NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt swimming will conclude the first half of its 2024-25 season when it returns to South Carolina to take part in the Gamecock Invitational beginning on Wednesday at the USC Natatorium.
The competition will feature preliminary heats beginning at 9 a.m. CT on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, with finals slated to get underway at 5 p.m. each of the first two days and 3 p.m. on the last day of the meet. In addition to host South Carolina—ranked 20th in the most recent CSCAA top-25 poll—the field this week will also include No. 19 North Carolina, Carson-Newman (Tenn.), East Carolina, Georgia Southern, Milligan (Tenn.), UNC Wilmington, North Florida and Tampa.
This marks the third year in a row that Vandy will take part in the Gamecock Invitational, having placed third out of seven teams in 2022 before improving to a second-place result in a field of eight schools last fall. The Dores also faced South Carolina and No. 13 Georgia in a tri-meet in Columbia on Oct. 11 earlier in the season.
“I think everyone is really excited to have the chance to race this week,” head coach Jeremy Organ said. “We feel like we’re in a really good place as far as how the season has gone, we’re looking forward to seeing what we can do this week. This is a chance to get up and race, and to get to do the prelim-final format which really prepares us for the end of the season and the routines that go with that.”
Nearly all the Commodores’ best times this season were recorded when Vandy faced the Gamecocks and Bulldogs over a month ago. Four individuals posted multiple marks that pace the Dores that day, including upperclassmen Kailia Utley (100 and 200 butterfly) and Reagan Mathieson (100 and 200 freestyle) as well as freshmen Emily Constable (100 and 200 breaststroke) and Aubrey Hull (100 and 200 backstroke). Megan Ciezczak currently leads Vanderbilt with her performance in the 50 free at that meet, while Bailey Ratzburg’s time in the 200 individual medley in that competition is the best by a Commodore thus far this season.
Mercedes Traba enters the competition pacing the Dores in a team-high three events, including the 500 and 1,000 free and the 400 IM.
Over the last two years, six members of the program expected to compete this week have won a final at the Gamecock Invitational with the group including Karsyn Cook, Kendall Hall, Madelyn Porter, Ratzburg, Utley and Hannah Weissman.
