Nov. 23, 2009

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Michael Flach from the South Carolina swimming and diving team has been named AgSouth Athlete of the Week.

Flach earned South Carolina’s first NCAA `B’ cut and the first of his career in Thursday’s preliminaries of the 500 freestyle when he swam a 4:22.78, which ranks as the third-fastest time in the country after the weekend. He would also record a tie for second in the 200 butterfly in 1:49.64, a scant one-hundredth of a second behind the event winner. Flach was the top qualifier in 200 backstroke prelims with a 1:49.93, a career-best time, and also took fifth in the 400 IM with a 3:58.37. The native of Annandale, Va., swam the anchor leg of the 800 freestyle relay, posting the fastest split of the night (1:38.74) to earn a second-place finish for the Gamecocks.

As the fall season concludes, Flach ranks third in the SEC in the 500 freestyle, eighth in the 200 butterfly, 10th in the 400 individual medley and 14th in the 200 backstroke. He was named the SEC’s Freshman of the Week following his performance in South Carolina’s meet at Tennessee on Nov. 6.