Feb. 16, 2010

Meet Notes | Live Video | SEC Championship Central

Twitter Updates: @GamecockSwim @SECSportsUpdate

South Carolina will begin its quest for NCAA qualifying times and a strong showing within the nation’s strongest league on Wednesday as the SEC Swimming & Diving Championships get underway. The meet runs Wednesday through Saturday at the Gabrielsen Natatorium on the campus of the University of Georgia.

Preliminaries begin at 10 a.m. each day (except Wednesday) and finals are set for 6 p.m. each night. Fans can follow the action through several sources:

• Live streaming video will be available through GeorgiaDogs.com.
• Twitter updates from the South Carolina media relations staff will be posted periodically at twitter.com/GamecockSwim
• Live results can be obtained at GeorgiaDogs.com.
• ESPNU will have two 90-minute shows on a tape-delayed basis. The men’s championship will air Sunday, Feb. 8, while the women’s event is slated to air Tuesday, March 2.
• Full recaps and interviews with coaches and student-athletes will be posted following each session on GamecocksOnline.com.

HISTORY AT THE SEC CHAMPIONSHIPS
South Carolina has sent both a men’s and women’s team to the SEC Championships each year since joining the league for the 1991-92 season. The Gamecock men earned their best finish in that initial season of 1992 as they took home a fifth-place showing from the league meet. On the women’s side, fifth-place finishes in 2004 and 2005 are the program’s high marks. Prior to joining the SEC, South Carolina’s men had won eight consecutive Metro Conference championships while the Gamecock women took seven of eight titles in the league with Florida State, Virginia Tech, Louisville and Cincinnati, among others.

RECAP OF THE 2009 CHAMPIONSHIPS
South Carolina broke a total of 13 school records, turned in 24 swims below their respective NCAA provisional qualifying mark, and took home one SEC diving championship in what can only be termed a successful week at the SEC Swimming and Diving Championships at Auburn University. The Gamecock women took home a seventh-place finish in the team standings – their best showing since 2006 – and the men finished eighth in the strongest conference in the nation.

For the Carolina women, Taryn Zack was named First Team All-SEC after capturing the league title in 1-meter diving and earning a runner-up showing on the 3-meter board. Amanda Dunnigan set two individual school records (200 IM, 400 IM) and was part of three more record-setting relays (400 MR, 200 MR, 800 FR). She also earned NCAA `B’ cuts in the 200 IM, 400 IM and 200 breast. Megan Sparks set school records in the 100 and 200 backstroke, earning `B’ cuts in both, and Claire Thompson and Lindsey Olson earned `B’ cuts in the 200 and 500 free, respectively.

Kyle Cormier led the way for the men with three school records (100 free, 200 free and 200 IM) and earned the Gamecocks’ only swimming medal with a third-place showing in the 200 freestyle. Nick Walkotten broke two of his own school records in the 100 back and 200 fly, earning `B’ cuts in both events in addition to another in the 100 fly. Cormier and Walkotten, along with David Livsey and Todd Weyandt, set the school record in the 400 freestyle relay as well. Armin Hornikel earned a `B’ cut in the 200 breast and Andy Atzhorn did the same in the 400 IM.

ON THE NATIONAL STAGE
Two divers from South Carolina competed in their respective national championship events over the last three weeks. In late January, junior Taryn Zack earned a fifth-place finish on the 3-meter board at the Diving Plungeon Canada Winter National Championships in Toronto, giving her a spot on Canada’s Grand Prix team and moving her closer to a spot on the nation’s World Cup team. The following week, assistant coach Allison Brennan earned a fifth-place showing of her own at the USA Diving Winter National Championships in Columbus, Ohio.

