BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — LSU junior All-American Evan Martinec was named the Southeastern Conference Men’s Swimming and Diving Athlete of the Week, the league office announced on Tuesday.
Martinec, a native of Tacoma, Wash., earned the honor for the first time in his career. The three-time All-American won four events in the Tigers’ final two home meets of the season last weekend in Baton Rouge. Martinec won the 100-yard butterfly in LSU’s dual-meet versus Louisiana-Monroe and Delta State on Friday with a time of 50.45 and also led off on the Tigers’ winning 200-yard medley relay.
Martinec won three events in Saturday’s home finale against Kentucky, winning both the 100 and 200-yard backstroke and the 100-yard butterfly again. He won the 100-yard backstroke in an NCAA “B” cut time of 49.06, an event in which he earlier this season swam a 47.76 to qualify for the 2003 NCAA Championships with a “B” cut. That time is the best in the conference this season and the fourth-fastest in the country. He posted times of 1:52.25 in the 200-back and finished the 100-yard fly in 49.07.
Martinec is the second LSU athlete to win the award this season. Jessica Wantz won the award on Jan. 14. Martinec will participate in his third-consecutive Southeastern Conference Championships from Feb. 19-22 in Auburn, Ala.