South Carolina Women’s Swimming Edges Missouri in Final Relay, Tigers and Gamecocks Split

Photo Credit: South Carolina Athletics

COLUMBIA – The South Carolina women’s swimming and diving team secured a seven-point victory over Missouri on Saturday afternoon, thanks to a win in the final relay. The Gamecock women won the meet, 153.5-146.5, while the Missouri men cruised to a 181-119 decision.

South Carolina Press Release

The South Carolina swimming and diving team earned a split decision with Missouri on Saturday as the Gamecock women picked up a 153.5-146.5 victory and the men fell to the No. 8 Tigers 181-119.

The distance swimmers again shined for the Gamecocks as the both the men and women swept the 1,000 freestyle. Senior Victoria Mitchell claimed first on the women’s side with a time of 10:01.79. Freshman Sarah Smith (10:09.72) and Charlsie Reneski (10:17.33) followed in second and third place, respectively. Freshman Akram Mahmoud earned his second-straight win in the event with a career-best time of 9:11.74. Freshmen Tomas Peribonio (9:20.03) and Travis Morrin (9:24.95) finished second third, respectively.

Junior Marwan El Kamash recorded a pair of wins in the 200 (1:39.07) and 500 freestyle (4:27.44). Peribonio picked up the only other win for the men’s squad in the 400 IM with a time of 3:55.09.

Redshirt sophomore Kevin Leithold and freshman Nils Wich-Glasen both added a pair of second-place finishes, Leithold’s in the 50 (20.78) and 100 freestyle (45.24) and Wich-Glasen’s in the 100 (55.40) and 200 breaststroke (2:00.07).

Freshman Taylor Worrell earned her first win of the season in the 500 freestyle with her career-best time of 4:53.88. Worrell finished third in the 200 freestyle earlier in the meet with a time of 1:50.69.

Mitchell recorded her second win of the meet in the 200 backstroke with a time of 2:01.65 and senior Elisabeth Worrell followed in second place with a time of 2:03.02.

Freshman Meredith Vay claimed first place in the 200 freestyle (1:50.22) and tallied with a pair of second-place finishes in the 50 (23.70) and 100 freestyle (50.97).

Senior Patricia Kranz won both boards for the Gamecocks, posting scores of 297.82 on the one-meter and 325.80 on the tree-meter. Freshman Julia Vincent finished second in the three-meter competition (321.82) and third in the one-meter (282.90). On the men’s side, senior Cole Miller and sophomore Jordan Gotro combined to take second and third on both boards.

The women clinched their victory in the 400 freestyle relay as the team of Meredith Vay, Rachel Elliott, Taylor Worrell and Megan Carlson claimed first place with a season-best time of 3:26.22.

NOTABLES
Men
• Akram Mahmoud set a personal record in the 1,000 freestyle with a time of 9:11.74. His time is the fastest on the team this season.
• Travis Morrin set a personal record in the 1,000 freestyle with his time of 9:24.95

Women
• Victoria Mitchell tallied her fifth win in the 1000 freestyle this season
• Taylor Worrell set a personal record in the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:53.88.
• The women’s 400 freestyle relay time of 3:26.22 is a season best.
• Patricia Kranz earned her sixth win on the one-meter this season.

QUOTABLE
Head swimming coach McGee Moody
“As far as the team goes I think we swam really well. When you break the two meets apart, the Missouri men are one of the top teams in the country, they have some of the fastest guys per event in the nation and that being said I think our guys needed to step up a little more today. They needed to be a little tougher and race a little harder and we’re going to work on that going forward. I want today to be about our women because this was a landmark victory for our women. Missouri was a top-20 program and our women took them all the way down to the last relay and then we had four young ladies who stepped up on the block and knocked it out of the park. I could not have asked anything more of our women’s program and coaches. Today was a great, great day for our women’s team and we’re extremely happy about it. Taylor Worrell was a standout all day. Her time in the 500 freestyle was really what allowed us to take the meet to the last relay. If she was one step back, we don’t get it done today. Her being able to finish that in a time that’s far faster than anything she’s done this year is a huge testament to her. We talked a lot during the break about getting to the wall first at whatever cost. No matter how bad it hurts you have to get your hand on the wall first and these girls did that today. As a coach, I couldn’t be prouder of our ladies and I hope they enjoy this.”

Head diving coach Todd Sheritt
“It was a great day for our women, that’s a great team (Missouri) and this was a great contest for us. It wasn’t easy, especially where we’re at right now. We did a lot of working coming back from break and they’re a little beat up but they really performed so I’m very happy. Patricia Kranz winning both boards is pretty outstanding and Julia (Vincent) definitely stepped up, she’s been coming along steadily. Julia did one new dive and she hit it, which was huge. Marissa Roth did great today too.”