NOT NOW CHIEF, I’M IN THE ZONE
Seven Carolina divers are qualified for NCAA Zone B Diving Regionals heading into the championship season. Four Gamecocks picked up scores in the Kentucky meet to punch their ticket to Zones, which take place March 11-13 in Atlanta. Taryn Zack (312.30) and Courtney Forcucci (291.08) hit their marks first in 1-meter diving, while Allison Barr (283.20) met the standard in the 3-meter event. Freshman Rylan Ridenour earned his first Zone score with a 343.65 in men’s 3-meter diving, as well. Sophomore Ryan Kuser, punched his ticket to the Zones with his 3-meter performance against Tennessee, scoring 336.23. Helen Alvey scored 276.50 in the Gamecock Invitational to earn her bid to the regionals, while Nikolas Sachs posted qualifying scores in both events at the Gamecock Invite. Forcucci, however, will not be able to compete after suffering a season-ending injury in November.

MORE QUALIFIERS
In addition to its divers qualified for Zone competition, South Carolina has had two individuals and one relay squad post NCAA provisional qualifying times so far this season. Freshman Michael Flach owns a `B’ cut and the nation’s 17th-fastest time in the 500 freestyle with a 4:22.78 at the Gamecock Invitational. Sophomore Armin Hornikel earned a provisional time in the 100 breaststroke (55.32) at the same meet, and the women’s 400 freestyle relay squad of Sharntelle McLean, Kristina Delp, Bridget Halligan and Claire Thompson posted a provisional time of 3:24.59 during the Invitational.

FRESHMAN PHENOM
Freshman Michael Flach was named the SEC’s Freshman of the Week four times during the 2009-10 season, more than any other athlete in the same category. A candidate for SEC Freshman of the Year, he joins Alabama’s Carrie Dragland (female diver) and Aaron Fleshner (male diver) and Tennessee’s Kelsey Floyd (female freshman) as the only athletes to earn the league’s weekly honor on four occasions this season.

YOUNG GUNS
South Carolina has gotten a lot of mileage out of its highly touted freshman class so far this season. In no fewer than 17 events, a freshman either has the top time/score on the team or was part of the top relay squad. Michael Flach carries the top mark in the 200 free, 500 free, 200 fly and is part of the top squad on the 400 and 800 freestyle relay. For the women, Meghan Brockington tops the charts in the 100 butterfly and is on three of the top five relay squads. In addition, five freshmen have made their way into the all-time Carolina top 10 in their respective events – Flach (#5, 500 free), Brooks Ross (#6, 1000 free; #7, 1650 free), Bobby Cave (#7, 200 breast) and Haley Staubach (#8, 200 back).

LOTS OF FRESH FACES
One needs to look no farther than the men’s roster for this week’s championship meet to see the youth on this Gamecock squad. Of the 21 athletes competing for the Gamecock men this week, only three are upperclassmen (Andy Atzhorn, Dominique Lendjel, Trey Tharpe) while the roster boasts nine sophomores and nine freshmen. On the women’s side, the Gamecocks will be competing with two seniors, eight juniors, four sophomores and eight freshmen.

EXPERIENCE AT THIS EVENT
Despite the youth of the team, the majority of South Carolina’s entrants are making at least their second trip to the SEC Championships. Twelve men’s athletes and 13 women’s competitors are making return trips to the championship meet. Andy Atzhorn, Trey Tharpe and Kristina Delp are all making their fourth appearance at the SEC Championships.

Wednesday, Feb. 17
Women’s 1M Diving
Men’s 3M Diving
200 Medley Relay
800 Freestyle Relay

Thursday, Feb. 18
Men’s 1M Diving
Women’s 3M Diving
500 Freestyle
200 Individual Medley
50 Freestyle
200 Freestyle Relay

Friday, Feb. 19
400 Individual Medley
100 Butterfly
200 Freestyle
100 Breaststroke
100 Backstroke
Men’s Platform Diving
400 Medley Relay

Saturday, Feb. 20
1650 Freestyle
200 Backstroke
100 Freestyle
200 Breaststroke
200 Butterfly
Women’s Platform Diving
400 Freestyle Relay