March 31, 2009

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Nick Walkotten from the men’s swimming and diving team has been named AgSouth Athlete of the Week.

Walkotten picked up two All-America certificates over the weekend at the NCAA Men’s Swimming & Diving Championships, becoming the first South Carolina men’s swimmer to finish in the top 16 in two events since Istvan Bathazi did so in 2004.

The senior from Hudsonville, Mich., turned in a 1:42.48 in the 200 butterfly, shattering his own school record by more than a full second to finish sixth in the nation in the event, giving South Carolina 13 points in the team standings.

He added two more points for South Carolina with a 15th-place finish in the 100-yard butterfly, turning in a time of 46.59 seconds, which was a hair slower than his preliminary time of 46.36 (also a school record).

Walkotten set a third school record on the weekend, lowering his own mark in the 100 backstroke with a preliminary time of 47.56.