The College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) has announced its NCAA Division II award winners and All-Americans for the 2020-21 season.
CSCAA Awards – 2021 NCAA Division II Women’s Swimming and Diving
- Coach of the Year: Jeff Dugdale, Queens University
- Diving Coach of the Year: Steve Burciaga, Grand Valley State
- Swimmer of the Year: Danielle Melilli, Queens (NC)
- Diver of the Year: Gracyn Segard, Grand Valley State
Queens University of Charlotte women won their sixth consecutive NCAA Division II title, scoring 695 points to win with a 254-point margin. The Royals won 5 individual events and 3 relays and placed at least one swimmer in the A finals (or among the top-8 finishers in the 1000 and 1650 free) of 13 out of 14 individual events, with an average of 2 top-8 swimmers per event. 12 Queens swimmers were named first-team All-Americans while 1 swimmer made the second team.
Queens sophomore Danielle Melilli won the 50 free and 100 breast, was runner-up in the 100 free, and placed fourth in the 200 free. She also contributed to both first-place medley relays and the runner-up 200 free relay. Her coach Jeff Dugdale won his third CSCAA Women’s Team Coach of the Year honors.
Grand Valley sophomore Gracyn Segard sweep the 1-meter and 3-meter boards. Her coach Steve Burciaga earned his first women’s Coach of the Year, having previously won the CSCAA Men’s Division II Diving Coach of the Year in 2016 and 2017.
CSCAA Awards – 2021 NCAA Division II Men’s Swimming and Diving
- Coach of the Year: Jeff Dugdale, Queens (NC)
- Diving Coach of the Year: Dave McKown, Indianapolis
- Swimmer of the Year: Fabio Dalu, McKendree
- Diver of the Year: Ammar Hassan, Colorado Mesa
The Queens men won their sixth NCAA Division II title in a row, too. This year’s victory margin was just 30 points over runner-up Drury, 561-531. Queens won 2 individual events and 1 relay and placed swimmers in the top-8 of all but three events with an average of 1.267 top-8 swimmers per event.
McKendree sophomore Fabio Dalu won all four of his individual events (500, 1000, 1650 free and 400 IM) and set NCAA Division II records in the 1000 and 1650 free.
Queens head coach Jeff Dugdale won the CSCAA Men’s Team Coach of the Year for the fourth time, and swept the Men’s and Women’s Team Coach of the Year honors for the second time in his career.
Colorado Mesa senior Ammar Hassan swept the 1-meter and 3-meter boards for the third consecutive time and thus earned CSCAA Division II Diver of the Year award for the third straight year. He became becomes the first three-year CSCAA Diver of the Year award-winner since Purdue’s David Boudia (2009, 2010, and 2011).
Indianapolis diving coach Dave McKown was named CSCAA Men’s Division II Diving Coach of the Year after placing three different divers in the top-8 of the springboard events.
CSCAA-member Division II head swimming coaches and head diving coaches determined the awards by online voting. One additional vote was determined by the public, also via online polling. Public sentiment went with Delta State’s Giulio Brugnoni and Indianapolis’ Katie McCoy.
200 athletes were named first-team All-Americans while an additional 64 were named to the second-team. Eight swimmers captured the maximum of seven first-team honor awards (four individual events and three relays).
Swimmers with the Maximum (7) First-Team Honor Awards:
- Emanuel Fava, Delta State
- Bec Cross, Drury
- Johanna Buys, Indianapolis
- Katie McCoy, Indianapolis
- Marizel Van Jaarsveld, Indianapolis
- Alex Kunert, Queens (NC)
- Lexie Baker, Queens (NC)
- Danielle Melilli, Queens (NC)
no award for karol and his 41.2?
I don’t think anyone would argue that that was the best swim of the meet but Dalu went 4 for 4 including 2 national records. Ostrowski had 3 wins and a 9th.
Congrats to these hard working, dedicated athletes!