March 19, 2008
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina senior swimmer Christy Williams and freshman diver Taryn Zack are set to compete as individuals in their respective events at the 2008 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship, hosted by The Ohio State University, March 20-22, at The Bill and Mae McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion in Columbus, Ohio. Williams will compete in the 200 IM and 100- and 200-yard butterfly while Zack will compete in the one- and three-meter diving competitions.
Williams is making her fourth appearance as an individual at the NCAA Championship. The Newark, Del., native set three school records last season at the event in the 100 fly (54.08), 200 fly (1:58.10) and 200 IM (2:01.86). In 2006, Williams earned NCAA All-America honors, finishing 16th in the 200 butterfly with a mark of 2:00.03. A senior leader on the Carolina squad, Williams enters Thursday’s championship following a successful effort at the SEC Championship in late February. She just missed a spot in the consolation finals of the 100 fly, but answered with a sixth-place finish in the 200 fly on the final day of competition.
Zack is making her first appearance as an individual at the NCAA Championship. The Stony Plain, Alberta, Canada, native captured first place in the women’s one-meter event at the Zone `B’ Diving Championship last week propelling her to an automatic bid to this week’s Championship. Zack led a decorated field of divers at the event, including defending SEC champion in the event, Rachel Ware from LSU, who finished fifth, and defending ACC champion Brittany Viola from Miami (Fla.), who finished seventh. Zack finished fifth in the event at the SEC Championship last month. She followed with a fifth-place showing in the three-meter competition at last week’s Zone event to earn a spot at the NCAA Championship.
ESPN2 will provide 90 minutes of tape-delayed coverage of the championships Friday, March 28 at 2 p.m. EDT.
Below is the schedule of events for Carolina’s participants:
Williams
Thursday: 200 IM trials 11 a.m., consolation/finals beginning at 7 p.m.
Friday: 100 fly trials 11 a.m., consolation/finals beginning at 7 p.m.
Saturday: 200 fly trials 11 a.m., consolation/finals beginning at 7 p.m.
Zack
Thursday: 1-meter, trials at 1:30 p.m., consolation finals at 3:15 p.m., finals beginning at 7 p.m.
Friday: 3-meter, trials at 1:30 p.m., consolation finals at 3:30 p.m., finals beginning at 7 p.m.
South Carolina’s Nicholas Walkotten and Dominique Lendjel will represent Carolina at the men’s swimming and diving championship, to be held March 27-29 in Federal Way, Wash. Visit www.GamecocksOnline.com next week for a full schedule and information on South Carolina’s participants.
