Nov. 23, 2010

By Wes Todd
Assistant Media Relations Director

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina swimmer Rachael Schaffer was named the SEC Female Freshman of the Week, the league office announced Tuesday.

Schaffer, a freshman from Baltimore, Md., posted three NCAA `B’ cut times during the Nike Cup Invitational, which wrapped up Saturday in Chapel Hill, N.C. She broke the school record in the 400-yard individual medley with a 4:14.12 to take top honors in the race, breaking Amanda Dunnigan’s 2009 record of 4:15.48. She just missed breaking another school record with a 2:00.89 in the 200 IM but set a personal-best to finish third in the race. Schaffer wrapped up her week with a PR time of 2:15.49 in the 200 breaststroke, winning the consolation final and posting her third NCAA provisional qualifying time of the week. She also swam on three relays – 800 FR, 200 MR and 400 MR – during the meet.

This marks Schaffer’s second time to be honored by the league this year; she was also named the SEC’s Freshman of the Week after the Gamecocks’ season-opening victory over Vanderbilt and Western Kentucky on Oct. 16.

Other honorees this week included Florida swimmers Elizabeth Beisel and Conor Dwyer, divers Gabrielle Trudeau of Tennessee and Daniel Helm of LSU, and Alabama freshman Devan Terry.