TRANSCRIPT

“You start back on the board and you have this thing we call a hurdle.it’s yoru approach to the end of the board.”

That’s Sophie Verzyl, a diver on the swimming and diving team at the University of South Carolina and a member of the U.S. Diving Team who has her sights set on competing in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. She’s describing what’s called the Double Out Dive, one of her favorites.

Sophie Verzyl: “You do a couple steps and then drive your knee to kind of start…

From Mill village Pool to Modern Speed: A Century of Gamecock Swimming & Diving

For the university of South Carolina’s swimming and diving team, the path to competition hasn’t always been paved with state-of-the-art facilities. In the early days, to practice, the Gamecocks utilized the Pacific Community Pool, nestled within the historic Olympia mill Village south of campus. Built in 1918 for the families of workers at the Olympia and Granby cotton mills, the community generously opened its pool to the USC team – a pool that, remarkably, still stands today, though it no longer holds water. It now functions as part of the event space at 701 Whaley Street.

USC’s original natatorium shares a similar fate. Closed upon the completion of the Blatt P.E. Center pool in the 1970s, it now serves as storage for props used in Longstreet Theater.

A glance through Garnet & Black yearbooks reveals a fascinating evolution in swimwear. Men’s suits progressed from modest, one-piece leotards in the 1920s to swimming briefs by the 1940s, and eventually to bikini-style suits in the 1970s. Women, finally permitted to compete at the varsity level in the 1970s, wore one-piece suits.

Head swimming and diving coach Jeff Poppell notes that this evolution in attire mirrors a broader trend – a relentless pursuit of speed.

Jeff Poppell: “Swimming just continues to get faster as a sport. I mean, we just came back from the national championships last week for the men, and women the week before, and the swimming that you’re seeing now, you know, in 2025 is just – it’s just mind blowing to be honest with you, you know, how much it’s advanced from back 100 years ago even.”

A President Who Dove: USC’s Aquatic Legacy

Todd Sherritt: “I had 56 All-Americans, 13 SEC champions. I had six Olympians. A lot of national championships, USA, coached a lot of world teams. Coached Olympic team’s coach. Olympic team for South Africa,which was an honor. And then a lot of world championships. I’ve traveled to over 30 countries.”

When recruiting divers to USC in the 1990s and early 2000s, Sherritt possessed a unique advantage. He’d showcase the campus,including the Olympic-sized pool at the Blatt P.E. Center, and then introduce recruits to then-university president, John Palms.

Todd Sherritt: “Palms was actually a diver himself. Yes, he was. So he would always come down and talk to the divers that I bring down there. I mean, it was the greatest recruiting thing in the world. Oh, here’s the president. By the way, did you know I was a diver?”

It came as a surprise to learn that President Palms had been a collegiate diver as a cadet at The Citadel in the 1950s. This discovery sparks a question: were other past USC presidents student-athletes during their time? Perhaps that’s a topic for future exploration.

Earlier in this episode,we met Sophie Verzyl,a USC diver who recently completed her degree at the Moore school of Business and will begin a master’s in sport management.She’s already setting her sights on training for the 2028 Olympics.

From the Pool to the Workplace: How Athletic Discipline Translates to Career Success

Many athletes experience a period of adjustment when they transition out of competitive sports and into the professional world. Though, the discipline, time management skills, and dedication honed through years of athletic training can be surprisingly valuable assets in a new career. Former swimmers and divers are finding success in various fields, attributing their smooth transitions to the habits they developed during their athletic careers.

One common theme among these athletes is the ability to manage a demanding schedule. Competitive swimming and diving require intense training regimens, often involving early morning practices, weekend commitments, and a important time investment. This experience prepares athletes for the rigors of a full-time job.

Former swimmer,Katie meili,experienced this firsthand. after retiring from competitive swimming, she transitioned into a role at a tech company. She found the structured lifestyle she had grown accustomed to during her swimming career made the adjustment easier.

Katie Meili: “I think being used to a schedule like that really helped the transition into a job like this be like, OK, this is basically what I did for my whole life.Like, I’m fine working past five.I’m fine working weekends. I’m fine dedicating so much of my time to a job because that’s basically what I was doing. And that made I think the transition easier.”

Every sport has its quirks, and swimming and diving are no different. Todd Sherritt says divers are motivated in different ways, and as a coach, he had to figure out what made each person tick. He remembers one diver in particular.

Todd Sherritt: “The funny thing about her, she dived