Women’s Swim & Dive Records Highest SEC Finish Since 2011
Auburn, Ala. – South Carolina swimming & diving concluded action at the SEC Championships on Saturday with the women placing seventh and the men ninth. The team had 13 finalists on the final day of action and the women closed things out with a new school record in the 400 free relay.
Senior Hayley Mason was South Carolina’s lone women’s swimmer in the timed finals of the 1650 free. The Columbia native ended her career with a new personal best time of 16:21.37, making her the fifth-fastest swimmer in program history.
In the men’s event, South Carolina’s trio of distance freshman continued to shine with all three setting new personal best times. Connor Fry led the group with a 14:54.52 in ninth place, followed by Ramond Prosinski in 13th with a 15:00.70 and Umut Yildirim in 18th with a 15:11.00.
Sophomore Amy Riordan continued her stellar week with a new school record in the prelims of the 200 back with a 1:52.85 to land her in the A-final. In the finals Riordan again lowered her own record from the morning, swimming a 1:52.05 to finish just outside of medal position in fourth place.
Also in the finals of the event was Bella Pantano, Pia Murray and Faith Khoo. Combined, all four Gamecocks gained the women’s team a total of 58 points from one event.
Wylie Kruse competed in the 200 back finals for the men, finishing in 21st with a 1:43.21. His preliminary time of 1:42.32 was a new personal best and lowers his own time that puts him at second in the program’s all-time top-10.
In the women’s 50 free, sophomore Dylan Scholes placed second in the B-final with a 48.54 to place 10th overall. Her time jumps her up to be the second-fastest swimmer in program history. Aubrey Chandler also competed in the finals of the event, swimming a 49.30 to place 24th.
For the men, Mark Shperkin competed in the B-final, swimming a 43.31 to place 16th. His preliminary time of 42.62 was a new personal best.
In the 200 breast, Laura Goettler booked her spot in the A-final with a new personal best time of 2:10.42. She swam a 2:11.51 in the finals to finish in eighth. Also in the finals was freshman Delaney Franklin who qualified for the B-finals. She clocked a 2:13.38 to place 15th.
For the men, Linus Kahl was the top qualifier in the 200 breast, booking his ticket to the B-final. In the finals the junior swam a new personal best time of 1:55.24 to place 11th. His time makes him the third-fastest swimmer in program history.
Also in the finals of the event were Liam Kerns and Daniel West who both also swam new personal bests – Kerns a 1:56.61 and West a 1:56.93 to place 18th and 20th respectively.
The final event of the meet was the 400 free relay where South Carolina’s women capped things off with yet another school record. Riordan, Scholes, Peyton Curry, and Chandler combined for a 3:14.62 to place seventh and take down the previous record that had been in place since 2019.
Shperkin, Kruse, Ryan Hufford and Quinn Buck teamed up for the final event for the men and swam a 2:54.79 to place tenth. The time makes the team the fourth-fastest group in program history.
The Gamecock men finish the meet in ninth place with 442 points while the women finish in seventh with 629 points. The women’s seventh-place finish marks the team’s highest placement since placing sixth in 2011, prior to Texas A&M and Missouri joining the conference.
The SEC Championships mark the conclusion of the season for most of the team with a few selected athletes remaining who will compete at the UGA Last Chance Invitational March 2-3 in an effort to make NCAA qualifying times. Qualified divers will also continue their season at the NCAA Zone B Diving Championships March 10-13, also in search of a spot at the NCAA Championships.
For all the latest South Carolina swimming and diving information, continue to follow GamecocksOnline.com or the team on social media (@GamecockSwmDive).
Results
Women’s Platform
25 – Isenhour – 180.65
27 – Zuechner – 174.20
28 – Blake – 167.30
Women’s 1650 Free
13 – Mason – 16:21.37
Men’s 1650 Free
9 – Fry – 14:54.52
13 – Prosinski – 15:00.70
18 – Yildirim – 15:11.00
25 – Mitchell – 15:35.83
Women’s 200 Back
4 – Riordan – 152.05
11 – Pantano – 1:54.22
13 – Murray – 1:54.71
23 – Khoo – 1:57.19
Men’s 200 Back
21 – Kruse – 1:43.21
Women’s 100 Free
10 – Scholes – 48.54
24 – Chandler – 49.30
Men’s 100 Free
16 – Shperkin – 43.31
Women’s 200 Breast
8 – Goettler – 2:11.51
15 – Franklin – 2:13.38
Men’s 200 Breast
11 – Kahl – 1:55.24
18 – Kerns – 1:56.61
20 – West – 1:56.93
Women’s 400 Free Relay
7 – Riordan, Scholes, Curry, Chandler – 3:14.62
Men’s 400 Free Relay
10 – Shperkin, Kruse, Hufford, Buck – 2:54.79
