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Matt Navata

  • position Breaststroke/IM
  • class Freshman
  • Hometown West Orange, N.J.
  • High school West Orange
  • position Breaststroke/IM
  • class Freshman
  • Hometown West Orange, N.J.
  • High school West Orange

Matt Navata Bio

2013-14 – One of the Gamecocks most versatile swimmers … Scored points at the SEC Championships in the 200 breaststroke and 200 butterfly … Placed 19th in the 200 breaststroke with a NCAA `B[apos] cut time of 1:58.67 … Also posted a NCAA `B[apos] cut in the 200 butterfly with a time of 1:47.01 to finish 21st … Finished second in the 400 IM at the VT Invitational with a time of 3:55.51 … Earned a win at Tennessee in the 200 butterfly at 1:52.94 … Claimed victories in the 400 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 200 butterfly and 400 IM at College of Charleston … Recorded wins in five different events … Had 12 top three finishes during the season.

2012-13 – One of the Gamecocks[apos] most consistent performers…Swam in all but one meet during the regular season and at the SEC Championships…Competed in the 200 breaststroke, 200 butterfly and 400 IM at the SEC Championships…Made the finals in all three events…Finished 14th in the 200 breaststroke with a B cut of 1:58.53, which is the second fastest time in school history…Claimed 14th place in the 400 IM with a B cut of 3:94.47, the second fastest mark all-time at South Carolina…Placed 21st in the 200 butterfly with a time of 1:47.45, which is the sixth fastest time in school history…Had the team[apos]s fastest times in the 200 breaststroke (1:58.53) and the 400 IM (3:49.47), the fifth fastest times in the 1,650 freestyle (15:49.99) and the 200 backstroke (1:54.51), the third fastest in the 200 butterfly (1:47.75) and the fourth fastest times in the 100 breaststroke (57.74) and 200 IM (1:51.24)…Recorded wins in seven individual races.

2011-12 –Had a breakout year for the Gamecocks…Competed in every meet…Scored points at the SEC Championships in both the 200 butterfly and 400 IM…Finished 14th overall in the 200 butterfly with a season-best time of 1:48.50, which was Carolina[apos]s second best time of the year…Tied for 12th in the 400 IM with a NCAA B cut of 3:52.68…Swam season-best time in preliminaries with a mark of 3:51.05, which was also the team[apos]s top time of the season and sixth best mark all-time at Carolina…Recorded six wins on the season, with four coming in the 200 butterfly…Swam the 200 IM at the SEC Championships and posted a personal best of 1:50.59…Also had swims in the 1,000 freestyle, 200 backstroke and 200 breaststroke throughout the season…Qualified to compete in the 200 and 400 IM at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials…Finished 49th overall in the 400 IM with a time of 4:28.39 and 78th in the 200 IM with a time of 2:06.42.

2010-11 – Redshirted.

PRE-COLLEGE – Graduated from West Orange High School… Coach was his older brother, Marc Navata… Named second-team all-state despite not going to the state meet in 200 IM as a senior…Won the Essex County meet in the 200 IM as a freshman and a senior; in 500 free, was 2nd as a freshman and won as a senior…Skipped sophomore and junior years of high school competition to focus on club goals…Club team is Montclair YMCA…Won YMCA National Championship in 400 IM and 200 fly in 2008, then won 400 IM title again in 2009.

PERSONAL – Born Sept. 12, 1991, in Livingston, N.J….Has three brothers, Marvis, Marc and Michael…Marc competed in water polo at Penn State…Marvin was a member of the crew team at Rutgers…Plans to major in business or accounting…Chose South Carolina because it was a great fit for him and his family.

Navata[apos]s Top Times
Event Time Date Meet Location
50 freestyle 21.94 1/25/14 Queens/Wingate Columbia, S.C.
200 freestyle 1:42.11# 11/16/12 Virginia Tech Invitational Christiansburg, Va.
400 freestyle 4:44.34^ 10/12/13 College of Charleston Charleston, S.C.
500 freestyle 4:33.88 11/21/13 Virginia Tech Invitational Christiansburg, Va.
1000 freestyle 9:36.52 1/20/12 Georgia Athens, Ga.
1650 freestyle 15:49.99 11/17/12 Virginia Tech Invitational Christiansburg, Va.
200 backstroke 1:52.04 11/19/11 Nike Cup Chapel Hill, N.C.
100 breaststroke 57.17 1/24/14 Queens/Wingate Columbia, S.C.
200 breaststroke 1:58.53 2/23/13 SEC Championships College Station, Texas
200 butterfly 1:47.01 2/21/14 SEC Championships Athens, Ga.
200 IM 1:50.59 2/16/12 SEC Championships Knoxville, Tenn.
400 IM 3:49.47 2/21/13 SEC Championships College Station, Texas
# = Leadoff Split ^ = converted from meters