Guenthner & Lewark Garner SEC Weekly Accolades
Tuesday, December 9, 2008 | Men's Swimming & Diving
University of Florida senior Laurabeth Guenthner (Wellington, Fla.) and freshman Anthony Lewark (Davie, Fla.) were named SEC Swimming & Diving Athletes of the Week, announced by the league office Tuesday. Guenthner captured SEC Female Swimmer of the Week, while Lewark was named the SEC Male Diver of the Week. The duo acquired the accolades based on their performances at U.S. Nationals and the Princeton Open, respectively.
The league weekly honor is the second of the season for Lewark and Guenthner, who both earned SEC honors Oct. 21, the opening weekend of 2008 competition.
Guenthner led the Lady Gators at the 2008 ConocoPhillips USA Swimming Short Course National meet in Atlanta, Ga., Dec. 4-6, with a victory in the 1650-yard freestyle, swimming to a time of 16:07.80, a season-best and NCAA provisional qualifying mark. The national title was the first of Guenthner's career at Florida. Guenthner additionally finished fifth in the “B” final of the 500-yard free (4:46.68) with a season-best mark and swam both the 400 IM (4:23.76) and 200 free (1:50.07) at U.S. Nationals.
Meanwhile, Lewark led the contingent of Gator swimmers at the Princeton Big Al Open in Princeton, N.J., with a first-place victory on the three-meter board (343.80) and a second-place finish in the one-meter competition (312.60). Lewark's three-meter score was a season-best, improving his existing NCAA Zone Diving qualifying mark (341.70). Both the men's and women's Florida squads captured first at the Princeton invite, racking up over 900 points on each side. The UF men surpassed competition in No. 23 Princeton and No. 25 Harvard on their way to the helm of the invitational.
Florida SEC Swimmers and Divers of the Week Tally
MEN
Oct. 21 – Anthony Lewark, Diving: SEC Male Diver of the Week & SEC Male Freshman of the Week
Oct. 28 – Omar Pinzon, Swimming: SEC Male Swimmer of the Week
Nov. 5 – Balazs Gercsak, Swimming: SEC Male Swimmer of the Week
Nov. 11 – Jeff Raymond, Swimming: SEC Male Freshman of the Week
Dec. 9 – Anthony Lewark, Diving: SEC Male Diver of the Week
WOMEN
Oct. 21 – Laurabeth Guenthner, Swimming: SEC Female Swimmer of the Week
Oct. 21 – Shara Stafford, Swimming: SEC Female Freshman of the Week
Oct. 28 – Teresa Crippen, Swimming: SEC Female Freshman of the Week
Nov. 11 – Kara Salamone, Diving: SEC Female Diver of the Week
Dec. 9 – Laurabeth Guenthner, Swimming: SEC Female Swimmer of the Week
