Press Release Courtesy of SEC: Swimming and Diving Athletes of the Week
Male Swimmer of the Week
Pace Clark • Georgia Senior • Memphis, Tenn.
Clark posted the fastest time in the country this season in the 200 butterfly (1:44.52) while also winning the 100 butterfly to help the Bulldogs to a 178-122 victory over No. 7 Florida. His time in the 100 fly of 47.63 is currently ranked seventh nationally.
Male Diver of the Week
Juan Celaya • LSU Freshman • San Nicholas de los Garza, Mexico
In his debut collegiate performance, Celaya broke both the school and pool record in the three-meter, scoring a 431.80 against Auburn to break Sean McKinney’s record (425.70) by six points to take the event by just over 53 points. He also took first in the one-meter where he finished with a score of 392.85, placing him second on LSU’s All-Time list. Celaya beat the field by an average of 58 points in his events.
Male Freshman of the Week
Walker Higgins • Georgia Knoxville, Tenn.
Higgins won his first collegiate event (500 freestyle – 4:24.98) against the No. 7 Florida Gators by clocking the seventh fastest time in the country this year. His third-place finish in the 200 free (1:37.51) was behind Olympians Gunnar Bentz and Jay Litherland. Higgins helped the Bulldogs to a 178-122 victory over the Gators.
Female Swimmer of the Week
Meaghan Raab • Georgia Junior • Hummelstown, Pa.
Raab earned three individual and one relay win against the No. 18 Florida women. She helped the Lady Bulldogs to a 164-125 victory over the Lady Gators and helped the team move to 2-0 on the season. Raab took first in the 200 free (1:46.23), the 200 breaststroke (2:14.27) and the 200 IM (1:58.29) and was a part of the winning 400 free relay (3:21.21). Her 200 IM time is the third fastest in the country this year.
Female Diver of the Week
McKensi Austin • Georgia Freshman • Castle Rock, Colo.
Austin won both the 1- and 3-meter women’s springboard to help the Lady Bulldogs to a 164-125 victory over the Gators and helped the team move to 2-0 on the season. She improved her 1-meter score (274.50) by over 40 points and 3-meter (320.10) by over 15 since the Lady Bulldogs’ first meet of the season against UNC.
Female Freshman of the Week
Alison Maillard • Auburn Houston, Texas
Maillard swept the springboard events in the dual meet win at LSU, scoring a pair of Zone qualifying scores in the process. The wins were the first of the season for the freshman. Maillard scored a personal-best 272.33 on the 1-meter to claim first by 8.55 points. She also scored a personal-best 302.85 on the 3-meter to claim first by 16.12 points.