Duke Press Release
DURHAM, N.C. – The Duke swimming and diving teams opened the spring portion of the 2016-17 campaign with a pair of victories over SEC foe South Carolina Saturday in Taishoff Aquatics Pavilion. The 23rd-ranked Blue Devil women came away with a 167-133 victory and the men topped the Gamecocks, 160.5-139.5 in a dual that came down to the final event of the meet.
With the wins, both Duke squads improved to 5-1 heading into next weekend’s regular season finale against Virginia.
“Always excited about a win,” said head coach Dan Colella. “We knew that the men’s meet would probably go down right to the last relay, which it did … Really proud of the guys. South Carolina came in the first half of the meet, and even though we had won some of the events, their energy and attitude was such that if we didn’t really turn things around mid-meet, I think the final result would have been very different. We’re very proud of them and how they stepped up in the second half of the competition.”
Individually, the Blue Devils featured a trio of double-event winners in the pool, with junior Verity Abel taking both women’s distance events, senior Maddie Rusch the women’s sprint races and sophomore Max St. George the men’s backstroke events. Freshman Nathaniel Hernandez headlined a one-two-three finish by the Duke divers in the men’s 3-meter springboard competition and Blue Devil swimmers also claimed three of the four relays on the day.
Duke’s relay teams set the tone early, taking the top two spots in both the women and men’s 200-yard medley relays. The women’s team of sophomore Mickayla Hinkle, senior Ashleigh Shanley, freshman Alyssa Marsh and Rusch broke a Taishoff Aquatics Pavilion record in a 1:40.24 performance before the quartet of senior Kaz Takabayashi, senior Peter Kropp senior Michael Miller and sophomore Yusuke Legard took first in 1:28.60.
After Abel claimed the women’s 1,000 freestyle (10:04.90), the score went back and forth with South Carolina wins in the men’s 1,000 freestyle and both 200 freestyle events. However, the Blue Devils responded with a strong showing in the 100 backstroke, as Maddie Hess and Hinkle combined for a one-two finish in the women’s race. Hess came in under the NCAA provisional standard at 54.47. St. George (48.54) followed with a victory in the men’s race while Takabayashi tied the Gamecocks’ Jonathan Boland for second (48.92).
Shanley and junior Isabella Paez widened the margin on the women’s side with a pair of first-place performances in the 100 breaststroke and 200 butterfly, respectively. Duke then received a boost in the sprint events, with Blue Devils sweeping all four races. Rusch was first to the wall in the women’s 50 and 100 freestyle, earning an NCAA ‘B’ cut at the 50-yard distance with a mark of 22.88. Senior Michael Seaberg (20.74) and Legard (20.88) bested the field in the men’s 50 freestyle before Legard won the 100-yard event (45.76).
St. George returned to the water to collect a first-place finish in the men’s 200 backstroke (1:47.53) while Hess (2:01.57) and senior Liza Bragg (2:01.97) were second and third, respectively, in the same event on the women’s side. Shanley (2:17.90) and Kropp (2:02.27) turned in second-place performances in the 200 breaststroke and Abel cruised to her second win of the day, this one coming in the 500 freestyle (4:54.37).
In diving, Hernandez led a one-two-three finish by the Blue Devil men on the 3-meter springboard. Hernandez netted an award of 371.25, followed by sophomores Josh Owsiany (329.40) and Evan Moretti (324.83). In the women’s 3-meter competition, senior Kirby Quinn posted a season-best score of 300.30 in a second-place finish. Freshman Lizzie Fitzpatrick (283.80) and Moretti (332.40) were also second in the 1-meter events.
The South Carolina men placed swimmers in each of the top four spots in the 200 IM, narrowing the margin to just eight points heading into the final event, the 400 freestyle relay. Duke was able to reclaim the momentum to close the meet, securing the victory with first and second-place finishes. Junior Alex Peña, senior Bradley Cline, Kropp and freshman Miles Williams led the way at 3:03.28 and Legard, sophomore Sean Tate, Seaberg and Takabayashi were second (3:03.49).
The Blue Devils return to Taishoff Friday to host ACC opponent Virginia on Senior Night. The dual meet begins at 5 p.m. and will be streamed on ACC Network Extra.
“This being our first competition since December, we were pleased with the performances, but not ecstatic,” Colella said. “There were some individuals who did have some great, great performances today but in order to really compete with Virginia and UNC it’s going to take a huge team effort.”
South Carolina Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The University of South Carolina Swimming & Diving team dropped second meet of the spring season Saturday afternoon to Duke. The Carolina men fell 160.5-139.5, while the women dropped a 167-133 decision at the Taishoff Aquatics Pavilion.
Despite the setbacks, Carolina had several student-athletes win multiple events. On the women’s side, Julia Vincent won the 1-meter and 3-meter dives, Emma Barksdale took the 200-yard freestyle and 200-yard IM, Emily Cornell notched a victory in the 200-yard backstroke, Kersten Dirrane finished first in the 200-yard breaststroke and the Gamecocks won the 400-yard freestyle relay.
