Laitarovsky Breaks Record, Verzyl Wins Again
Knoxville, TN – South Carolina freshman Michael Laitarovsky broke the school record in the 100 backstroke at the Tennessee Invitational Friday. Laitarovsky, of Natanya, Isreal, swam a 46.71 to take first place in the prelims and break the school record that was previously placed by Caleb Tosh in 2019 with a time of 46.75. In the finals, Laitarovsky placed fifth by swimming an NCAA B-cut time of 47.54.
In the dive pool, fellow freshman Sophie Verzyl picked up her second win of the invite, this time in the three meter dive. Verzyl posted an NCAA Zone qualifying score of 299.10 to take third place in the preliminary rounds and secure her spot in the finals. In the finals, Verzyl took first with a score of 345.70.
Senior Phil Costin posted his best time of the season in the 200 free. In the preliminary rounds, Costin swam an NCAA B-cut time of 1:36.01 to take sixth place and earn his spot in the A Final, during which he swam a 1:35.21 to bring home second place.
Gamecock Notables
- The Gamecocks had competitors qualify for the final rounds in every event of the day for both swimming and diving on the men’s and women’s side.
- Freshmen Paige Collins and Greta Pelzek each achieved B-cut times in the 100 fly in both the preliminary and final rounds. Collins swam a 52.92 in the preliminary heat, which ranks third in the program record book.
- Junior Taylor Steele swam a B-cut time of 1:00.81 in the preliminary round of the 100 breast. Steele placed eighth in the finals at 1:01.06.
- In the 400 IM, Laura Goettler and Ellie Masterson both achieved personal bests and wrote their names in the record books. Goettler swam a 4:16.21 which ranks seventh and Masterson swam a 4:17.64 which ranks ninth.
- Emma Alxander achieved a personal best time of 1:47.13 in the 200 free which puts her at sixth in the record books.
- Sophomore diver Abby Gray earned her first Zone qualifying score of the season with a 285.45 in the preliminary round.
- Junior Patrick Groters landed in the top 10 of the 400 individual medley finals. He swam a B-cut time of 3:48.29, which ranks sixth in the Gamecock record books.
- In the finals of the 800 freestyle relay, the men’s ‘A’ team consisting of Costin, Connor Daniels, Rafael Davila, and Tamas Novoszath placed fifth with a time of 6:28.86. The Gamecock ‘B’ group made up of Groters, AJ Ross, Hendrik Faber, and Mac Ratzlaff placed seventh with a time of 6:34.25.
- Junior diver Manny Vazquez Bas achieved a Zone qualifying score of 313.40 in the final round of the one meter dive, his fifth Zone qualifying score of the season.
The Gamecock women remain in fourth place with a score of 274, and the men hold steady in fifth place with a score of 303 through two days of competition.
The final day of the invitational will begin on Saturday at 10 a.m. with preliminary rounds. Live results can be found on the Meet Mobile app or on HyTek web results.
Saturday Schedule
Session 7– Swim Prelims (10 a.m.)
200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, 200 fly
Session 8– Distance (12 p.m.)
1650 free
Session 9 – Platform Diving (1:30 p.m.)
Men’s and women’s platform diving
Session 10 – Saturday Finals (4:30)
200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, 200 fly, 400 free relay
For all the latest South Carolina swimming and diving information, continue to follow GamecocksOnline.com or the team on social media (@GamecockSwim).
