BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Senior Sam Tierney and junior Clark Thomas of the Mizzou men's swimming and diving team were honored by the Southeastern Conference today (Jan. 20) for their standout performances in Mizzou's dual win against South Carolina last weekend. Tierney was named the SEC Male Swimmer of the Week, while Thomas took home SEC Male Diver of the Week accolades.
The honors marked the third time Tierney and the second time Thomas earned weekly honors from the SEC in their careers. Tierney was also named Male Swimmer of the Week on Nov. 13, 2012 and Oct. 29, 2013, while Thomas claimed Male Diver of the Week honors on Jan. 7, 2014.
Tierney, who hails from Plano, Texas, was a big part of Mizzou's 181-119 dual victory over South Carolina on Jan. 17 after winning two individual events and on two victorious Tiger relays. He easily swept the breaststroke events with times of 53.95 in the 100 and 1:57.99 in the 200, while winning the 100 breast by almost a second and a half and the 200 breast by a little over two seconds. He was also part of Mizzou's winning 200 medley relay (1:30.78) and 400 free relay (3:01.18) teams. Tierney currently ranks first in the nation in the 100 breast and third in the 200 breast.
A native of Olathe, Kan., Thomas swept the 1-meter and 3-meter against the Gamecocks. He opened the meet with a tally of 355.08 points on 1-meter to claim top honors, then scored 382.05 points on 3-meter to earn the victory. He won both boards by over 20 points, including almost a 40 point cushion on 3-meter. The wins marked the sixth and fifth wins on 1-meter and 3-meter, respectively, for Clark this season.
The Tigers return to the pool on Friday, Jan. 23 at 3 p.m. when the squad hosts Drury at the Mizzou Aquatic Center. Admission to the meet is free.