For the men, Jordan Gotro won the 1-meter dive, Akram Mahmoud finished first in the 1000-yard freestyle, Fynn Minuth took the 200-yard freestyle and the 500-yard freestyle, Nils Wich-Glasen won both the 100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke, Will Riggs finished first in the 200-yard butterfly and Tomas Peribonio took the 200-yard IM.
In addition to the 14 first place finishes by Carolina, three Gamecocks broke pool records. Nils Wich-Glasen set the new pool record in the 200-yard breast with his time of 1:57.38. The previous best was 1:58.91 set by Wich-Glasen in 2015. Fynn Minuth broke the pool record in the 500-yard freestyle with his time of 4:23.77, which was set by Clemson’s Neil Brophy in 1983 at 4:27.79. Emma Barksdale also set a new pool record in the 200-yard IM with a time of 2:00.53. The previous record was 2:02.00 set by Duke’s Leah Goldman in 2015.
With the losses, Carolina’s men’s team is 0-4 on the season and the women are 1-4. Duke’s men’s and women’s team are now both 5-1 on the season.
QUOTING HEAD SWIMMING COACH MCGEE MOODY
“Today was one of the toughest losses I have had as a coach. I felt our team fought hard. We broke three pool records, and normally when you race like that you are going to come out on top. I am proud of the effort put forth by a great group of young people.”
MEN’S RECAP
Jordan Gotro earned a podium finish on the 1-meter board, taking first with a score of 339.98 and earning a zone diving standard mark.
The Gamecock men finished third in the 200-yard medley relay, then came back with a first-place finish in the 1000-yard freestyle by Akram Mahmoud with a time of 9:04.93 and a second-place finish by Cody Bekemeyer after swimming a time of 9:05.02.
Fynn Minuth placed first in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:38.25, and Tomas Peribonio finishing next in second with a time of 1:38.74.
Jonathan Boland tied for second in the 100-yard backstroke after swimming a time of 48.92. Nils Wich-Glasen swam his way into a B cut time of 53.93 to finish first in the 100-yard breaststroke.
In the 200-yard butterfly, Will Riggs lead Carolina with a first place finish after swimming a time of 1:50.72, followed by Caleb Tosh in second with a time of 1:50.85.
Patrick McCrillis placed the highest for the Gamecocks in the 50-yard freestyle when he finished third after a time of 21.16. Boland earned his second podium finish when he swam into second place in the 100-yard freestyle after a time of 46.02.
Peribonio finished second in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:49.15 and Kevin Liu followed in third at 1:50.57.
Wich-Glasen was the top Gamecock in the 200-yard breaststroke, taking first place with a time of 1:57.38 to earn his second B cut of the day.
South Carolina swept the 500-yard freestyle with Minuth, Mahmoud and Bekemeyer taking the top three spots. Minuth finished first with a time of 4:23.77, good enough for a B cut, while Mahmoud followed at4:30.41 and Bekemeyer at 4:30.52.
Boland finished third in the 100-yard butterfly in a time of 49.57. The Gamecocks then went on to sweep the 200-yard IM with Peribonio in the lead, followed by Wich-Glasen and Bekemeyer. Peribonio swam into first with a time of 1:50.34, Wich-Glasen came in second at 1:51.57 and Bekemeyer in third at 1:52.03.
The last race of the day was the 400-yard freestyle relay. Duke took the top two spots, while Carolina finished in third and fourth.
WOMEN’S RECAP
Julia Vincent got the Gamecocks off on the right foot, taking first in the 1-meter dive with a score of 306.53 and first in the 3-meter dive with a score of 373.28, which is a season best. Mikaela Lujan finished third in the 1-meter after scoring 281.80.
After taking the third spot in the 200-yard medley relay, the Gamecocks took second in the 1000-yard freestyle after Sarah Smith swam the race in 10:14.83. Elizabeth Maltby placed third with a time of 10:18.92 and Megan Carlson took fourth after finishing in 10:21.85.
Emma Barksdale led the Gamecocks in the 200-yard freestyle, finishing first in a time of 1:49.28, while Heather Merritt took third following a time of 1:51.17.
Newcomer Emily Cornell was the highest finishing Gamecock in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 56.56 to take third. Kersten Dirrane took second place in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:02.71, while Albury Higgs earned a third place finish with a time of 1:05.89.
Marissa DelGado swam into third place in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:04.27. Christina Lappin finished highest for Carolina in the 50-yard freestyle at third place in a time of 23.92.
Emma Barksdale posted the highest finish for the Gamecocks in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 51.02, good for second place.
Emily Cornell swam into first place in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:00.90, followed by another first place finish in the 200-yard breaststroke by Dirrane with a time of 2:14.86, good for a B cut. Higgs finished in third with a time of 2:22.23.
Merritt led Carolina in the 500-yard freestyle, finishing second with a time of 4:58.20. Christina Lappin was the highest-finishing Gamecock in the 100-yard butterfly, coming in at fifth with a time of 56.26.
Barksdale earned her second victory of the meet when she took first in the 200-yard IM and earned a second B cut with a time of 2:00.53.
South Carolina finished first and third in the 400-yard freestyle relay to round out the evening.
