Feb. 25, 2009

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina sophomore diver Taryn Zack was named as a First Team All-SEC selection, the Southeastern Conference office announced late Tuesday. Zack captured the one-meter diving title and took runner-up honors in the three-meter event at the SEC Swimming and Diving Championships last week in Auburn, Ala.

Zack, a native of Stony Plain, Alberta, Canada, was named SEC Diver of the Week four times this year, following home meets with North Carolina, Clemson, College of Charleston and the Gamecock Invitational. Earlier this week, she was also named AgSouth Athlete of the Week for the second time this season for her efforts in last week’s championships.

Her one-meter victory gave South Carolina its ninth SEC diving championship since the Gamecocks joined the league in 1992. No other school has won more one- and three-meter women’s diving titles in that stretch.

Zack becomes the sixth different South Carolina women’s swimmer or diver to earn All-SEC First Team honors. She joins Vivian Alberty (1994, 1995), Michelle Davison (1998, 1999), Sarah Doyle (1999, 2000), Tracey Richardson (2003) and Allison Brennan (2006) on an elite list of Gamecock athletes to earn a spot on the league’s top squad.

South Carolina’s divers will look to earn a spot in next month’s NCAA Championships when they head to Knoxville, Tenn., for NCAA Zone B Diving, which runs March 12-14 at the new Allan Jones Aquatic Center on the University of Tennessee campus.