April 20, 2004

Columbia, S.C. – Senior men’s swimmer Lir Derieg and senior women’s swimmer Jennifer VanAssen were honored last Thursday afternoon at the annual University of South Carolina Awards Day held on the University Horseshoe. VanAssen receved the USC Female Student-Athlete of the Year Award and Derieg earned the Academic Excellence Award for a male student-athlete.

VanAssen was a valuable member of the Gamecock swimming team and finished as National Runner-Up in the 100 meter and 200 meter freestyle events at the 2004 NCAA Championships. The USC Women’s team ended up finishing 11th, the second highest finish in school history for the squad. VanAssen earned All-American honors the previous two seasons in both events. The Female Student-Athlete of the Year Award is presented to the female student-athlete who has performed extraordinarily in the areas of athletics, academics and community service during her college career.

Derieg was an outstanding member of the USC men’s swim team and compiled a 3.646 GPA while majoring in Management Science. The Academic Excellence Award is presented to the male student-athlete who has achieved the highest cumulative grade point average during his career at Carolina and has been a letter winner on his squad.