SEC Weekly Honors: Kieran Smith, Ellen Walshe Lead Swimming Honorees

Kieran Smith. Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

The SEC announced its weekly swimming and diving awards.

SEC Men’s Swimmer of the Week: Kieran Smith, Florida

Florida’s Kieran Smith, a senior from Ridgefield, Conn., earned a trio of podium finishes and was a part of three winning relays as the Gators finished first at the Georgia Tech Invite. Smith placed first in the 500 free with an NCAA A-cut time of 4:10.72, the fastest time in the nation, and in the 200 IM with an NCAA B-cut time of 1:42.52, the fourth fastest time in the nation. He also swam the last leg of the 200 free relay (1:16.68/19.29) and the leadoff leg of the 800 free relay (6:14.99/1:32.66), with both squads posting NCAA A-cut times for the third fastest times nationally.

SEC Men’s Co-Divers of the Week: Juan Celaya-Hernandez, LSU and Kurtis Mathews, Texas A&M

LSU’s Juan Celaya-Hernandez, a fifth-year senior from San Nicholas de los Garza, Mexico, won the 1-meter springboard at the Texas Diving Invitational. In the lone event he competed in, Celaya-Hernandez posted a final score of 414.15.

Texas A&M’s Kurtis Mathews, a senior from Sydney, Australia, won the 3-meter springboard at the Texas Diving Invitational with a final score of 463.05. Mathews was also runner-up in the 1-meter with a score of 407.60.

SEC Men’s Freshman of the Week: Jordan Crooks, Tennessee

Tennessee’s Jordan Crooks, a freshman from George Town, Cayman Islands, won two races and helped UT’s relay teams to four podium finishes as the Vols defeated No. 7 Virginia, No. 23 UNLV and No. 24 Alabama to win the 2021 Tennessee Invitational. Crooks took first in the 50 free (19.39) and 100 free (42.41), en route to being the top scoring on the men’s side of the meet (64 points). His time in the 50 free is tied for 18th in the country and first among SEC freshmen. He also helped the Vols take second in the 200 free relay, 200 medley relay and 800 free relay. Crooks ended the meet with a 100 free split of 42.33 during the 400 free relay, with his time ranking eighth nationally and the top mark among freshmen this season.

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SEC Women’s Swimmer of the Week: Ellen Walshe, Tennessee

Tennessee’s Ellen Walshe, a freshman from Dublin, Ireland, posted six podium finishes and five individual top-10 performances in program history as she helped the Lady Vols defeat top-ranked Virginia and No. 16 Alabama to win the 2021 Tennessee Invitational. Walshe won the 100 fly with the nation-leading mark of 50.24, the second-fastest UT freshman ever to swim the event. She was runner-up in the 200 fly (1:53.96) and 200 IM (1:54.77) with the third fastest times in the nation in both events. Leading off the 400 and 800 freestyle relays, Walshe recorded splits of 48.70 and 1:44.63, respectively. She also helped UT’s 200 medley relay (1:35.89) and 400 medley relay (3:28.91) to podium finishes and NCAA A-cut times, ranking fifth nationally and second in the SEC in both events.

SEC Women’s Diver of the Week: Sophie Verzyl, South Carolina

South Carolina’s Sophie Verzyl, a freshman from Columbia, S.C., posted NCAA Zone qualifying scores to sweep the springboard events at the Tennessee Invitational. Verzyl registered 304.55 points to win the 1-meter and 345.70 to claim the top spot in the 3-meter.

SEC Women’s Freshman of the Week: Avery Wiseman, Alabama

Alabama’s Avery Wiseman, a freshman from Drayton Valley, Alberta, Canada, reset the program records in both breaststroke events at the Tennessee Invitational with NCAA A-cut times of 57.46 in the 100 and 2:05.46 in the 200, good for second place at the invite. Wiseman is ranked third in the nation in the 100 breaststroke and first among freshmen and fourth in the nation and first in the SEC and among freshmen in the 200 breaststroke. She also swam the breaststroke leg on the Tide’s school-record 400 medley relay (3:27.18/58.66) and the second leg of the 200 medley relay (1:35.01/26.60), with both relay times ranking third nationally.

— The above press release was posted by Swimming World in conjunction with the SEC. For press releases and advertising inquiries please contact Advertising@SwimmingWorld.com.

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