ECU Drops Final Home Meet Of The Season To Gamecocks

Saturday, January 11

Greenville, N.C.

1 P.M.

East Carolina University

144

156

South Carolina

Photo by: Rob Goldberg

January 11, 2020 | Men's Swimming and Diving, Women's Swimming and Diving, Swimming & Diving

Complete Results (PDF)Photo Gallery

Complete Results (PDF)

GREENVILLE, N.C. -- The East Carolina men's and women's swimming and diving team closed out their home schedule Saturday afternoon by putting up some of their fastest times of the season, but ultimately dropped the dual meet to South Carolina at Minges Natatorium.

In the final event of the day, the U of SC men's 400 freestyle relay team edged ECU by 0.82 seconds to win the meet, 156-144. The Gamecocks defeated the Pirates on the women's side, 180-113.

"We had some really big swims today," ECU Head Coach Matthew Jabs said. "Our women raced hard and dove well. The men's meet came down to the last relay and every race was a battle. We had some impressive in-season performances both in the pool and on the diving boards. I'm proud of our entire team and the effort put forth in today's meet"

ECU sophomore Marek Osina led the men's pursuit with three first-place finishes, edging out U of SC sophomore Phil Costin by 0.19 seconds to win the 200 freestyle, his first event of the day. He later beat out teammate Magnus Andersen in a pair of events, touching 0.74 seconds ahead of him to capture the 200 backstroke and nearly three seconds in front of him in the 200 IM.

Lyubomir Epitropov swept the breaststroke events, swiping the wall 0.04 seconds before the Gamecocks' Lionel Khoo to win the 100 and then touched 0.58 seconds before him in the 200.

Freshman Adam Mahler provided the Pirates' only other individual win by finishing the 200 butterfly 0.31 seconds ahead of the field.

Adela Vavrinova was the lone multi-event winner for ECU on the women's side. She narrowly claimed victory in the 100 freestyle, touching just 0.07 second ahead of the Gamecock's Emily Cornell. Her win in the 200 IM was much more comfortable, finishing nearly three seconds in front of the runner-up.

Shannon Stott and Kristen Stege also claimed individual wins with Stott capturing the 200 butterfly and Stege the 500 freestyle.

Rodrigo Romero became the first ECU diver to break 400 points in dual meet, scoring 400.50 points on the 3-meter springboard to place second. He also placed second in the 1-meter diving competition with 339.0 points.

ECU will close out its dual meet season Jan. 25 at UMBC.