Michael Cooper has announced his transfer to South Carolina beginning this fall for the 2024-2025 season. Cooper spent two seasons with Ohio State but did not swim in any NCAA competition this past season.
Cooper graduated from high school in the class of 2021 and began swimming for Ohio State in the 2021-2022 season. His season best times as a freshman came at the OSU Winter Invite. There he swam a 2:00.60 in the 200 breast, 1:47.83 in the 200 IM (personal best), and 3:49.13 in the 400 IM.
His season best times as a sophomore also came from the Winter Invite as he swam a 2:01.07 200 breast, 1:48.52 200 IM, and 3:54.27 400 IM. Cooper did not compete in the NCAA this past season, instead, he swam under his club team OLY Swimming at many Michigan-based club meets. He entered the transfer portal this spring.
His best SCY times are:
- 200 IM: 1:47.83
- 400 IM: 3:48.07
- 200 breast: 1:59.22
The South Carolina men finished 9th out of 10 teams at the 2024 SEC Championships and went on to send one swimmer to NCAAs as Connor Fry swam in prelims of the 500 and 1650 freestyles.
Cooper’s best times have the potential to score at SECs as he would have made the 400 IM ‘C’ final. It took a 1:45.93 to final in the 200 IM and a 1:57.87 to final in the 200 breast. The South Carolina men only had 1 swimmer under the 4:00 mark in the 400 IM this season so Cooper will help boost that event for the team.
Cooper will arrive as a member of the class of 2026. He is not the only transfer that will arrive this fall as backstroker Sam Brown has announced his transfer from Missouri. Kaden Smesko, another backstroker, will take his 5th year at South Carolina after spending his undergraduate career at Notre Dame.
