COLUMBIA, S.C. — LSU’s Kevin Braud, Julius Gloeckner and Miko Malberg each won two events, and freshman Kannon Betzen captured a first-place finish in her debut on Saturday as the LSU swimming and diving team opened Southeastern Conference action with a convincing sweep at South Carolina.
The LSU men used seven 1-2 finishes and captured 12 of the 16 men’s events to post a 204.5-94.5 victory. The LSU women benefited from four 1-2-3 finishes en route to a 164-136 win. The Tigers also claimed all four relays.
With the win, LSU improved to 9-5 all-time against the Gamecocks in dual-meet competition. The Tiger men have now won three out of the last four meetings against South Carolina, while the Lady Tiger women have captured four out of the last five decisions versus the Gamecocks.
“It was great to get an SEC road win,” said head coach Adam Schmitt. “We certainly knew it would be a challenge. I think the team learned a lot from this experience.”
Freshmen Luis Gonzalez and Clint Hallum began the 1-2 LSU finishes with first and second-place times of 9:31.35 and 9:33.17, respectively in the men’s 1000 freestyle. That followed a sweep of both the women’s and men’s 400 medley relays.
Gloeckner won his first event in the men’s 200 freestyle (1:40.71), and Braud swept the men’s 100 backstroke (50.70) and 200 back (1:52.42). Gloeckner later led a 1-2 finish in the men’s 200 butterfly with a clocking of 1:52.04. Sophomore Sean LeNeave touched the wall in second (1:52.69).
Junior Roy Chambers tallied a win in the men’s 100 breaststroke (59.10). The Tigers then pulled away with multiple 1-2 finishes in individual events.
LSU showed its strength in sprint freestyle by holding the top four times in the men’s 50 free led by Malberg’s mark of 21.11. Freshman James Meyers was second (21.93) and junior Brandon Selts was third (22.04). In the men’s 100 free, Malberg touched the wall at the same time as South Carolina’s Dominique Lendjel (45.97) as the two shared first place.
Sophomore Nate Telep won the men’s 200 breaststroke (2:09.66) ahead of LeNeave and Chambers. The Tigers’ other 1-2-3 finish came in the men’s 100 fly thanks to freshman Hannes Heyl (50.38) and juniors Christoph Lubenau (50.82) and Connor Farber (50.96).
Hallum captured the men’s 500 free over Gonzalez after finishing second in the 1000 free.
“The men had an opportunity to come in and show their stuff,” said Schmitt. “They came in and executed what they needed to do. They raced, got the win and took control from the very first event. They didn’t look back. We had a lot of 1-2 finishes on the guy’s side, and they raced really well.”
Junior Monica McJunkin, competing not far from her native town of Charlotte, N.C., led a 1-2-3 charge in the women’s 100 back (57.62). Junior Berit Aljand was second (58.79) and senior Stefanie Carver was third (59.79).
“They (women’s team) did what they needed to do to get the win,” said Schmitt. “The key was that our backstrokers and breaststrokers went 1-2-3 in their events.”
Betzen recorded her first career victory in the 100 breaststroke (1:03.69). Junior Katherine Noland won the women’s 100 free (51.68), and junior Katie Gilmore was the Lady Tigers’ highest finisher in the women’s 50 free with second place (24.06).
Aljand and Carver helped LSU claim the women’s 200 back with times of 2:05.59 and 2:07.03, respectively. Junior Victoria Givens just edged Betzen in the women’s 200 breaststroke (2:21.48).
The Lady Tigers sealed the dual-meet win with first place in the 400 free relay. The group of Noland, Gilmore, Sabrina Messmer and McJunkin swam a time of 3:29.74.
LSU also won the men’s 400 free relay when Heyl, Malberg, Lubenau and Gloeckner posted a mark of 3:06.29.
“We won both relays and that was part of our mission coming in here to get those points,” said Schmitt. “The women’s relay won at the end and that was exciting. We had Monica McJunkin hold off the late surge and pull off the win.”
In diving, senior Paige Brown was the Lady Tigers’ highest finisher with second and third in the 1-meter (243.08) and 3-meter (260.03), respectively. Sophomore Rachel Ware was fourth in the 3-meter (245.70) and fifth in the 1-meter (221.85).
Junior Niko Dalman, competing in his first official event since the 2005-06 season, collected a pair of runner-up finishes. Dalman was second in the 1-meter (306.23) and second in the 3-meter (297.00). Freshman Michael Neubacher was third in the 3-meter (289.58) and fourth in the 1-meter (272.70).
The Tigers return home to face nationally-ranked Georgia on Friday, Oct. 19 at 2 p.m. in the LSU Natatorium. Admission is free.