University of Tennessee Athletics
Gilliam, Chereches and Parrington Receive SEC Honors
April 03, 2001 | Men's Swimming & Diving
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The Tennessee Volunteers swept the SEC Swimmer and Diver of the Year honors awarded by the Knoxville News-Sentinel as senior Michael Gilliam was named as the top swimmer in the conference and senior Gabi Chereches was named as the top diver. Tennessee diving coach Dave Parrington was named as the SEC Diving Coach of the Year. Senior diver Shannon Roy and Jeremy McDonnell, a junior breastroke swimmer, were also named to the first-team All-SEC squad.
Chereches won his third straight SEC platform title this past year and earned All-America honors in all three diving events at the recent NCAA Championships. Chereches, who also finished as the SEC runner-up in three-meter diving, was named the diving performer of the 2001 SEC meet. This marks the third time Chereches has won the News-Sentinel Diver of the the Year award.
Gilliam captured the NCAA Championship in the 100 backstroke and won seven total All-America honors. At the NCAA meet Gilliam set the school record in the 100 backstroke and took part in each of UT's four school-record relay efforts. At the 2001 SEC Championships, Gilliam was named swimming performer of the meet as he took home his third consecutive SEC 100 back title and tied his own SEC record in that event. Gilliam also helped the Vols set the 200 medley relay American Record at the SEC meet and finished second in the conference in the 100 freestyle. The last UT swimmer to win the News-Sentinel SEC Swimmer of the Year award was Jeremy Linn in 1998.
Parrington won the the SEC Men's Diving Coach of the year award for the fourth straight season and sixth time overall. He has accumulated eight conference coach of the year awards in his illustrious career. Under his tutelage, the Vol divers ejoyed an excellent season. The Vol divers captured two of the three SEC diving crowns, including a one-two sweep in the three-meter event. All three UT divers - Chereches, Roy and sophomore Jake Dorsey - qualified for the NCAA Zone B Championships. Chereches and Roy both competed at the NCAA Championships and combined to reach a UT-record five finals.
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| Diving Coach Dave Parrington |
McDonnell won the 2001 SEC 100 breaststroke title and also finished third in the 200 breaststroke and the 200 I.M. He went on to finish fifth in the NCAA in the 100 breaststroke. McDonnell also served on the American Record-setting 200 medley relay at the SEC Championships as well as the SEC champion 400 freestyle relay. At the NCAA meet, McDonnell took part in all four school-record relays.
Roy won the SEC three-meter title and also finished fifth in the SEC one-meter competition. At the NCAA Championships, Roy earned All-America honors in the one and three-meter springboard events with a third-place finish in the three-meter event and sixth in the one-meter event. Roy was named SEC Diver of the Year last season by the SEC coaches and also won the SEC three-meter title in 1998.
Making the All-SEC second team for the Vols were Justin Hoggatt (butterfly), Chris Hussey (sprint relay), Mike Burton (sprint relay), Renato Gueraldi (sprint relay), Greg Simpson (freestyle relay), Zane DeWitz (freestyle relay), Brett Tannhauser (freestyle relay), Andrew Bree (freestyle relay) and Brent Owen (medley relay).
