.)
Christiansburg Aquatic Center
ORDER OF EVENTS:
Friday, Feb. 1
| Prelims | Finals |
| 200 free relay | |
| 500 freestyle | 500 freestyle |
| 200 IM | 200 IM |
| 50 freestyle | 50 freestyle |
| 400 medley relay |
Saturday, Feb. 2
| Prelims | Finals |
| 200 medley relay | |
| 400 IM | 400 IM |
| 100 butterfly | 100 butterfly |
| 200 freestyle | 200 freestyle |
| 100 breaststroke | 100 breaststroke |
| 100 backstroke | 100 backstroke |
| 800 free relay |
Sunday, Feb. 3
| Timed Finals |
| 200 backstroke |
| 100 freestyle |
| 200 breaststroke |
| 200 butterfly |
| 400 free relay |
| 1650 freestyle |
2019 Gamecock Top Scores/Times:
| NAME | EVENT | TIME | MEET | Natn’l Rk. |
| Christina Lappin | 50 free (W) | 22.57 (B) | GT Invite | |
| Christina Lappin | 100 fly (W) | 52.98 (B) | GT Invite | 50 |
| Kate Sanderson | 1000 free (W) | 9:48.88 (B) | vs. ECU | 24 |
| Kate Sanderson | 1650 free (W) | 16:17.76 (B) | GT Invite | 30 |
| Emily Cornell | 200 back (W) | 1:55.72 (B) | GT Invite | |
| Emma Barksdale | 100 breast (W) | 1:01.31 (B) | vs. ECU | |
| Emma Barksdale | 200 breast (W) | 2:13.61 (B) | vs. Arkansas | |
| Emma Barksdale | 200 fly (W) | *1:55.63 (B) | GT Invite | 19 |
| Emma Barksdale | 200 IM (W) | 1:55.75 (B) | GT Invite | 10 |
| Emma Barksdale | 400 IM (W) | 4:08.97 (B) | GT Invite | 16 |
| Albury Higgs | 100 breast (W) | 1:01.59 (B) | GT Invite | |
| Albury Higgs | 200 breast (W) | 2:10.44 (B) | GT Invite | 29 |
| Melinda Novoszath | 200 fly (W) | 1:58.12 (B) | GT Invite | |
| Hallie Kinsey | 200 fly (W) | 1:58.25 (B) | GT Invite | |
| Hallie Kinsey | 200 IM (W) | 1:58.29 (B) | GT Invite | |
| Mikaela Lujan | 3-meter diving | 338.48 | vs. ECU | |
| Karlee Price | 3-meter diving | 346.13 | vs. ECU | |
| Marissa Roth | Platform | 287.80 | Auburn Invite | 12 |
| 400 free relay (W) | 400 FR (W) | *3:18.88 | GT Invite | 30 |
| 800 free relay (W) | 800 FR (W) | 7:17.10 | GT Invite | 37 |
| 800 free relay (M) | 800 FR (M) | 6:32.91 | GT Invite | 32 |
| Fynn Minuth | 500 free (M) | 4:19.44 (B) | GT Invite | 39 |
| Fynn Minuth | 200 fly (M) | 1:44.70 (B) | GT Invite | 42 |
| Rafael Davila | 500 free (M) | 4:22.18 (B) | GT Invite | |
| Rafael Davila | 1000 free (M) | 9:08.52 | GT Invite | 44 |
| Rafael Davila | 1650 free (M) | 15:12.35 | GT Invite | 46 |
| Cody Bekemeyer | 1650 free (M) | 15:12.35 (B) | GT Invite | 42 |
| Kevin Liu | 200 back (M) | 1:44.40 (B) | GT Invite | |
| Lionel Khoo | 100 breast (M) | 53.41 (B) | GT Invite | 34 |
| Lionel Khoo | 200 breast (M) | 1:58.12 (B) | GT Invite | |
| Anton Down-Jenkins | 1-meter dive | 369.30 | vs GT | |
| Anton Down-Jenkins | 3-meter dive | 438.98 | vs. ECU |
Gamecock Noteables:
– Anton Down-Jenkins has been dominant as a true freshman, finishing the year unbeaten in dual-meet events including wins on both the 1-meter and 3-meter boards each of the past three weeks. Down-Jenkins has won 12 total events on the season with three runner-up finishes.
– Senior Emma Barksdale swam her first-career 50 free last weekend, finishing with the third-fastest time (23.84) for a Gamecock swimmer this season. Her 50.61 in the 100 free was the second-fastest on the team this season.
– Albury Higgs holds the fastest 200 breast (2:10.44) for the South Carolina women so far this season and the second-fastest 100 breast (1:01.59).
– Christina Lappin surpassed her own school record with a 52.98 in the women’s 100 fly at the GT Invite.
– Distance swimmer Kate Sanderson has six first-place finishes during her true freshman season including a win in the women’s 500 free at the SC College Invite last week.
– Lionel Khoo has set the bar for the Gamecocks’ breaststrokers this season with season-best times in both the 100 breast (53.41) and 200 breast (1:58.12).
– Fynn Minuth has led the way for Carolina in the 200 free (1:36.34), 500 free (4:19.44) and 200 fly (1:44.70) so far this season.
Quotable- Head Coach McGee Moody:
“The athletes that will be representing our program have done a great job this season and we are excited to see what the weekend has in store for the team. I think we’re going to see some great races!”
Up Next:
South Carolina will now prep for its championship season which will begin with the Southeastern Conference Championships in Athens, Ga., on Feb. 19-23.
