Over the weekend, 23 NCAA Division I teams were awarded conference championships for 2020. While the SEC (Tennessee women, Florida men), ACC (Virginia women), and Big Ten (Ohio State women) caught the most national attention, all over the country collegiate teams were fighting for titles from coast-to-coast.
For most of the teams at these meets, last weekend was the conclusion of their 2020 season.
While we wrote daily recaps for each of these meets, below are mini capsules highlighting team champions and award winners from each of the mid-major conferences this week
Atlantic 10 – Women’s
Courtesy: A-10 Conference
- Women’s Most Outstanding Performer – Mia Bullock, Fordham
- Women’s Coach of the Year – John Young, Davidson
- Women’s Most Outstanding Rookie – Shelby Stanley, Davidson
- Women’s Diving Coach of the Year – Mandy Hixon, UMass
- Women’s Most Outstanding Diver – Maja Boric, UMass
- Team Champions – George Washington University
The George Washington University women won their first-ever Atlantic 10 Conference Championship meet, while Fordham’s Mia Bullock was named the Most Outstanding Performer in the Pool.
Bullock won the 100 fly and 200 fly at the meet, breaking Conference Records in times of 53.03 and 1:57.60, respectively. She also placed 3rd in the 100 breaststroke.
Atlantic 10 – Men’s
Courtesy: Atlantic 10 Championships
- Men’s Most Outstanding Performer – Moritz Fath, George Washington
- Men’s Coach of the Year – Peter Ward, George Mason
- Men’s Most Outstanding Rookie – Luke Devore, George Mason
- Men’s Diving Coach of the Year – Wesley Mattice, George Washington
- Men’s Most Outstanding Diver – Peter Nachtwey, George Washington
- Team Champions – George Mason
The George Mason men overcame a 400 medley relay disqualification to win their first-ever Atlantic 10 Championships.
The runners-up from George Washington were led by Moritz Fath, who won the 100 free (44.31), 200 free (1:35.92), and 500 free (4:20.62).
AAC – Men’s & Women’s
Courtesy: American Athletic Conference
Courtesy: American Athletic Conference
Most Outstanding Swimmers
- Will Kearsey, UConn (Men)
- Zarena Brown and Peyton Kondis, Houston (Women)
Most Outstanding Divers
- Peter Smithson, SMU (Men)
- Lauren Burrell, Houston (Women)
Swimming and Diving Freshmen Of The Year
- Michael Balcerak, Cincinnati (Men’s Swimming)
- Peter Smithson, SMU (Men’s Diving)
- Lilly Byrne, Tulane (Women’s Swimming)
Swimming Coaches of the Year
- Matthew Jabs, ECU (Men’s Swimming)
- Ryan Wochomurka, Houston (Women’s Swimming)
Diving Coaches of the Year
- Darian Schmidt, SMU (Men’s Diving)
- Bob Gunter, Houston (Women’s Diving)
Team Champions
- Women – University of Houston
- Men – East Carolina University
The Houston women cruised to their 4th-straight AAC Championship, while East Carolina’s men fought to the wire for a narrow 7-point win over Cincinnati.
UConn’s Will Kearsey won the 50 free in a new Meet Record of 19.47 in prelims, the 100 back in a new Meet Record of 46.08 in finals, and the 100 free in 42.64. All 3 times are just shy of what earned NCAA Championship invites last season. That effort earned him the Male Most Outstanding Swimmer award.
University of Houston teammates Zarena Brown and Peyton Kondis shared the women’s honor after combining for 4 individual wins. Brown won the 500 free in a new Meet Record of 4:41.89 and the 200 free in 1:44.33, while Kondis won the 100 breast in 59.34 and 200 breaststroke in 2:09.93.
CCSA – Women’s
Courtesy: CCSA
- Most Outstanding Swimmer of the Championship – Mikayla Herich, Liberty
- Most Outstanding Freshman Performer of the Championship – Ximena Conde Merlos, Incarnate Word
- Most Outstanding Diver – Reese Wakefield, Florida Gulf Coast
- Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year – (TIE) Phillip Davis, Incarnate Word/Elizabeth Lykins, UNC Asheville
- Women’s Diving Coach of the Year – (TIE) Tori Wood, Liberty/David Boyko, Florida Gulf Coast
- Team Champions – Liberty
The Liberty women rolled to a 163-point margin of victory over Florida Gulf Coast to win their 2nd consecutive title.
