March 12, 2009

COLUMBIA, S.C. – With a pair of school record times in their respective events, South Carolina seniors Kyle Cormier and Nicholas Walkotten earned invitations to the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships later this month in College Station, Texas. It will be the third NCAA Championship appearance for both athletes.

Cormier earned an invite in the 200-yard freestyle after claiming third place at the SEC Championships with a school-record time of 1:34.09. He is seeded 13th on the official NCAA psych sheet heading into the championships.

Walkotten, meanwhile, will swim the 200 butterfly for the third time at the NCAA Championships after earning an invitation with a 1:43.55, also a South Carolina school record. His sixth-place time at the SEC Championships earned him the 21st seed at the upcoming NCAA Championships. Last year, Walkotten finished 21st in the event; as a sophomore at Indiana University, he earned All-America honors with a ninth-place NCAA finish in the 200 fly.

Cormier and Walkotten also have `B’ cut times in several other events, earning them more chances to score points for the Gamecocks. Cormier is seeded 26th in the 200 individual medley (1:45.49) and 35th in the 100 freestyle (43.21) while Walkotten has the 35th seed in the 100 fly (47.01) and the 40th seed in the 100 back (47.84).

The NCAA Men’s Championships get underway March 26 at the Student Rec Center Natatorium on the campus of Texas A&M University.