UP NEXT
The Gamecocks conclude the regular season hosting Clemson (women’s diving) Vanderbilt, Queens and Wingate in a two-day meet Jan. 23-24.

Missouri Men’s Press Release

The No. 8 Mizzou men’s swimming and diving team improved to 2-0 in Southeastern Conference action with a 181-119 win over South Carolina Saturday afternoon in Columbia, S.C. The Tigers claimed 12 of 16 events during the dual and had four Tigers claim two events apiece in the victory.

Seniors Sam Tierney and Mack Darragh, junior Clark Thomas and sophomore Carter Griffin all won two events against the Gamecocks. Tierney swept the 100 and 200 events, Darragh took home wins in the 100 and 200 fly, Griffin took first in the 100 and 200 back and Thomas swept both springboards on the day.

The Tigers opened the meet with a win in the 200 medley relay, where Griffin, Tierney, sophomore Andrew Sansoucie and junior Matthew Margritier clocked a 1:30.78.

Griffin won the first of his two events in the 100 back, as touched the wall in 49.50. The sophomore then breezed to a victory in the 200 back with a time of 1:47.88, beating the field by almost three seconds.

Tierney’s breaststroke sweep started after he won the 100 breast in 53.95, followed by a win in the 200 breast with a 1:57.99. Senior Igor Kozlovskij notched third-place finishes in both races with times of 55.99 and 2:02.11, respectively.

In the fly events, Darragh barely outtouched junior Daniel Graviss, 1:48.25 to 1:48.28, respectively, in the 200 fly. Darragh claimed top honors in the 100 fly after a swim of 49.24, while Sansoucie placed second in 49.70.
Thomas started his day on 1-meter, posting a 355.08 on the event to take the win. He followed that up with 382.05 points on 3-meter for his second event title of the day.

Also earning event wins during the meet were Margritier and sophomore Michael Chadwick. Margritier took first in the 50 free after a time of 20.46, while Chadwick won the 100 free in 45.14.

The Tigers closed the meet with a victory in the 400 free relay, where Chadwick, Margritier, senior Alex Glogoza and Tierney combined to post a time of 3:01.18.

Mizzou returns to the pool on Friday, Jan. 23 with a dual against Drury at 3 p.m. at the Mizzou Aquatic Center.

Missouri Women’s Press Release

With the result in doubt to the final race, South Carolina won the 400 free relay to give the home Gamecocks a 153-5-146.5 win over the Mizzou swimming and diving team Saturday afternoon in Columbia, Mo. Freshman Sharli Brady claimed three of Missouri’s 10 event wins to highlight the day.

The loss dropped the Tigers to 8-2 overall and 2-1 in Southeastern Conference competition.

In addition to Brady’s three wins, junior Abby Duncan and freshman Rachel Hayden each posted a pair of event victories, with Duncan sweeping the 100 and 200 breast races and Hayden taking first in the 50 and 100 free.

Missouri held a slim 142.5-140.5 lead heading into the final race of the day, the 400 free relay. The Gamecocks A team proved victorious in the event, swimming a 3:26.22, ahead of Mizzou’s 3:26.85, as the home team claimed the dual win.

The Tigers opened the meet with a first-place showing in the 200 medley relay, where freshman Hannah Stevens, Duncan, freshman Erin Metzger-Seymour and Hayden combined for a time of 1:42.72.

Brady’s memorable meet started with an easy win in the 200 fly, clocking a time of 2:01.66, more than two seconds ahead of the second-place finisher. She then tied South Carolina’s Taylor Worrell for the win in the 500 free after both swimmers touched the wall in 4:53.88. Brady concluded her day with a swim of 4:18.80 in the 400 IM for her third individual victory of the competition.

Duncan proved unbeatable in the breaststroke events, with winning times of 1:01.79 in the 100 and 2:13.35 in the 200. Sophomore Katharine Ross placed second in both races with times of 1:02.42 and 2:17.14, respectively.

In the spring free races, Hayden clocked a 23.42 in the 50 free for her first win of the day, which she followed up with a 50.56 in the 100 free to take first in that event as well.

Stevens and Metzger-Seymour added event titles for the Tigers against the Gamecocks. Stevens earned a first-place finish in the 100 back after touching the wall in 56.83, while Metzger-Seymour was victorious in the 100 fly with a time of 55.41. Metzger-Seymour also posted a second-place finish in the 200 free after a swim of 1:50.49.

Mizzou returns to the pool on Friday, Jan. 23 with a dual against Drury at 3 p.m. at the Mizzou Aquatic Center.

Results: Missouri vs. South Carolina

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