Gamecock Invitational: South Carolina Women, Tampa Men Sweep Day 1
South Carolina’s female swimmers and the men from Tampa University swept the wins on the first day of the Gamecock Invitational Wednesday night.
SC set two relay records on the women’s side at Carolina Natatorium. Dylan Scholes, Aubrey Chandler, Peyton Curry, and Nicholle Toh began by winning the 200 free relay in 1:29.45. That sets the facility mark, moves to third in program history and fell just .24 off an NCAA B cut.
The session ended with Bella Pantano, Annaliese Streeter, Toh and Scholes going 3:34.61. That clips more than a half-second off the mark the Gamecocks had set at last year’s invitational.
Amy Riordan won the 500 free for South Carolina in 4:43.82, the Gamecocks monopolizing the top four spots and seven of the top eight. Greta Pelzek won the 200 individual medley in 1:58.36, ahead of Streeter’s 1:59.98. Chandler won the 50 free in 22.83 ahead of Curry (23.03), with Toh tied for fourth.
Vanderbilt’s Ellie Taliaferro finished third in the 200 IM. The Commodores were second in the 200 free relay to start the session. Abby Francis, Megan Ciezczak, Sophia Kosturos and Taliaferro went 1:31.87, just .12 seconds off the school mark.
Vandy finished third in the 400 medley relay, but the squad of Kosturos, Faith Knelson, Kailia Utley and Taliaferro went 3:37.66 to set the school record, gouging nearly three seconds out of the school mark that had stood since 2014.
Tilde Morin of Tampa was third in the 50 free.
Tampa’s men dominated Day 1. The high point was Santiago Corredor’s time of 4:19.34, setting the pool record.
Ian Cooper, Tibor Tistan, Caleb Brandon and Blake Moran started with a win in the 200 free relay in 1:17.84. Moran went on to win the 50 free in 19.71, with Tistan and Cooper also breaking 20 seconds in second and third, respectively. Parker Knollman won the 200 IM in 1:47.49. The Spartans finished the day by going 3:10.35 in the 400 free relay with the squad of Knollman, Richy Polasek, Adrian Aguilar and Moran.
South Carolina’s Wylie Kruse finished second in the 200 IM, ahead of Jacob Duracinsky of UNC Wilmington. Raymond Prosinski finished third in the 500 free for the hosts.
