Vols and Lady Vols Represented on SEC Weekly Honors

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Three members of Tennessee swimming & diving earned SEC weekly accolades after the Vols and Lady Vols won their competitions against Georgia and Carson-Newman last week, the league office announced Tuesday.

Jordan Crooks and Gui Caribe both received honors for the fifth time this season, with Crooks being awarded SEC Male Swimmer of the Week and Caribe garnering SEC Male Freshman of the Week, while Kristen Stege took home SEC Female Swimmer of the Week–the first SEC weekly recognition of her career.

Stege, a senior from Naperville, Illinois, won three individual events and posted the nation's top time to help the Lady Vols win both of their meets against No. 15 Georgia and Carson-Newman. Swimming the mile for the first time this season, the two-time SEC Champion in the event clocked an NCAA-leading 15:57.01 effort in the 1650 free against Carson-Newman. In addition to that impressive time, her 1000 free split from the race was 9:37.62, which was a season best for her and marked the second-fastest time in the country for the week.

Stege rounded out the meet against Carson-Newman with a 4:45.66 mark to win the 500 free. During Tennessee's win against Georgia, she posted the top time in the 1000 free, touching the wall in 9:46.49.

Crooks, a sophomore from George Town, Cayman Islands, won a combined seven races last week, leading the Vols to a pair of wins over 11th-ranked Georgia and Carson-Newman. Against the Bulldogs, he clocked the top time in the 100 back (46.32) and 100 fly (45.71)—the latter of which ranked as the top time in the SEC and fifth fastest in the NCAA for the week. His lone individual event against Carson-Newman was a victory in the 100 back, where he posted a 46.25 effort for the fastest unsuited time in the SEC for the week.

Caribe, a freshman from Salvador, Brazil, won a combined six events (two individual, four relays) to help the Vols defeat 11th-ranked Georgia and Carson-Newman last week. Caribe swept the sprint freestyles against Georgia and was a member of the fastest 200 medley relay and 400 free relay. He clocked a 19.30 effort in the 50 free followed by a 42.80 mark in the 100 free. Both times were the fourth fastest efforts in the country for the week and led all NCAA freshmen. His 50 free was the fastest time in the SEC as well.

In the relays, Caribe and Crooks were both members of Tennessee's fastest lineups in all four races between the two meets. Against CNU, Caribe clocked a 19.35 leadoff split while Crooks swam an 18.49 split in the 200 free relay to help lift the squad to a 1:18.25 mark, the fourth-best effort in the country and the fastest in the SEC last week. Swimming the 200 medley relay in both dual meets, UT's best time came against Georgia at 1:24.40, which also marked the fourth-fastest time in the NCAA for the week. Rounding things out, the 400 free relay touched the wall in 2:52.57 to cap off UT's victory against Georgia. Crooks swam an impressive 41.87 split as the anchor.

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University of Tennessee Athletics

Players Mentioned

Gui Caribe

Jordan Crooks

Kristen Stege

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