Liberty was led by senior Mikayla Herich, who won the 200 IM (1:59.34), 400 IM (4:13.29), and 1650 free (16:38.96). She was dominant en route to all 3 individual victories.
Florida Gulf Coast’s Petra Halmai swam a 2:07.38 in the 200 breaststroke that ranks 8th nationally so far this season.
CCSA Men’s Championships
Courtesy: CCSA
- Most Outstanding Swimmer of the Championship – (TIE) Alvaro Ibarra, Incarnate Word/Leonardo Sanchez, Incarnate Word
- Most Outstanding Freshman Performer of the Championship – Alvaro Ibarra, Incarnate Word
- Most Outstanding Diver – Logan Downey, Florida Atlantic
- Men’s Swimming Coach of the Year – (TIE) Phillip Davis, Incarnate Word/Nicolas Askew, Howard
- Men’s Diving Coach of the Year – Dora Fyfe, NJIT
- Team Champions – Incarnate Word
The Incarnate word men rolled their way to a 3rd-straight CCSA Championship, beating Gardner-Webb by almost 200 points.
Incarnate Word freshman Alvaro Ibarra made a big impacted in his first championship, sharing Swimmer of the Meet honors. He won the 500 free in 4:23.96, finished 4th in the 200 free, and won the 1650 free in a new Conference Record of 15:12.25.
Leonardo Sanchez, who shared the honor, was 4th in the 500 free, won the 200 free, and won the 100 free.
Ibarra and Sanchez combined with Norbert Aranyi and Hector Cruz to also break the Conference Record in the 800 free relay.
Summit League – Men & Women
Courtesy: Summit League
Men
- Championship Swimming MVP – Adriel Sanes, Denver
- Championship Diving MVP – Mitch Raihle, South Dakota State
- Newcomer of the Championship – Riley Babson, Denver
- Diving Coach of the Year – Elyse Brouillette, South Dakota State
- Swimming Coach of the Year – Alicia Hicken-Franklin, Denver
- Team Champions – Denver
Women
- Championship Swimming MVP – Josie Valette, Denver
- Championship Diving MVP – Sammy Walker, Denver
- Newcomer of the Championship – Natalie Arky, Denver
- Diving Coach of the Year – Aaron D’Addario, Denver
- Swimming Coach of the Year – Alicia Hicken-Franklin, Denver
- Team Champions – Denver
The Denver men and women won their 7th-straight Summit League Championship, including a record-setting 1,183 point total for the Denver women.
On the men’s side, among a Denver team full of NCAA qualifiers, Adriel Sanes stood out with wins in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke, setting new Summit League Records in both in times of 52.32 and 1:55.70, respectively. He also finished 2nd in the 200 IM.
The Denver women, who didn’t lose a single event swimming or diving throughout the meet, were led by Josie Valette. She won the 200 fly in a new Summit League Record of 1:57.91, and also picked up a win in the 100 fly (53.16).
Mountain West Conference – Women
Courtesy: Mountain West Championships
- SWIMMER OF THE MEET – Klara Thormalm, Jr., San Diego State
- DIVER OF THE MEET – Melissa Mirafuentes, Fr., Wyoming
- FRESHMAN OF THE MEET – Athena Clayson, Fresno State
- SENIOR RECOGNITION AWARD – Heidi Schellin, Air Force
- TEAM CHAMPIONS – San Diego State
The San Diego State women dominated the Mountain West Championship by almost 450 points.
That included an NCAA “A” cut in the 200 medley relay and a probable individual invite time from Swimmer for the Meet Klara Thormalm in 59.36. She is one of 3 Aztecs swimmers who went under a minute in that race, along with Morganne McKennan and Sammy Geyer.
Ivy League – Women’s
Courtesy: Princeton Athletics
- High Point Swimmer of the Meet – (Three-way tie) – Ellie Marquardt, Princeton/Nikki Venema, Princeton/Felicia Pasadyn, Harvard – 96 points
- Rick Gilbert High Point Diver of the Meet – Nikki Waters, Yale – 54 points
- Ron Keenhold Career High Point Diver – Mimi Lin, Princeton – 105 points
- Career High Point Swimmer – Miki Dahlke, Harvard – 361.5 points
- Team Champions – Princeton
The youth was on display in Providence, Rhode Island this weekend at the 2020 Ivy League Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships. Princeton freshmen Ellie Marquardt and Nikki Venema and Harvard freshman Felicia Pasadyn all won three events to score the maximum number of points (96) in the race for High Point Swimmer of the Meet honors.
