May 20, 2011

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina senior diver Taryn Zack has been named to the Capital One Academic All-District At-Large First Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), the organization announced today.

Zack, a native of Stony Plain, Alberta, Canada, was named the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for swimming & diving earlier this year, and was also South Carolina’s Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year. She graduated in June 2010 with a degree in exercise science and a GPA of 3.926; she is currently in graduate school where she is pursuing a physical therapy degree and carries a perfect 4.0 GPA. In February, Zack won her second SEC Championship in 1-meter diving, scoring an SEC Championship-record 336.55 to win the title in Gainesville, Fla. She also captured the 1-meter title as a sophomore in 2009. Zack is the school record-holder in 1-meter diving (357.75) and 3-meter diving (389.03). She advanced to the NCAA Championships all four years as a Gamecock, earning three All-America certificates in that time.

To be eligible for nomination, a student-athlete must carry a 3.3 or better cumulative GPA and must be in their second year or later at their school. Zack was one of 10 student-athletes selected in the “At-Large” category, which includes athletes from all sports except football, basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, women’s volleyball and track & field. She will now move on to the national ballot where she could be named South Carolina’s second-ever Academic All-American for swimming & diving.