Season-High Four UT Athletes Earn SEC Weekly Awards

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Four members of the Tennessee swimming and diving program have earned SEC weekly honors, the league announced Tuesday.

Jordan Crooks and Mona McSharry earned swimmer of the week honors, while Bryden Hattie was named men's diver of the week and Camille Spink was awarded women's freshman of the week.

The four honors are the most Tennessee has garnered in a week this season. Crooks and Hattie are each earning their 11th career honor, the most in program history. Spink has been named SEC Freshman of Week for the second consecutive week, joining Kelsey Floyd as the only UT freshmen to ever accomplish this feat. McSharry was tabbed with her fourth career SEC Swimmer of the Week honor, and the fifth SEC weekly recognition overall.

Crooks claimed four victories with two individual and two relay first-place finishes during the win against LSU. He held the top mark in the nation in the 50 free and 100 fly for the week, as well as the top time in the SEC in the 400 free relay. The George Town, Cayman Islands, native posted a time of 18.80 in the 50 free and 45.18 in the 100 fly to claim his two individual victories. During the 400 free relay, the junior's leadoff 100 free split of 41.87 was the top mark of the week in the conference.

Hattie gained two wins during the victory over LSU. He opened the day with a victory on 3-meter, tallying a score of 400.35. With five of his six dives netting 65 or more points, the senior's mark led the SEC last week. To conclude his day, he took first on 1-meter with a score of 366.15—highlighted by a Forward 2 1/2 Somersault 1 Twist Pike that earned him 72 points on his fifth dive. With the victories, the Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, native has now tallied 11 wins in seven meets this season.

McSharry tallied two individual victories along with a relay win as the 12th-ranked Lady Vols defeated No. 25 LSU. Her first individual victory of the day came in the 50 free, where she tallied an NCAA "B" cut time of 22.12. This time ranked best in the SEC and third in the nation for the past week. In the 200 breast, the Sligo, Ireland, native earned her second individual win of the dual meet, touching the wall with another "B" cut effort of 2:06.63. This mark was also the best in the conference and second in the country during the last seven days. In the 200 medley relay, McSharry swam a 50 breast leg in 25.87 seconds to help pace UT to a 1:35.84 time.

Spink collected three victories to lead the Lady Vols during the win. The Haymarket, Virginia, native earned her individual victory in the 100 free, where she notched the best conference time of the week with an NCAA "B" cut effort of 48.03. The freshman was a member of the fastest 200 medley relay that touched the wall in 1:35.84, thanks to a 21.64 anchor leg from Spink. She also swam the second leg in the 400 free relay in 47.49, pacing UT to a 3:13.90 finish. In the 200 free, Spink tallied a second-place finish with a personal-best time of 1:44.63 – the second-fastest time in the SEC this past week behind fellow Lady Vol Brooklyn Douthwright. The mark was tied for the eighth-best effort in the event in program history.

Tennessee has begun preparations for the SEC Championships, which are February 19-24 in Auburn, Alabama. In addition, UT is set to have several representatives, including McSharry, at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar, over the coming weeks.

University of Tennessee | Official Athletics Site

Players Mentioned

Jordan Crooks

Brooklyn Douthwright

Bryden Hattie

Mona McSharry

Camille Spink

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