Verzyl, Estevez Earn SEC Top Honors, Agustsson Named All-Freshman

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Senior Sophie Verzyl and diving coach Juan Estevez earned SEC Diver of the Year and SEC Dive Coach of the Year honors, the league announced Wednesday. Verzyl also received All-SEC First Team recognition, while Einar Agustsson was named to the All-Freshman Team.

Verzyl is the first Gamecock to win the conference award since Brooke Schultz did so in 2023. Verzyl captured her first national title in the 3-meter dive at the 2026 NCAA Championships, marking the program’s first-ever national title in the event. She paired the victory with a second-place finish in the 1-meter. She is now a four-time All-American after earning second-team All-America honors in both events last season.

The Columbia, S.C., native swept the springboard events at the 2026 SEC Championships, successfully defending her 3-meter title. She was also named SEC Diver of the Meet. Throughout the season, Verzyl collected 13 event wins and five SEC Diver of the Week honors. She set a new program record in the 1-meter dive and holds the pool record in the event at Tennessee’s Allan Jones Aquatic Center.

Estevez completed his first season on the Gamecock swimming and diving staff and becomes the first South Carolina coach in program history to earn SEC Dive Coach of the Year honors. A former Cuban Olympic diver, he guided Verzyl to the program’s first 3-meter national title and her third SEC championship. Estevez leads both the men’s and women’s diving teams at South Carolina.

Agustsson is the 11th Gamecock in program history to earn All-Freshman honors. He finished sixth in the 100-yard breaststroke and 12th in the 200-yard breaststroke at the SEC Championships. During the 2025–26 season, he recorded seven first-place finishes across the two events and posted six lifetime bests.