Marquardt began the meet with an Ivy Meet and pool record in the 500 free with 4:36.37. On Friday, she won the 1000 free, also with a pool record (9:34.71). Marquardt finished the weekend with a victory in the 1650 free, bettering the pool record by over 10 seconds with 16:06.96.
Venema swept the sprint free races. She won the 50 by .07, touching out classmate Amelia Liu with 22.41. The next day she won the 200 free with 1:45.31, just .08 shy of the pool record. In her final individual performance, Venema took down the pool record in the 100 free with 48.55.
Pasadyn won titles in the 200/400 IM and 200 back. She broke the pool record in the 200 IM on Day 2 going 1:55.88. It was another pool record for the freshman in the 400 IM the next day; she clocked a 4:08.47 for the victory. On the final day, Pasadyn crushed the Ivy Meet and pool record in the 200 back with 1:52.56. That was 1.5 seconds faster than her teammate, Samantha Shelton, had gone in 2019 when she established the meet mark. Shelton was runner-up this year.
Missouri Valley Conference – Women’s
Courtesy: Missouri Valley Conference Championships
- Freshman Diver of the Year: Anna Penning, UNI
- Freshman Swimmer of the Year: Lucia Romero, Southern Illinois
- Diver of the Year: Baobao Ji, Southern Illinois
- Swimmer of the Year: Kierston Farley-Sepe, Illinois State
- Diving Coach of the Year: Chunhua Zhao, Southern Illinois
- Swimming Coach of the Year: Dave Collins, Missouri State
- Team Champions: Missouri State
The Missouri State women sent their seniors out undefeated with a 4th-straight Missouri Valley Conference title.
Illinois State’s Kierston Farley-Sepe came away from the meet with 3 event wins, including new Meet Records in the 200 IM (1:59.71), 400 IM (4:16.36). She finished the meet with a 1:58.82 in the 200 fly to earn Swimmer of the Year honors.
Mountain Pacific Sports Federation
Courtesy: MPSF Championships
- Men’s Team Champion – Hawaii
- Women’s Team Champion – Hawaii
No individual awards were announced, but for the 2nd-straight year, Hawaii swept the MPSF Conference championships.
Patriot League Men & Women
Courtesy: Patriot League
- Women’s Swim Coach of the Year: Dan Schinnerer, Bucknell
- Men’s Swim Coach of the Year: Brian Loeffler, Loyola Maryland
- Women’s Diving Coach of the Year: Rich MacDonald, Navy
- Men’s Diving Coach of the Year: Rich MacDonald, Navy
- Female Diver of the Meet: Serica Hallstead, Sr., Army West Point
- Male Diver of the Meet: Bradley Buchter, Sr., Navy
- Female Rookie of the Meet: Sabrina Vumbacco, Fr., Bucknell
- Male Rookie of the Meet: Max Verheyen, Fr., Loyola Maryland
- Female Swimmer of the Meet: Sydney Harrington, So., Navy
- Male Swimmer of the Meet: Micah Oh, Jr., Navy
- Men’s Team Champions: Navy
- Women’s Team Champions: Navy
The Navy women won their 9th-straight Patriot League Championship, while the Navy men won their 17th-straight league title.
Micah Oh was named Patriot League Male Swimmer of the Meet as he won the Men’s 200- yard Butterfly (1:44.97) and the 400-yard individual medley (3:45.44) and the 200-individual medley (1:45.38). Bradley Buchter was named Patriot League Diver of the Meet after winning the three-meter dive (456.80) and the one-meter dive (384.25). Buchter ends his Patriot League diving career 8-0 in all championship diving events.
Patriot League Male Rookie of the Meet was awarded to Max Verheyen of Loyola Maryland as he finished third in the men’s 400-individual medley (3:47.91). Rich MacDonald was given Patriot League Male and Female Diving Coach of the Year.
Bucknell head coach Dan Schinnerer was named Patriot League Women’s Swim Coach of the Meet and Loyola Maryland head coach Brian Loeffler was awarded Patriot League Male Swim Coach of the Year.
