The University of Florida won two of the three SEC Swimming & Diving Athlete of the Week honors for the week ending January 7th, 2014. After a light weekend of competition, Carlos Omana was named the SEC Male Swimmer of the Week and Mitch D’Arrigo won Male Freshman of the Week.
Missouri’s Clark Thomas earned the Male Diver of the Week award.
Omana was honored after winning the 1000 free (9:08.26) and 400 IM (3:54.69) in the Gators’ dual against Florida State, which Florida won 180-118.
D’Arrigo won the 200 (1:38.36) and 500 (4:25.27) freestyles for Florida.
All four of those times rank as the best time of the new year collegiately on the men’s side.
Thomas won the 3-meter event at the Georgia Diving Invitational, the biggest diving meet of the weekend, and put up career-bests on both the 3-meter and the 1-meter.
A full listing of each swimmer’s accomplishments for the last week is below, courtesy of the SEC.
SEC Male Swimmer of the Week: Carlos Omana, Florida
• Picked up two of the Gators’ 12 wins in a 180-118 team victory against No. 16 Florida State.
• Touched the wall first in the 1000 freestyle in a time of 9:08.26, which was eight seconds faster than teammate and the nation’s third-fastest mile swimmer Arthur Frayler.
• Capped off his meet with a win in the 400 individual medley, stopping the clock at 3:54.69.
SEC Male Diver of the Week: Clark Thomas, Missouri
• Claimed one event win and set two new career bests at last week’s Georgia Diving Invitational.
• Opened the meet with a win on the 3-meter springboard with a new personal-best score of 365.65.
• Also placed fifth on the 1-meter after a career-high 386.75 in the prelims.
• Took sixth on the platform.
SEC Male Freshman of the Week: Mitch D’Arrigo, Florida
• Fresh off a silver medal in the 400-meter freestyle at the European Short Course Championships, D’Arrigo touched first in the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle against No. 16 Florida State.
• Notched his first win of the meet with a victory in the 200 free (1:38.36).
• Captured the 500 free in a time of 4:25.27. His 500 free best of 4:15.04 currently ranks third in the nation.
