Auburn Men Dominate South Carolina But Gamecock Women Score Upset
The Auburn Tigers hosted South Carolina in an SEC showdown Saturday, and while the Tiger men cruised by a 215-85 margin, the Gamecock women pulled off an upset by five points, beating Auburn 152.5-147.5.
Madison Kolessar started things off for South Carolina with a win in the 1000 freestyle, clocking 9:46.61 to hold off teammate Nora Fluck (9:47.18) by a half-second. Greta Pelzek finished first in the 200 butterfly (1:54.68).
In the second half of the meet, the Gamecocks went on a run of individual wins. Amy Riordan finished first in the 200 backstroke (1:55.06), followed by Delaney Franklin topping the 200 breaststroke (2:10.89). Breckin Gormley claimed the 500 free (4:44.71), followed by Pelzek’s second win of the day in the 100 fly (51.90). In diving, Sophie Verzyl won 1-meter (331.50) and 3-meter (372.90), and Meaghan Harnish won the 200 IM by four hundredths in 1:59.37.
The Tiger women won both relays. Lora Komoroczy, Stasya Makarova, Lawson Ficken and Lexie Mulvihill won the 200 medley relay in 1:37.23, and the group of Polina Nevmovenko, Lisa Klevanovich, Ficken and Mulvihill clocked 3:14.92 in the 400 free relay. Nevmovenko topped the 200 free (1:45.99) and 100 free (48.82), and Komoroczy took first in the 100 back (51.58). Makarova was the winner of the 100 breast (1:00.07), but that would be the last individual triumph for the Tiger women.
The Tiger men dominated beginning with Nate Stoffle, Henry Bethel, Logan Tirheimer and Kalle Makinen clocking 1:24.63 in the 200 medley relay. Jon Vanzandt took first in the 200 free (1:35.31), followed by Stoffle winning the 100 back (45.73) and Danny Schmidt topping the 200 fly (1:43.64).
Makinen secured individual wins in the 50 free (19.50) and 100 free (43.05), and Stoffle’s second individual win came in the 200 back (1:42.40). Jacques Rathle came away first in the 200 breast (1:57.23), and Mason Mathias won the 500 free (4:19.69). Sohib Khaled earned a narrow win in the 100 fly (46.84).
Auburn diver Talan Blackmon won on 3-meter (392.03) and 1-meter (369.22), and Danny Schmidt concluded individual racing by topping the 200 IM (1:46.36). The team of Makinen, Ryan Husband, Tirheimer and Vanzandt dominated the 400 free relay in 2:51.40.
For South Carolina, Connor Fry topped the 1000 free (8:57.03), holding off Mathias by less than two tenths, and Linus Kahl took first in the 100 breast (53.71)