South Carolina Opens 2026 With Win Over Queens
The South Carolina Gamecocks made the short trip north on I-77 to Charlotte to face Queens in one of the first meets of the new year. With only swimmers competing, the Gamecock women won 181-78 while the men’s score was 156-104.
South Carolina dominated the 400 medley relay with a team of Amy Riordan, Alexis Dalton, Taylor Grimley and Sofia Luper combining for a time of 3:37.84. The Gamecocks “B” and “C” teams ended up taking second and third. Riordan came in at 52.69 to win the 100 backstroke while Dalton clocked 1:02.79 to edge Queens’ Annika Huber (1:02.86) in the 100 breaststroke. Grimley followed with a win in the 100 butterfly (53.60).
Emma Reiser topped the 1000 freestyle in 9:47.73, and Breckin Gormley took first in the 200 butterfly (1:58.51). Gormley earned another win in the 500 free (4:47.03). In the sprint freestyle events, Kara West won the 50 (23.03) and Dylan Scholes topped the 100 (49.65). Jordan Agliano clocked 1:57.68 for first place in the 200 backstroke before Delaney Franklin crushed the field in the 200 breaststroke (2:12.86).
Franklin concluded women’s individual racing with the top time in the 200 IM (2:00.60), and the team of Scholes, Grimley, Samantha Chan and Riordan topped the 200 free relay in 1:31.40.
Queens’ lone win came courtesy of Abigail Zboran in the 200 free with a time of 1:47.29.
In the men’s meet, South Carolina’s Ryan Hufford, Einar Margeir Agustsson, Eldor Usmonov and Bexton Harrison claimed first in the 400 medley relay by a half-second over the top Queens squad, 3:11.45 to 3:11.97. Hufford won the 100 back (47.67) and 100 free (44.30), with Agustsson taking the 100 breast (53.28) and 200 breast (1:57.83). Usmonov produced a time of 47.92 in a come-from-behind win in the 100 fly.
Connor Fry of the Gamecocks went 9:03.45 for a substantial win in the 1000 free while Pierre Largeron was first in both the 200 free (1:36.48) and 500 free (4:26.75). Gage Hulbert finished more than a second ahead of the field in the 200 fly (1:46.86) while Merlin Ficher pulled away for first place in the 200 back (1:44.63). Raymond Prosinski finished off the day with a win in the 200 IM (1:50.93).
Queens’ Nien Levy was the only swimmer under 20 in the 50 free, coming in at 19.93. Levy led off Queens’ victorious 200 free relay squad, teaming with Stamatis Paleocrassas, Pablo Ortega Navarro and Jackson Vineyard for a time of 1:19.46. Matheus Przewalla had the top overall time in the 200 IM at 1:49.64, but he was swimming exhibition.