Gamecock Women Post Highest Finish Since 2004 at SEC Championships
ATHENS, Ga. – The South Carolina swimming & diving team wrapped up its week in Athens at the 2025 SEC Championships with a top 5 finish from the women’s program. The Gamecock women placed fifth overall with 635.5 points after earning two podium finishes and an additional 43 top 24 finishes. This result matches the 2004 team’s finish when the SEC had just nine teams on the women’s side.
The Gamecock men placed 11th with 338 points.
The women began the final prelims session of the meet with the 200 backstroke. Amy Riordan posted the top time for the Gamecocks, clocking a 1:54.24 to qualify for the last spot in the B finals. Pia Murray swam a time .01 off of Riordan which was a personal best, posting a 1:54.25 to place 17th and earn a night swim. In the finals, Riordan shaved two seconds off of her morning time, swimming a 1:5282 for 11th. Murray swam a 1:54.36 for 20th.
The Gamecock men sent two athletes to the C finals in the 200 back. Kaden Smesko clocked a 1:42.54 for 20th while Wylie Kruse swam a 1:42.66 for 22nd. Kruse jumped up two spots to finish 20th overall in finals, posting a 1:42.51. Smesko took 24th with a 1:44.34.
The sprinters wrapped up the week with two women in the 100 freestyle finals. Peyton Curry earned a 12th place finish after posting a time of 48.45 in the prelims while Dylan Scholes swam a 48.66 for 17th place. During finals, Curry placed 14th with a 48.70 while Scholes took 21st with a 48.86.
The women’s 200 breaststroke was represented by three Gamecocks in the finals. Delaney Franklin picked up a new best time of 2:10.26 to book a spot in the B finals at 12th while Annaliese Streeter (2:12.54) and Meaghan Harnish (2:12.89) finished within half a second of each other to earn spots in the C finals. Franklin finished in 15th overall after swimming a 2:11.27 while Harnish (2:12.94) and Streeter (2:12.99) placed 23rd and 24th respectively.
Linus Kahl (1:55.12) and Liam Kerns (1:55.43) both qualified for the C finals after swimming times in the 1:55 range during the prelims session. In the finals both Kahl and Kerns posted best times to wrap up their final SEC Championship. Kahl swam the second fastest time in program history of 1:54.40 for 19th place followed by Kerns in 21st with a 1:54.70.
In the women’s mile, Madison Kolessar and Nora Fluck placed eighth and ninth respectively and both swam best times that were six seconds faster than the school record which was ultimately claimed by Kolessar who clocked a 16:06.49. Fluck finished .40 behind her with a 16:06.89. Both Gamecocks split under 30 seconds for each 50 throughout the entire race. Emma Reiser also posted a personal best, shaving four seconds off of her seeded time to clock the seventh fastest time in program history of 16:19.74.
Connor Fry was the top finisher for the Gamecocks in the men’s mile, clocking a 14:55.52 for 19th place. Raymond Prosinski (15:02.30), Umut Yildirim (15:10.19) and Ryan Turner (15:14.51) all clocked best times in the event.
In the men’s platform, Max Spencer qualified for the A finals after placing fifth overall in the prelims with a 368.80. In the evening he improved by 20 points, earning a final score of 388.90 to bring in 23 points for the Gamecock men. Charley Bayer earned some points as well after placing 17th with a score of 307.15.
The women’s 400 freestyle relay of Curry, Scholes, Ellery Ottem and Riordan swam a season best and the second fastest time in program history of 3:15.07 for a ninth place finish to wrap up the meet. All four Gamecocks split 49.09 or faster. The men’s relay which included Eldor Usmonov, Michael Laitarovsky, Quinn Buck and Kruse followed up with a season best as well and fourth fastest time in program history of 2:53.95.
Up next, select Gamecocks will return to Athens on March 1-2 for the UGA Last Chance Invitational in an attempt to qualify for the NCAA Championships which take place in Federal Way, Washington next month.
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