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Gamecocks Split Dual Against Georgia Tech, Pelzek Sets Pool Record
Swimming and Diving  . 

Gamecocks Split Dual Against Georgia Tech, Pelzek Sets Pool Record

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The No. 18 South Carolina women’s swimming and diving program concluded the regular season with its third consecutive dual meet win of the year, topping Georgia Tech 211.5 – 86.5. The men battled hard against the No. 20 Yellow Jackets but ultimately fell 131-169.

Women

  • South Carolina took first and third place in the 200 medley relay led by the squad of Amy Riordan, Annaliese Streeter, Greta Pelzek and Dylan Scholes, finishing in a time of 1:38.13. Faith Khoo, Caroline Kudela, Aubrey Finn and Peyton Curry represented the B relay, clocking a 1:38.51.
  • The Gamecocks swept the opening individual event of the 1000 Freestyle with freshman Emma Reiser finishing in a personal best of 9:48.67 to take first place. Megan Willar clocked a 9:57.20 for second while Sterling Burd rounded out the sweep for the Gamecocks with a personal best of 10:06.55.
  • Sophomore Ellery Ottem took the charge in the 200 freestyle, winning the event with a time of 1:46.02 which was just .02 seconds off her personal best. Jordan Agliano finished third with a 1:47.52, a season best and her first time under the 1:50 mark for the season.
  • Riordan and senior Pia Murray finished first and third in the 100 Backstroke in times of 52.90 and 53.73 respectively.
  • Freshman Elizabeth Goodwin-Birnie finished in a personal best of 1:01.16 in the 100 breaststroke to take the win for the Gamecocks. Streeter took third in 1:01.82.
  • Senior Greta Pelzek claimed her second pool record of the year in a season best 1:53.93 for the 200 fly, wining the event for the Gamecocks. Junior Breckin Gormley finished just behind Pelzek in a time of 1:55.82.
  • Curry moved up to fourth all-time for the Gamecocks after clocking a winning time of 22.46 in the 50 freestyle, a new personal best for the senior. She carried the momentum into her 100 freestyle, picking up her second win of the day after clocking a 48.88. Scholes swam a 49.87 for third place.
  • South Carolina picked up another sweep in the 200 backstroke led by Riordan who finished first in a time of 1:54.81 followed by Murray in second with a 1:55.76 and Khoo in third with a time of 1:57.32.
  • Sophomore Delaney Franklin won her third consecutive 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:12.31. Meaghan Harnish recorded a best time in the event, clocking a 2:12.58 to finish second.
  • Freshman Nora Fluck picked up her first win as a Gamecock in the 500 freestyle, clocking a personal best of 4:45.90. Reiser finished second in a season-best 4:58.89.
  • Pelzek swam 52.47 in the 100 butterfly, completing her individual event sweep. Agliano posted a season-best 53.35 to finish third.
  • The Gamecock divers swept the 3-meter competition with Sophie Verzyl at the top with a score of 362.85. Reagan Patterson finished second with a season-best of 297.53 and Alex Gregory finished third also with a season-best score of 283.95.
  • Franklin swept her individual events after swimming a personal best of 4:13.12 in the 400 IM. The Gamecocks swept the event itself by Harnish coming in second at 4:13.77, and Madison Kolessar in third with a 4:15.54.
  • Sophie Verzyl completed her sweep of the diving events on the 1-meter, finishing 30 points ahead of the next best diver with a score of 292.05.
  • The Gamecock women took the 400 freestyle relay title with the A team of Curry, Riordan, Ottem, Scholes in a time of 3:16.47.

Men

  • South Carolina went 2-3 in the 200 medley relay with the team of Michael Laitarovsky, Linus Kahl, Eldor Usmonov, Wiley Kruse finishing in a time of 1:26.07 and Smesko, Kerns, Eaton, Hufford in a 1:26.68.
  • The sophomore duo of Connor Fry and Raymon Prosinski picked up second and third place finishes respectively in the 1000 freestyle. Fry finished in a 9:07.26 while Prosinski swam a season-best 9:07.26.
  • Sophomore Ryan Hufford picked up a best time in the 200 freestyle, finishing in a 1:36.72 to place third.
  • Laitarovsky took home his second first place of the season in the 100 backstroke in a 46.52. Kaden Smesko took third in a 46.91.
  • Kahl had a come-from-behind win in the 100 breaststroke after touching the wall nearly a second behind Georgia Tech’s Uros Zivanovic at the 50 mark. He outsplit the Yellow Jacket in the back half of the race to win with a time of 53.50. Fellow senior Liam Kerns took third in a 53.67.
  • Graduate student Tommy Eaton and junior Gage Hulbert went placed first and third respectively in the 200 fly with times of 1:44.48 and 1:46.06.
  • The Gamecocks went 2-3 in the 200 Backstroke with Smesko taking second with a time of 1:43.11 and Kruse claiming third place with a 1:45.54.
  • Kahl and Kerns continued to podium in the 200 breaststroke led by Kahl’s second win of the day in which he clocked a 1:56.41. Kerns finished in second with a 1:58.40.
  • Fry claimed the 500 freestyle title in a time of 4:24.28, narrowly out-touching Georgia Tech’s fastest swimmer in the event by just 0.04 seconds.
  • Eldor Usmonov prevented the sweep by the Yellow Jackets in the 100 fly, touching second in 47.24.
  • Charley Bayer took first in the 1-meter competition with a season best score of 349.65. Max Spencer also picked up a season-best score after finishing third with 329.63, two points higher than his previous best against Auburn.
  • Prosinski took the win in the 400 IM with a 3:51.41.
  • Spencer and Bayer went 2-3 in the 3-meter competition with scores of 370.88 and 356.93 respectively.

Quotables

 “That was a fun day,” head coach Jeff Poppell stated. “I’m super proud of our men & women and the way they competed today against a good Georgia Tech team. Several of our athletes should have gained confidence heading into the SEC Championships next month.”

“Prior to the meet,” Poppell added, “We had the opportunity to recognize an incredible group of thirteen seniors that have been instrumental to not only our team’s success this year but the building of a team culture that will be the foundation of our continued success in the years ahead.”

Up Next

Championship season for the Gamecocks opens with the UVA Cavalier Invitational in Charlottesville, VA where select swimmers will compete from Thurs., Feb. 6 to Sun., Feb. 8.

The SEC Championship is slated for Feb. 17-22 at the University of Georgia.

For all the latest South Carolina swimming and diving information, continue to follow GamecocksOnline.com or the team on social media (@GamecockSwmDive).

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