The Navy women won their ninth consecutive championship totaling 927 points throughout the week. Bucknell followed in second place with 533 points and Lehigh rounded out the podium with 506 points.
Navy sophomore Sydney Harrington was awarded with Patriot League Female Swimmer of the Meet as she won the women’s 200-yard butterfly (1:55.24), women’s 100-yard butterfly (52.69) and the women’s 200-individual medley (2:00.00).
Serica Hallstead was named Patriot League Female Diver of the Meet as she captured gold in the women’s one-meter diving competition (292.55). Bucknell freshman Sabrina Vumbacco was named Patriot League Female Rookie of the Meet after finishing third in the women’s 500-freestyle (4:50.18).
CAA Championships – Women
Courtesy: CAA
- Most Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet: Gab Rudy, Drexel
- Most Outstanding Diver of the Meet: Hope Byrum, James Madison
- Swimming Coach of the Year: Pablo Marmolejo, Delaware
- Diving Coach of the Year: John Wolsh, James Madison
- Team Champions: James Madison
The James Madison women won their 3rd-straight CAA Championship, taking the title by 84.5 points ahead of runners-up William & Mary.
Swimmer of the Meet honors went to Gab Rudy, who swept the breaststroke events in 1:00.44 and 2:14.54, respectively.
Also at the meet, Drexel senior Alexa Kutch became the first swimmer in conference history to sweep the backstroke events in all four years of her collegiate career.
CAA Championships – Men
Courtesy: CAA
- Most Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet: Colin Wright, William & Mary
- Most Outstanding Diver of the Meet: Kolbein Bjugan, UNCW
- Swimming Coach of the Year: Nate Kellogg, William & Mary
- Diving Coach of the Year: Beau Bunn, UNCW
- Team Champions: William & Mary
The William & Mary men won their 6th-straight CAA Championship, beating runners-up UNCW by almost 100 points.
Colin Wright made headlines by becoming just the 4th mid-major swimmer in history to go sub-19 in the 50 free, swimming an 18.98. He also won the 100 free in 42.19 (42.01 in prelims) and the 200 free (1:35.04) to earn Swimmer of the Meet honors.
Horizon League – Women’s & Men’s
Courtesy: Horizon League
Horizon League Swimming & Diving Specialty Awards
Women’s Specialty Awards
- Athlete of the Year: Susan LaGrand, Oakland
- Freshman of the Year: Emily Aycock, Oakland
- Swimmer of the Meet: Susan LaGrand, Oakland
- Diver of the Meet: Cydney Liebenberg, UIC
- Swimming Coach of the Year: Pete Hovland, Oakland
- Diving Coach of the Year: Susan Bromberg, UIC
- Team Champions: Oakland
Men’s Specialty Awards
- Athlete of the Year: Marko Khotynetskyi, Oakland
- Freshman of the Year: Marko Khotynetskyi, Oakland
- Swimmer of the Meet: Marko Khotynetskyi, Oakland
- Diver of the Meet: Felix LaFortune, UIC
- Swimming Coach of the Year: Pete Hovland, Oakland
- Diving Coach of the Year: Susan Bromberg, UIC
- Team Champions: Oakland
The Oakland Grizzlies swept the men’s and women’s Horizon League titles for the 7th-straight season, with both teams winning by over 200 points.
The women’s Athlete of the Year is sophomore Susan LaGrand, who won the 200 IM (1:58.22) and 200 backstroke (1:56.58), both of which are new Meet Records.
On the men’s side, Athlete of the Year honors went to Oakland freshman Marko Khotyneskyi. He won the 500 free (4:24.77) and the 200 back (1:43.12), the latter of which was done in a new Meet Record.
Northeast Conference – Women
Courtesy: NEC
- Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet – Amanda Peren, LIU
- Outstanding Diver of the Meet – Kyri Chambo, Bryant
- Rookie of the Meet – Samantha Grenon, Bryant
- Coaching Staff of the Year – Bryant (led by head coach Katie Cameron)
- Team Champions – Bryant
The Bryant Bulldogs wrapped up a three-peat on Saturday, beating runners-up Connecticut State University by 227.5 points at the Nassau Aquatic Center in East Meadow, New York.
The Swimmer of the Meet award went to Long Island University’s Amanda Peren, who broke NEC Records in the 200 IM (2:00.30) and 200 free (1:47.26), and added a 3rd victory in the 100 free (49.71).
