Jan. 26, 2016

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Three members of the University of South Carolina Swimming & Diving program were honored with Southeastern Conference Athlete of the Week awards, the league announced on Tuesday. Sophomore Julia Vincent was named SEC Female Diver of the Week, while Cody Bekemeyer and Maggie Harman earned Male and Female Freshman of the Week laurels, respectively.

Vincent won both the 1-meter and 3-meter dives as the Gamecocks hosted a quad meet against Queens, UNC Wilmington and Wingate from Jan. 22-23. In the 1-meter, Vincent finished with a score of 339.23, and she tallied a score of 391.58 in the 3-meter. Both scores were career bests, and Vincent’s 3-meter mark was less than a point shy of setting a new Carolina program record.

Bekemeyer won the 1,650-yard freestyle over the weekend, swimming a time of 15:35.23 to capture the event for the first time as a collegian. The Lawrenceville, Ga., native also finished second in both the 200-yard backstroke and 500-yard freestyle.

Harman tallied the first three individual victories of her collegiate career at the quad meet. She swam a mark of 51.65 to take the 100-yard freestyle, while posting swims of 1:50.67 in the 200-yard freestyle and 4:54.29 in the 500-yard freestyle. All three times were career bests for the Roanoke, Va., native.

NOTABLE

• Vincent’s Diver of the Week award is her second of the season and the fourth for the Gamecocks in 2015-16. Jordan Gotro and Allyson Nied have also won the league’s top weekly diving honor.
• Bekemeyer is now a two-time SEC Freshman of the Week, while Harman’s weekly award is the first of her career.

UP NEXT FOR CAROLINA

The Gamecocks travel to Greenville, N.C., to face East Carolina and William & Mary on Saturday in their final regular season meet of 2015-16. Start time is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET at the Minges Natatorium.