After claiming the men’s and women’s Big 12 Swimming and Diving Championships for the second-consecutive year, the Texas swimming and diving program headlines the 2013-14 Big 12 Swimming postseason awards. The Longhorns received eight of 10 awards this season. Honorees were selected by a vote of the league’s head coaches, who are not permitted to vote for their own student-athletes.
West Virginia senior Bryce Bohman was named men’s Swimmer of the Year. At the 2014 Big 12 Championships, Bohman smashed the school records in the 100 back, 200 back and 100 fly, placing first in the 100 back and earning All-Big 12 First Team honors in all three events. At the 2014 NCAA Championships, he made the A-finals in both the 100 and 200 back, setting school records in both events. The Moline, Ill., native earned All-America first team honors in both events with fifth-place finishes. Bohman became the first WVU swimmer to earn two All-America first team honors in the same meet.
Longhorn diver Michael Hixon earned the Diver of the Year and Newcomer of the Year distinctions after his sweep of the springboard events at the 2014 NCAA Championships. The freshman won NCAA titles in the one-meter and three-meter diving events, becoming the first Texas freshman to sweep the springboard events at the NCAA event. Hixon was responsible for the top individual finishes by a Big 12 swimmer or diver at the NCAA Championships. He added All-America honors on platform and placed seventh overall in the event. Hixon was selected as the NCAA Championships’ Diver of the Meet for his efforts. His 52 points helped Texas earn its 11th NCAA runner-up finish.
On the women’s side, Texas’ Lily Moldenhauer was crowned Swimmer of the Year. Moldenhauer posted the highest individual finish for a Big 12 swimmer at the NCAA Championships with her fifth-place mark of 52.43 in the 100 backstroke consolation final. She had a hand in the league’s top relay finish at the NCAA Championships with her 24.24. leadoff split on UT’s 200 medley relay that tied the school record and placed sixth overall at the NCAA Championships. The senior set Big 12 meet records in the 100 backstroke and the 100 butterfly and won both events at the Big 12 Championships. Both records were previously held by two-time U.S. Olympian and former Longhorn Kathleen Hersey. Moldenhauer also eclipsed Hersey’s school mark in the 100 backstroke and claimed the league record in the event with her 51.48 at the Big 12 Championships.
For the second-consecutive year Maren Taylor of Texas picked up Diver of the Year honor. Taylor posted career-best runner-up finishes in the one-meter and three-meter diving events at the NCAA Championships and finished her Texas career with 11 All-America honors in 12 events through her career at the NCAA Championships. Taylor has earned a spot on the U.S. roster at this summer’s FINA Diving World Cup in Shanghai, China, after reaching the three-meter finals last summer at the FINA World Championships in Barcelona, Spain. Taylor and Emma Ivory-Ganja posted the league’s highest finishes (individual and/or relay) at the NCAA Championships. Taylor leaves UT as the school, Big 12 Conference and Big 12 meet record-holder in the one-meter and three-meter diving events.
After posting the highest individual finish among Big 12 newcomers at the NCAA Championships with her runner-up finish in the platform diving event, Emma Ivory-Ganja was tabbed as Newcomer of the Year. Her runner-up finish was the highest for a Texas platform diver at the NCAA Championships since Jessica Livingston in 2007. Ivory-Ganja was the only Big 12 swimming or diving newcomer to score individually in three events at the NCAA Championships. Ivory-Ganja opened the NCAA meet by placing fifth in the one-meter diving consolation final to earn four team points and an honorable mention All-America certificate. She added All-America honors in the three-meter event with her seventh-place showing at the NCAA meet and wrapped up her stellar NCAA Championship meet with her runner-up finish in the platform diving event.
Eddie Reese was named the men’s swimming Big 12 Coach of the Year after guiding Texas to it’s 18th consecutive Big 12 Championship and a runner-up finish at the NCAA Championships. The award is Reese’s ninth straight and 12th overall. Kansas’ Clark Campbell was named the women’s swimming Big 12 Coach of the Year. The Jayhawks second-place finish at the Big 12 Championships was the highest in KU history. Texas diving coach Matt Scoggin was named the men’s and women’s Diving Coach of the Year. The 1992 olympian has earned 16 Diving Coach of the Year accolades in his career at Texas, the most in conference history.
2014 BIG 12 SWIMMING AND DIVING POSTSEASON AWARDS
MEN
Swimmer of the Year: Bryce Bohman, West Virginia
Diver of the Year: Michael Hixon, Texas
Newcomer of the Year: Michael Hixon, Texas
Swim Coach of the Year: Eddie Reese, Texas
Diving Coach of the Year: Matt Scoggin, Texas
WOMEN
Swimmer of the Year: Lily Moldenhauer, Texas
Diver of the Year: Maren Taylor, Texas
Newcomer of the Year: Emma Ivory-Ganja, Texas
Swim Coach of the Year: Clark Campbell, Kansas
Diving Coach of the Year: Matt Scoggin, Texas
The above is a press release written by the Big 12 Conference.
