Jan. 25, 2011

By Wes Todd

Assistant Media Relations Director

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina men’s swimming & diving team moved up to No. 22 in the nation in the latest TYR/CSCAA Dual Meet Rankings, which were released Tuesday.

South Carolina has now been ranked in every poll this season, entering the rankings at No. 24 in November and moving up two spots since then. The Gamecock men are undefeated in dual-meet action at 9-0 this season (1-0 SEC), off to the best start in school history, and have a chance to post the program’s first-ever undefeated season if they can win this Saturday against Georgia and Alabama.

This weekend’s opponents also moved up in the latest poll. The Bulldog men moved from No. 11 to No. 9, and the Crimson Tide are up one spot to No. 16. Four other SEC teams are ranked as well, led by No. 3 Auburn, No. 5 Florida and No. 7 Tennessee. LSU, ranked 21st, gives the league seven of its eight teams in the national polls; Kentucky is also receiving votes.

On the women’s side, Georgia leads the SEC contingent at No. 2, while No. 5 Auburn, No. 8 Florida and No. 10 Tennessee round out the top 10. Arkansas comes in at No. 20, and LSU is ranked 23rd. The Gamecock women, at 6-5 (1-2 SEC) are receiving votes, as are Alabama and Kentucky. Gamecock opponents Missouri, Clemson, East Carolina, Duke and UNC Wilmington are also receiving votes in one or both polls.

South Carolina will close out its 2010-11 dual-meet season at home on Saturday with an SEC showdown against Georgia and Alabama at the Blatt P.E. Center. The diving portion of the meet is set to begin at 10:30 a.m., 10 Gamecock seniors will be honored as part of Senior Day festivities at approximately 11:30 a.m., and swimming will begin at noon. Admission is free to all South Carolina swimming & diving events.