Senior Akram Mahmoud made South Carolina history on Sunday when he became the first Gamecock swimmer to place first in three straight SEC titles.
To round out the SEC Championships this weekend, Mahmoud won the men's 1650 freestyle for the third consecutive year. This just adds to the resume Mahmoud has built for himself, as he was a NCAA-All American in the 1650 freestyle, 500 freestyle and 800 freestyle relay for the 2017 season. He also holds the South Carolina record for the men's 1650 freestyle and 1000 freestyle.
Mahmoud's strong performance helped lead the South Carolina men's team to a seventh place finish this weekend, while the women finished in eighth. Five Gamecocks claimed spots in the top 10 for the men's 1650 freestyle event, including junior Cody Bekemeyer just missing a podium finish in fourth place.
The only other podium finisher for the Gamecocks was senior Nils Which-Glasen, who took home bronze in the men's 200 breaststroke. While they were the only two athletes to place, many Gamecocks set personal bests and still put on a show.
Junior Emma Barksdale beat her own school record on Sunday, lowering the program's women's 1650 best by more than a second. The time of 16:12.58 did well enough to earn her a seventh place finish. Barksdale also holds the school record for the 1000 freestyle, 200 IM and 400 IM.
Sophomore Emily Cornell also broke her own school record, lowering her time in the women's 200 meter backstroke to 1:56.31. This time in the preliminary competition led her to finish 14th on the final day of the championships.
Albury Higgs, Lionel Khoo, Jeremiah Bohon, Kevin Liu and Christina Lappin all left the tournament with career-bests in their respective events.
The Gamecocks will continue their postseason run as they head to Annapolis, Maryland, from March 8 to March 10 for the National Invitational Championship.